Texas car title transfer

At a glance

Seller's signature

TxDMV's seller steps ask for a signed title with the sale date and odometer reading and a signed Form 130-U, with no notary step.

Buyer's signature

The buyer files the signed title and a signed Form 130-U showing the price at the county tax office; the steps have no notary.

Odometer

The seller gives a properly signed title with the sale date and odometer reading.

Buyer's deadline

The vehicle is titled in the buyer's name within 30 days of the sale.

Plates

The seller may keep the plates for another vehicle.

Title fee

$28 or $33, depending on the county.

Seller's report

The seller files the vehicle transfer notification within 30 days of the sale.

Agency

Texas DMV (TxDMV, county tax offices)

If you're selling

1. Find the title and clear any lien. Have the original title in hand. If a lender is listed, get the lien release or the lender's sign-off before the sale; the buyer can't title the car over an open lien.
2. Sign the title over. TxDMV's seller steps ask for a signed title with the sale date and odometer reading and a signed Form 130-U, with no notary step. Don't sign until the buyer is ready, and write in the buyer's name and the sale date exactly.
3. Write down the mileage. The seller gives a properly signed title with the sale date and odometer reading.
4. Deal with the plates. The seller may keep the plates for another vehicle.
5. Report the sale. The seller files the vehicle transfer notification within 30 days of the sale.
6. Cancel insurance and keep copies. Once the car is gone and the plates are off, call your insurer. Keep a photo of the signed title, the bill of sale and any sale report.

If you're buying

1. Check the title against the car and the seller. The VIN on the title should match the car, and the seller's ID should match the owner's name on the title. Ask about any lien listed on it.
2. Watch the title get signed. Seller: TxDMV's seller steps ask for a signed title with the sale date and odometer reading and a signed Form 130-U, with no notary step. Buyer: The buyer files the signed title and a signed Form 130-U showing the price at the county tax office; the steps have no notary.
3. Check the mileage entry. The seller gives a properly signed title with the sale date and odometer reading.
4. Insure the car before you drive it. Most states require insurance to register. Arrange it before driving away.
5. Title it in your name in time. The vehicle is titled in the buyer's name within 30 days of the sale.
6. Plates and fees. The seller may keep the plates for another vehicle. Title fee: $28 or $33, depending on the county.

Sold on the first of a month? See the due date for a December 1, 2026 sale.

Your own checklist, marked step by step: seller · buyer.

In the agency's words

Seller

"A properly signed title, including the date of sale and odometer reading"

Buyer

"Signed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) with the sales price clearly shown."

Deadline

"Vehicles are required to be titled in the buyer's name within 30 days from the date of sale."

Plates

"The seller may keep their license plates for future transfer to another vehicle."

Report of sale

"When you file the notification within 30 days from the date of sale."

Not stated on the pages we read: a bill of sale rule.

Official sources

• TxDMV: Buying or Selling a Vehicle (checked November 2026)
• TxDMV: Out of State and Imported Vehicles (checked November 2026)

General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Checked November 2026 against the official pages listed above. Forms, fees and deadlines change, a county office can add its own steps, and gifts, estates, liens and out-of-state titles follow other rules; the agency or an attorney can tell you how a rule applies to your sale. MCC Solutions is not affiliated with any motor vehicle agency.

Common questions

All states: car title notarization by state · South Carolina · Utah