· REGISTRATION AND TITLE ·

Ownership Transfer

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Both the seller and the buyer of a vehicle have certain legal responsibilities when transferring title/ownership.

If you are the seller, you must sign and date line #1 on the tan colored certificate of ownership form, or if you have the blue, green or red certificate of title, then complete section A on the front of the title. If the vehicle is jointly owned, both owners must sign.
Show me section A

If you are also the lienholder, sign and date line #2 on the certificate of ownership. If the vehicle is jointly owned, both owners must sign on line #2. If you are not the lienholder (there is a loan) the lienholder must sign and date line #2 on the tan certificate of ownership or section B on the reverse side of the blue, green or red certificate of title.
Show me section B

Vehicle in a business name

If you are the seller, and the vehicle is registered in the name of a business, a letter of authorization must be on file at the motor vehicle registration office naming you as an authorized person to sell vehicles on behalf of the business. If the business is a partnership, the letter of authorization must be signed by all parties, and if the business is a corporation, the letter of authorization must be signed by a corporate officer.

It is strongly recommended that the old owner complete and mail in a notice of transfer form, or better yet, file it in person. Failure to submit a properly completed notice of transfer form may subject you to civil or criminal liabilities if the new owner does not transfer the vehicle. In other words, you will be liable for those traffic violations as the registered owner of the vehicle. If you mail in this form and it gets misplaced or lost in the mail, you are still liable.

Complete the odometer reading in the spaces provided. The new owner must endorse the certificate of ownership or the certificate of title. To do an ownership transfer you need to bring the following items with you:

• Certificate of ownership form or certificate of title, signed by all necessary parties
• Current Certificate of registration (we can replace it if it is lost)
• Current Safety inspection

We will then issue you a new certificate of title and a new certificate of registration. The renewal fee will be determined at the time of registration. Remember, if you sign and date the transfer of ownership on the title, but do not sell the car at that time, you need to apply for a new title. If you don’t and you sell the car later, the next owner will be charged a late transfer fee of $60 if they try to register the car more than 30 days after you dated that title.

If you are the buyer of the vehicle, print and sign on the appropriate lines of the reverse side of the certificate of title. If you are not the lienholder (there is a loan), the new lienholder must complete their appropriate section.

If the vehicle is to be registered in joint ownership, both parties must sign the certificate of title. If you are registering the vehicle in the name of a business, you must have a letter of authorization on file authorizing you to buy vehicles on behalf of the business.

Remember, if the vehicle is not registered within 30 days of the transfer date on the title, you as the new owner will be charged a late transfer fee of $60 when you go to register.

If you purchased a vehicle that was exempt from taxes and fees and you do not qualify for such an exemption, taxes will be assessed from the month you purchased the vehicle until the expiration date on the registration. If you have any questions, call our support center.

Last Updated:  2006-03-20

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