Texas

Steps from handshake to completed transfer

1. 1
   Run a title check and verify the seller before money changes handsbuyerpaperworkcan be done online

   Get the VIN and run it through an NMVTIS-approved provider (TxDMV lists Bumper, Carvertical, Clearvin, VinAudit, and others; prices start at a couple of dollars) to catch junk, salvage, and total-loss brands. Confirm the name and address on the title match the seller's ID, and the dash VIN plate is present and unaltered. TxDMV also recommends a full history report and a mechanic's inspection.

2. 2
   Get a certified copy of the title (Form VTR-34) before anything is signedsellerpaperworkin person / wet signature

   No title in hand means nothing can be assigned yet. Apply for a certified copy with Form VTR-34: by mail for $2 to TxDMV, 1601 Southwest Parkway, Suite A, Wichita Falls, TX 76302, or in person for $5.45 at a TxDMV Regional Service Center (book an appointment at txdmv.gov/regional-service-centers — same day or the next two days). All recorded owners must sign and show photo ID. If a lien is on record, the lienholder applies, or you must include the ORIGINAL release of lien — a fax or photocopy is not acceptable. A certified copy cannot be issued until 30 days after the last certified copy was issued, so start now.

3. 3
   Agree the price and payment methodbothpaymentcan be done online

   Record the price in numbers and words on the bill of sale and in box (a) of Form 130-U. Texas taxes the greater of the sale price or 80% of SPV, so a low stated price does not lower the tax. Look up SPV by VIN on the TxDMV calculator.

4. 4
   Sign the Texas bill of sale and condition snapshotbothpaperworkcan be done online

   Our per-state document: as-is clause, known-defects disclosure, odometer statement, lien declaration, dated condition checklist with photos. Not a state form, so it can be e-signed.

5. 5
   Sit down together and complete the title assignment in inkbothpaperworkin person / wet signature

   This is a joint wet-signing moment with both parties present — not something the buyer finishes alone at the county office. On the back of the Texas Certificate of Title the seller signs, prints their name, prints the date of transfer, and prints the buyer's name and address (Transp. Code §501.028(b)), and records the odometer reading. A co-owner on the title must also sign. The buyer checks every entry against their ID before anyone leaves. Attach the lien release if a lien is shown.

6. 6
   Complete and sign Form 130-U together, same sittingbothpaperworkin person / wet signature

   Fill in the vehicle, odometer, buyer, and sales price (box a) sections together. Then BOTH sign: the seller(s) sign, print their name, and date; the buyer (applicant/owner) signs, prints their name, and dates. The buyer's signature must be original ink; the seller's may be a copy, but sign the same sheet while you are together. No notary. Falsifying information is a third-degree felony.

7. 7
   Remove your license plates and registration stickersellerplatesin person / wet signature

   Plates stay with the seller in Texas. Transfer them to another vehicle you own (free at the county tax office), keep them, or deface and dispose of them. Take the windshield sticker off too. Why it matters: NTTA ZipCash bills the registered owner of the PLATE per TxDMV records (NTTA spokesman, NBC 5 DFW, July 2021) — leaving plates on the car is how sellers keep getting billed after the sale. Your Vehicle Transfer Notification will ask 'Did you keep your plates?' — answer Yes.

8. 8
   Deactivate the toll tag and remove the vehicle from your accountsellertoll tagscan be done online

   NTTA TollTag: log in at ssptrips.ntta.org → 'Vehicles & TollTags' → 'Manage Vehicles' (remove the vehicle) and 'Manage TollTags' (deactivate the tag), or call 972-818-6882. HCTRA EZ TAG and TxTag: remove the vehicle and plate at hctra.org (or call 281-875-3279). Then peel the sticker off the windshield. Charges keep accruing to you until the account is updated.

9. 9
   Confirm no old tag remains, then set up your own toll accountbuyertoll tagscan be done online

   Check the windshield before driving a toll road. Add the vehicle to your own NTTA, HCTRA, or TxTag account; tags cannot be moved between vehicles.

10. 10
    Exchange payment, title, keys, and documentsbothhandoffin person / wet signature

    Buyer leaves with: the title assigned to them by the seller (with their name and address printed on it), Form 130-U signed by both, lien release if applicable, the signed bill of sale, keys, records, latest inspection report. Seller receives payment and keeps the buyer's full name, address, and phone (needed for the transfer notification). Take dated photos for the condition snapshot.

11. 11
    Get a Vehicle Transit Permit if you need to drive before registeringbuyerplatescan be done online

    Free, online, valid 5 calendar days for one trip, one per vehicle; passenger cars and light trucks only; you must carry liability insurance. Print it and keep it in the car.

12. 12
    Pass an emissions inspectionbuyerfilingin person / wet signaturewithin 30 daysemissions counties only

    Your county requires a passing emissions inspection before the vehicle can be registered (max $18.50 DFW/Houston, $11.50 El Paso/Travis/Williamson). Bring the report to the tax office.

13. 13
    File the Vehicle Transfer Notification online at txdmv.gov/VTNsellerfilingcan be done onlinewithin 30 days

    Within 30 days of the sale, at txdmv.gov/VTN (not webDEALER), with the buyer's full name, address, and phone — the form says the more buyer information you give, the more protection you may have. This is your liability cutoff for tickets, tolls, and fines (Transp. Code §501.147). It asks 'Did you keep your plates?' Why it matters: submitting the notification does NOT transfer ownership — the buyer must still file the title application — and if you miss 30 days, file anyway: TxDMV will still notate your record. Keep a copy of the confirmation; it is what you show a toll operator if bills arrive after the sale. Paper fallback: Form VTR-346 by mail — never both.

14. 14
    File at the county tax officebuyerfilingin person / wet signaturewithin 30 days

    Within 30 days: the title already assigned to you by the seller, Form 130-U already signed by both of you, proof of insurance, photo ID, emissions report if required, and payment for 6.25% tax plus the $28/$33 title fee, $2.50 registration transfer, and local fees. TxDMV recommends the seller come along. Late: 5–10% tax penalty plus a transfer penalty up to $250.

15. 15
    Insurance handoffbothhandoffcan be done online

    Buyer has liability coverage before driving away. Seller cancels or transfers their policy after the transfer notification is filed.

What to file, where, and how

Loose ends