How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Alabama?

20 calendar days from the date of acquisition of the vehicle. A penalty of $15 plus interest is assessed for being delinquent in registering a newly acquired vehicle or failing to transfer a valid license plate to it in time. If the 20th day falls on a Sunday, a legal holiday or a day the licensing official's office is closed, the next working day counts as the last day.

How much does a title transfer cost in Alabama?

The base title fee is $15. The state application fee for an Alabama certificate of title for a motor vehicle ($20 for a manufactured home). ALDOR states the cost as $15 plus a $3 fee due to the licensing official - a $1.50 designated agent commission and a further $1.50 the license plate issuing official may collect. It excludes county local fees, the $23 standard passenger plate and $1.25 issuance fee, ad valorem tax and casual sales and use tax. Buying a vehicle from someone who is not a licensed dealer attracts Alabama's casual sales and use tax - 2 percent state, plus your county and city rates - and the county licensing official must collect it before the vehicle can be registered.

Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Alabama?

Not required. Nothing in an Alabama title transfer is notarised. ALDOR states that the state of Alabama does not require the assignment of an MSO or title to be notarised, and none of its motor vehicle forms carries a notary block.

Transferring a vehicle title in Alabama

Issued by Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR), Motor Vehicle Division - applications are filed through a designated agent of the department, in practice the county license plate issuing office where you live. Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $15base title fee
Deadline: 20 daysfrom the date the vehicle was acquired
Documents: 5incl. MVT 5-5
Where: Countytax office, in person

Alabama has no DMV: certificates of title are issued by the Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Division, and you can only apply through a designated agent - in a private sale that is normally the county license plate issuing office where you live. The seller fills in and signs the assignment on the back of the Alabama title and hands it over; the buyer then has 20 calendar days from the date of acquisition to obtain a license plate, and the title application is a prerequisite to that. Nothing has to be notarised, but the licensing official must physically inspect the vehicle before issuing the registration, and the printed title arrives by post 10 to 15 business days later.

10 things this answer does not settle

Alabama has no DMV. The Department of Revenue issues the certificate of title, but the county license plate issuing office does the inspection, collects the casual sales and use tax and the ad valorem tax, and issues the plate - and counties set their own local fees on top of the state figures. ALDOR publishes no county-by-county fee schedule, so every total on this page is the state component only.
There is no downloadable Alabama application for certificate of title. Designated agents generate it inside the department's online title system and submit it electronically, so the central document of an Alabama transfer has no published form number and cannot be filled in beforehand.
ALDOR's memorandum 2012-25, still published, quotes the surviving-spouse title deadline as 30 days; memorandum 2017-010 records that the statute was amended to 20 days with effect from 1 August 2017. We have used 20 days.
The delinquent registration penalty is published as '$15 plus interest'. ALDOR does not publish the interest rate on the pages we read, so the true cost of being late cannot be stated as a figure.
The duty to upload a completed title application package to the department within 10 calendar days falls on the designated agent - the county office, dealer or bank - not on the buyer or the seller. It is recorded here as context rather than as anyone's deadline, because the person acting on this page cannot discharge it.
Several fee figures ($15 title, $3 to the licensing official, $23 standard passenger plate, $1.25 issuance fee) are published by ALDOR in answers about particular situations rather than in a consumer fee table; the department's own consolidated registration fee schedule is published as a spreadsheet aimed at software vendors.
Certain counties add their own local fees to a title application and their own local issuance fee to a registration. ALDOR does not publish a county-by-county schedule and refers you to your county license plate issuing official, so the totals here are the state components only.
The casual sales and use tax rate shown is the 2 percent state rate; the county and city rates that are added to it vary by where you live and are not published in one consolidated table.
There is no downloadable Alabama application for certificate of title. It is generated inside the department's online title system by the designated agent, so you cannot fill it in before you arrive.
Alabama publishes the 20-day clock as a deadline to obtain a license plate rather than as a separate title deadline; the title application is treated as a prerequisite to it.

Do this first

Take the Alabama certificate of title, with the seller's assignment on the back completed, to a designated agent - in a private sale, the county license plate issuing office where you live. Only a designated agent can generate and submit an Alabama title application, and they do it electronically through the department's online title system.
Sign and date the printed title application in your current legal name. An application that is signed but not dated is rejected, and your name on the application must be identical to the name in the assignment - including any suffix - unless you supply an affidavit explaining the variance.

Your checklist

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The seller's checklist

Complete the assignment on the back of the Alabama certificate of title in full at the time of transfer: the date of sale, the buyer's name and address, the odometer reading, and the printed names and signatures of both parties. Anything left incomplete causes the buyer's title application to be rejected.Official page
Write the assignment in black or blue ink and do not strike through, trace over or otherwise alter anything. ALDOR counts strike-throughs, tracing over a letter or number, a change of ink colour mid-name, or ink other than black or blue as alterations - and an alteration or erasure voids the assignment. Section 32-8-12 makes fraudulently altering or forging an assignment a class C felony.Official page
Do not take the title to a notary. ALDOR states plainly that the state of Alabama does not require the assignment of an MSO or title to be notarised.Official page
If the title shows two owners joined by 'and', both of you must sign the assignment; if the names are joined by 'or', one signature is enough. The way the names are joined on the application must match the way they are joined in the assignment.Official page
Remove your license plate from the vehicle. In Alabama plates are removed by the registrant on the sale or disposal of a vehicle - they do not stay with the car.Official page
Transfer the plate to a replacement vehicle at your county license plate issuing office - the state transfer fee is $1.25, plus any local issuance fee. If you dispose of a vehicle and do not acquire another and transfer the registration, the plate and registration are revoked.Official page
If a mandatory liability insurance verification notice later arrives for the vehicle you sold, respond through MyDMV, or give your local licensing official the bill of sale and surrender the plate to complete the revocation. Form MV 32-7A-5, Request for Registration Revocation, is available where the plate cannot be surrendered.Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the odometer disclosure together. Two independent parties must certify the mileage: the seller states the reading, ticks a box only if the reading exceeds the odometer's mechanical limits or is not the actual mileage, prints their name and signs; the buyer prints their name and signs to acknowledge it. Where the disclosure is not made in the assignment itself, use form MVT 5-5.MVT 5-5Official page
Make the mileage on the title application match the assignment exactly. For a transfer on a certificate of title the mileage on the application must agree exactly with the mileage in the assignment.Official page
If either of you makes a mistake in the assignment, correct it on form MVT 5-7 rather than writing over it. Both buyer and seller sign the affidavit and it goes in with the title application.MVT 5-7Official page

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Documents and official forms

The Alabama certificate of title with the assignment on the back fully completed and signed by the sellerIt must be either in your name or properly assigned to you. The designated agent stamps or writes 'SURRENDERED' on the face and keeps the original.
Application for Alabama certificate of title, generated and submitted by the designated agentThere is no downloadable Alabama title application. Designated agents generate it in the department's online title system (MyDMV) and submit it electronically; you sign and date the printed application at the counter in your current legal name. An application that is signed but not dated is rejected.
Bill of sale for the casual saleRule 810-5-1-.246 sets the minimum contents: purchaser's name and complete physical address, date of sale, full vehicle description including VIN, seller's name and complete address, signatures of both parties and the purchase price.
Your non-expired state-issued driver's license or identification cardSection 32-7A-17 requires the licensing official to obtain each registrant's non-expired state-issued driver's license or identification card at an initial registration or a transfer. It is not required for a renewal.
Evidence of an Alabama liability insurance policy on the vehicleLicensing officials try to verify cover through the Online Insurance Verification System first; where the system cannot verify it, you must show evidence, most commonly the Alabama insurance card.

Also required in some cases

The odometer disclosure is made on a separate statement rather than in the assignment on the title.

MVT 5-5Form MVT 5-5, Odometer Disclosure Statement

Something was written incorrectly in the assignment. It cannot be used to correct the face of the title.

MVT 5-7Form MVT 5-7, Affidavit to Correct an Assignment on a Certificate of Title

You cannot bring the vehicle to the licensing official for the physical inspection.

MVT 5-9Form MVT 5-9, Inspection Form

Somebody other than the owner will sign the title application or register the vehicle.

MVT 5-13Form MVT 5-13, Power of Attorney

Deadlines

Deadline20 calendar days from the date the vehicle was acquired — Buyer: Obtain a license plate within 20 calendar days of acquiring the vehicle - the title application is a prerequisite to itA delinquent penalty of $15 plus interest is assessed for being late in registering a newly acquired vehicle. If the 20th day falls on a Sunday, a legal holiday or a day the licensing official's office is closed, the next working day counts as the last day.
DeadlineRemove your license plate when you sell or dispose of the vehicle - Alabama publishes no day count for this, only the duty from the sale or disposal of the vehicle — SellerThe plate and registration are revoked where a registrant disposes of a vehicle and does not acquire another vehicle and transfer the registration. Until the registration is dealt with, mandatory liability insurance verification notices continue to be sent to the seller.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$15The state application fee for an Alabama certificate of title for a motor vehicle ($20 for a manufactured home). ALDOR states the cost as $15 plus a $3 fee due to the licensing official - a $1.50 designated agent commission and a further $1.50 the license plate issuing official may collect. It excludes county local fees, the $23 standard passenger plate and $1.25 issuance fee, ad valorem tax and casual sales and use tax.	Buyer
Alabama certificate of title application fee	$15The state title application fee for a motor vehicle. A manufactured home application is $20. It does not include the $3 due to the licensing official, county local fees, license plate fees, ad valorem tax or casual sales and use tax.	Buyer
Designated agent and licensing official commissions on the title application	$3ALDOR states the cost of an Alabama title as $15 "plus a $3 fee due to the licensing official" - a $1.50 designated agent commission and a further $1.50 the license plate issuing official may collect.	Buyer
Casual sales and use tax	2%Varies by the purchase price and the local rates of your county and city.Two percent state rate plus any county and city rates, charged when the vehicle is bought from someone who is not a licensed dealer. The county licensing official must collect it before the vehicle is registered.	Buyer
Standard passenger license plate	$23ALDOR gives the cost of a standard passenger license plate as $23. Other plate classes and weight classes cost different amounts.	Buyer
State registration issuance fee	$1.25Charged in addition to the plate fee. A number of Alabama counties also impose their own local issuance fee on top of it.	Buyer
Motor vehicle ad valorem (property) tax	VariesVaries by the state market value of the vehicle, its assessment class and the millage rate where you live.Assessed on a current basis alongside registration. Private passenger vehicles of 8,000 lbs gross weight or less are Class IV, assessed at 15 percent of market value; commercial vehicles, motorcycles and trailers are Class II at 20 percent. All accrued ad valorem tax must be collected before the vehicle is registered.Official calculator	Buyer
County local fees	Not publishedCertain counties impose local fees on a title application and local issuance fees on a registration. ALDOR does not publish a consolidated county-by-county schedule and directs you to your county license plate issuing official.	Buyer

Buying a vehicle from someone who is not a licensed dealer attracts Alabama's casual sales and use tax - 2 percent state, plus your county and city rates - and the county licensing official must collect it before the vehicle can be registered.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: RequiredThe county licensing official, or a deputy they appoint, must inspect the vehicle before issuing a registration every time ownership changes - and any vehicle not already titled in Alabama must be physically inspected by the designated agent to check the VIN plate against the paperwork.
Emissions: Not requiredThere is no emissions test in Alabama. ALDOR's published answer is that Alabama law does not provide for emissions testing of motor vehicles.
Notarization: Not requiredNothing in an Alabama title transfer is notarised. ALDOR states that the state of Alabama does not require the assignment of an MSO or title to be notarised, and none of its motor vehicle forms carries a notary block.
Odometer disclosure: Required, unless you are exempt
A vehicle that is 20 model years old or older is exempt from mileage disclosure, per the note printed on form MVT 5-5.
A vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of more than 16,000 lbs is exempt.
A vehicle that is not self-propelled - a trailer - is exempt.
ALDOR's designated agent training records the federal rolling rule: model year 2010 and older vehicles remain exempt, while model year 2011 and newer require disclosure for 20 years, so a 2011 model is not exempt until 2031.
The seller must disclose the mileage at transfer and the buyer must sign to acknowledge it - two independent parties, never the same person or two representatives of the same firm - unless the vehicle falls in one of the published exempt classes.

What happens to the plates

License plates belong to the registrant, not the vehicle: you remove your plate when you sell, and you may transfer it to a vehicle you acquire next for a $1.25 state transfer fee plus any county issuance fee.

The seller keeps the plates
The seller may move the plates to a replacement vehicle
The buyer gets new plates

'License plates are to be removed by the registrant upon the sale or disposal of the vehicle.' A buyer therefore arrives at the county office with no plate and takes one out - the standard passenger plate is $23 plus a $1.25 issuance fee. Failing to transfer a valid plate to a newly acquired vehicle in time draws the same $15 penalty plus interest as a late registration, and the plate and registration are revoked where a registrant disposes of a vehicle and does not acquire another and transfer the registration.

How to submit

In person at a county office
In person at an authorized third-party office

At a county license plate issuing office they are one errand: the office is itself a designated agent, so it takes the title application, inspects the vehicle, collects the tax and issues the plate in the same visit - but the printed certificate of title arrives by post 10 to 15 business days later.

Official state links

Source: Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR), Motor Vehicle Division - applications are filed through a designated agent of the department, in practice the county license plate issuing office where you live. Checked July 31, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Alabama

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Alabama?: 20 calendar days from the date of acquisition of the vehicle. A penalty of $15 plus interest is assessed for being delinquent in registering a newly acquired vehicle or failing to transfer a valid license plate to it in time. If the 20th day falls on a Sunday, a legal holiday or a day the licensing official's office is closed, the next working day counts as the last day.
How much does a title transfer cost in Alabama?: The base title fee is $15. The state application fee for an Alabama certificate of title for a motor vehicle ($20 for a manufactured home). ALDOR states the cost as $15 plus a $3 fee due to the licensing official - a $1.50 designated agent commission and a further $1.50 the license plate issuing official may collect. It excludes county local fees, the $23 standard passenger plate and $1.25 issuance fee, ad valorem tax and casual sales and use tax. Buying a vehicle from someone who is not a licensed dealer attracts Alabama's casual sales and use tax - 2 percent state, plus your county and city rates - and the county licensing official must collect it before the vehicle can be registered.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Alabama?: Not required. Nothing in an Alabama title transfer is notarised. ALDOR states that the state of Alabama does not require the assignment of an MSO or title to be notarised, and none of its motor vehicle forms carries a notary block.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Alabama?: Yes. Alabama Department of Revenue (ALDOR), Motor Vehicle Division. Remove the license plate when the vehicle is sold or disposed of - Alabama publishes the duty but no day count, and there is no seller's notice of sale to ALDOR from the sale or disposal of the vehicle. The license plate and registration are revoked where a registrant disposes of a vehicle and does not acquire another vehicle and transfer the registration. Until that is done, mandatory liability insurance verification notices continue to be addressed to the seller, who must then produce a bill of sale and surrender the plate to the local licensing official to complete the revocation.
What happens to the license plates in Alabama?: License plates belong to the registrant, not the vehicle: you remove your plate when you sell, and you may transfer it to a vehicle you acquire next for a $1.25 state transfer fee plus any county issuance fee.

About this page

Everything here is a summary of procedures published by official state title authorities, with a link to the source for each answer.

Unusual ownership, probate, lien, salvage, court-order or identity situations commonly require steps beyond those listed here.

We do not file anything with any agency, and we cannot submit, expedite, or check the status of a transfer. Ticking a box on this site records your own progress in your browser and nothing more.

44 official sources · last checked July 31, 2026 · How this was compiled · Report a correction