Independent guide · Not a government site
How to transfer a car title
in your state, step by step.
Steps for selling, buying or gifting a car, replacing a lost title, or handling a car after the owner died. Every step links to the official state page and shows the date we checked it.
- Official state sources only
- A checked date on every fact
- We say so when we couldn't confirm a detail
Quick answer
To transfer a car title, the seller signs the title over to the buyer, and the buyer applies for a new title in their name with the state's title application, within the state's deadline: 30 days in Texas, 30 calendar days in Florida and 15 days in Washington. Each state's forms, fees and steps are cited to the official agency.
All states
- Alabama4 guides
- California5 guides
- Florida5 guides
- Georgia4 guides
- Indiana4 guides
- Kentucky3 guides
- Louisiana4 guides
- Maryland5 guides
- Missouri5 guides
- New Jersey4 guides
- New York4 guides
- North Carolina4 guides
- Ohio4 guides
- Oklahoma4 guides
- Oregon4 guides
- Pennsylvania4 guides
- South Carolina4 guides
- Texas5 guides
- Utah4 guides
- Virginia4 guides
- Washington5 guides
- Wisconsin4 guides
How we check sources
How we check sourcesEvery form, fee and rule here comes from an official state page and shows the date we checked it.