Private-party transfer in Texas: closing the sale without surprises
Steps for buyer and seller, documents, payment and state-specific plate conditions.
A private sale calls for checking the title, payment, plate and applicable state procedures. This guide is written for both sides of the table, with Texas's rules.
The place and the moment
Ask the titling office (At your county Tax Assessor-Collector's office (county tax office), not at a TxDMV office. TxDMV recommends the seller go with you. Keep two clocks in mind: 30 days for the title and 20 working days for the tax) in advance about accepted signatures, documents, appointments and payments. Where available, coordinate the handover with that office and verify payment with the issuing bank before releasing the car or documents.
Step by step
| # | Seller | Buyer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm the title is in your name and lien-free. If there is a loan, get the bank's release before listing. | Ask for the VIN and check title, recalls and history before seeing the car. |
| 2 | Allow an independent inspection. Agree in writing how and when it will take place. | Pre-purchase inspection with your own mechanic. |
| 3 | Agree the total price in writing on a bill of sale: VIN, year, make, model, price, date, names, signatures. Two copies. | Same. The bill of sale is your proof of price for the tax. |
| 4 | On the title: your signature, the buyer's name and address, price, date and the applicable odometer disclosure, including exemptions and any required mileage-discrepancy indicators. The seller discloses the odometer on the title and the buyer records it on the 130-U (Tex. Transp. Code § 501.072; federal law 49 U.S.C. § 32705). | Check that the VIN on the title is the car's and that the person signing is the titled owner. |
| 5 | Receive payment: cashier's check verified at the issuing bank, confirmed transfer, or cash inside the bank. | Pay only when the signed title is in your hand. |
| 6 | Handle the seller's plate. Follow the state conditions below for removal, transfer or return. | Confirm the registration, permit and plate you need before driving; do not assume you can use the seller's. |
| 7 | Listed seller-process document: VTR-346 (Texas Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification) o en línea en txdmv.gov. Follow the timing and conditions in the state process below; keep your copy. | Confirm the required documents, fees, taxes and deadline with the agency, including the event that starts the deadline. Bring the applicable insurance or financial-responsibility documents. |
| 8 | Ask your insurer when to cancel or transfer coverage, and first confirm the registration and plate conditions. | Confirm the coverage or proof of financial responsibility required for your transaction and before driving. |
The plate in Texas
The plate belongs to the seller, and removing it is their choice: they can move it to their next car of the same classification, keep it for later, or — if they do neither — they must dispose of it by defacing the front with permanent black ink. The registration sticker never transfers. If the sale falls on a Saturday or Sunday and the seller takes the plates, the buyer prints a Vehicle Transit Permit: there is no fee for it, it is good for 5 calendar days starting the day it is printed, it covers ONE trip between the point of origin and the destination, and only one may be issued per vehicle sale. Buying from a dealer: since July 1, 2025, under H.B. 718, paper temporary tags no longer exist — a licensed dealer must hand you METAL LICENSE PLATES at the time of sale, and you keep the Buyer's Receipt in the car until registration is complete. If someone presenting themselves as a dealer sends you off with a paper tag, something is wrong. The seller should file the Vehicle Transfer Notification within 30 days: if TxDMV receives it in that window, the buyer becomes the rebuttably presumed owner for tickets, tolls and crimes committed with the car (Tex. Transp. Code § 501.147(c)); if the seller does not file it, § 501.147(e) says the law imposes no civil or criminal liability on them for that alone, but the record stays in their name and the tickets and tolls go to them. The case that catches people out: if you hand your car to a dealer as a trade-in, the dealer is NOT required to title it in the dealership's name, so it can stay in your name for months or years until it sells. File the notification anyway.
What each one must bring
Seller
- Title (or printout of the electronic one)
- Photo ID
- Lien release, if any
- VTR-346 (Texas Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification) o en línea en txdmv.gov
- A screwdriver for the plate
Buyer
- State forms (Form 130-U, VTR-130-UIF, VTR-346)
- Photo ID
- Insurance card
- Payment for fees and tax
- If out of state: whatever VIN verification the state requires
Three special situations
- Lost title. The seller requests a duplicate before selling. Don't accept "I'll send it later."
- Two owners on the title. If the names are joined by "and," both sign. With "or," one is usually enough.
- The seller is an heir or holds a power of attorney. Extra documentation is needed (estate papers or POA). Confirm at the office before paying.
Keep the records; check the official process
Sources
- TxDMV — Buying or Selling a Vehicle
- TxDMV — Register Your Vehicle (fees)
- TxDMV — Out of State and Imported Vehicles
- TxDMV — New to Texas
- TxDMV — Get a Copy of Your Title
- Tex. Transp. Code § 501.145 — Filing by purchaser (30 days)
- Tex. Transp. Code § 501.146 — Title transfer; late fee
- Tex. Transp. Code § 501.138 — Title fee $28 / $33
- Tex. Transp. Code § 501.030 — Motor vehicles brought into state
- Tex. Transp. Code § 502.040, § 502.252, § 502.253, § 502.360 — Registration and fees
- Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072 — Minimum coverage amounts
- Texas Department of Insurance — Auto insurance guide
- Tex. Transp. Code § 501.145(c) — 60 días para militares en servicio activo
- Tex. Transp. Code § 548.510, § 548.511 — Inspection program replacement fee ($7.50 / $16.75 / $22.25)
- Tex. Transp. Code § 502.251, § 502.254, § 502.360 — Motorcycle, trailer and electric vehicle fees
- TCEQ — Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Texas (Bexar County from November 1, 2026)
- Texas DPS — Bexar County Emission Inspections (FAQ)
- TxDMV — Electronic Lien and Title Program (ELT)
- TxDMV — Temporary Registration and Vehicle Transit Permit (no fee, 5 calendar days, one trip)
- TxDMV — House Bill 718: metal license plates replace temporary tags (July 1, 2025)
- Tex. Ins. Code ch. 1952, subch. D — Personal injury protection (offer required, rejection in writing, $2,500)
- Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101 — Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage required to be offered
- Texas Comptroller — Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax (30 calendar days, penalties)
- Tex. Transp. Code § 501.147 — VTR-346 (Texas Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification) o en línea en txdmv.gov
- 49 CFR Part 580 — Federal odometer disclosure requirements
This guide informs; it is not legal or financial advice, nor an offer, quote or appraisal. Every figure carries its source and date; check it is still current before you decide.