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

15 calendar days from the date the previous owner transfers or assigns the certificate of title or interest in the vehicle to you. A.R.S. 28-2058 sets the 15-day duty and ADOT's Title Transfer Bill of Sale warns that the buyer has 15 days 'in order to avoid penalty charges, whether or not the vehicle is being used'. Separately, the vehicle's registration expired the moment ownership transferred, so it may not be driven until it is registered or you buy a Restricted Use 3-Day Permit.

How much does a title transfer cost in Arizona?

The base title fee is $4. The Arizona certificate of title fee, the same $4 whether you are transferring, replacing a lost title, adding or deleting a lien, or titling a restored salvage vehicle. It excludes the registration fee, the Air Quality Research Fee, the vehicle license tax and any emissions test. A mobile home is charged $7 per section instead. Arizona charges no sales or use tax on a casual sale between private individuals, but use tax is collected by MVD at registration on a vehicle bought from an out-of-state dealer or manufacturer unless equal or greater tax was already paid in the state of purchase.

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

Sometimes required. Arizona does not notarise the Title and Registration Application, but its bill-of-sale and power-of-attorney forms all carry an acknowledgement block over the seller's signature that a notary public - or an MVD agent at the counter - must complete.

Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Arizona?

Yes. Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD). 10 calendar days from the date you sell, trade, end a lease on, donate or otherwise transfer ownership of the vehicle. Without it, MVD records still show you as the owner and you can be held responsible for fees and violations that happen after the sale, including an abandoned-vehicle charge ADOT puts at $500 or higher. An eTitle Transfer files the Sold Notice automatically.

Transferring a vehicle title in Arizona

Issued by Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD). Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $4base title fee
Deadline: 15 daysfrom the date the seller transfers or assigns the certificate of title or interest in the vehicle to you
Documents: 3incl. 96-0236
Where: Onlineno visit needed

The buyer has 15 days from the transfer to apply for the Arizona title, and the seller has 10 days to file a Sold Notice and 30 days to deal with the plate. If the vehicle is an Arizona-titled, currently registered, lien-free passenger car with no more than two owners, the whole transfer can be done online through eTitle Transfer on AZ MVD Now and the seller pays nothing. Otherwise the seller signs the title over and the buyer takes it, with Form 96-0236, to an MVD or Authorized Third Party office.

8 things this answer does not settle

Two ADOT publications disagree about whether the seller's signature on a paper Arizona title must be notarised. The current Selling Your Vehicle page says only 'Sign the back of your title and give it to the buyer', and ADOT's 2022 consumer news item applies notarisation only to a title transfer bill of sale. ADOT's own handout 'Steps to take when selling your car' says 'Sign the back of the title; have your signature notarized and give the title to the buyer.' If you want certainty either way, an MVD agent can witness the signature at the counter in place of a notary.
ADOT does not publish a consolidated fee schedule for titling and registration. The $4 title fee is confirmed on several ADOT pages, but the $8 registration fee and $1.50 Air Quality Research Fee shown throughout this record come from the fee estimator ADOT publishes on its Out-of-State Vehicles page, which is the only itemised breakdown ADOT puts online.
The vehicle license tax formula - 60 percent of the manufacturer's base retail price, reduced 16.25 percent for each year since first registration, then $2.80 per $100 for a new vehicle and $2.89 per $100 for a used one - is published on ADOT's blog rather than in its service pages, and that post still directs readers to ServiceArizona.com, which ADOT has since replaced with AZ MVD Now.
Arizona's emissions programme is run by the Department of Environmental Quality. ADEQ's azdeq.gov pages refused automated retrieval during this research, so every emissions fact here was read on ADEQ's own programme site, myAZcar.com, instead. ADEQ also words the new-vehicle exemption two ways on that site - 'newer vehicles are exempt for the first 5 years of registration' in one answer and 'most vehicles newer than 6 years old are exempt' in another - so check your renewal notice or AZ MVD Now for the answer on your specific vehicle.
ADOT publishes no consolidated fee schedule for an in-state transfer. The $8 registration fee and $1.50 Air Quality Research Fee shown here come from the fee estimator ADOT puts on its Out-of-State Vehicles page, which is the only itemised breakdown it publishes.
The vehicle license tax cannot be quoted in advance from the sale price: Arizona computes it from the manufacturer's base retail price and the vehicle's age, so two identical-looking deals can carry very different tax.
ADOT says a penalty applies if the buyer misses the 15-day title deadline but does not publish the amount. Do not assume it is the $8-plus-$4-per-month late registration charge - that is a separate fee for an expired registration.
Whether the seller's signature on the paper title itself must be notarised is genuinely unresolved between two current ADOT publications - see the state-wide note. The bill-of-sale route is unambiguous: that signature is notarised.

Do this first

Before you hand over money, run the free Title Viewer service on AZ MVD Now against the vehicle's record - a recorded lien blocks the transfer entirely, and ADOT warns that new liens are added daily, so check and transfer on the same day.
If the vehicle qualifies, sign into AZ MVD Now, finish Enhanced Authentication, generate your eTitle Buyer Code and give it to the seller; the code lasts 48 hours but each transfer must finish within 24 hours of starting.

Your checklist

Before you hand over money, run the free Title Viewer service on AZ MVD Now against the vehicle's record - a recorded lien blocks the transfer entirely, and ADOT warns that new liens are added daily, so check and transfer on the same day.Official page
If the vehicle qualifies, sign into AZ MVD Now, finish Enhanced Authentication, generate your eTitle Buyer Code and give it to the seller; the code lasts 48 hours but each transfer must finish within 24 hours of starting.Applies when: The vehicle has an Arizona title and current registration, no lien, no more than two owners, is a non-commercial passenger vehicle, has current emissions if applicable, carries no blocking brand and has no sold notice on file - and you are the only buyer.Official page
Otherwise, take the seller's signed Arizona certificate of title - or their notarised Title Transfer Bill of Sale (Form 38-1306) - together with your completed and signed Title and Registration Application (Form 96-0236) to any MVD or Authorized Third Party office within 15 days of the transfer.96-0236Official page
Pay the $4 title fee, the $8 registration fee and the $1.50 Air Quality Research Fee, plus the vehicle license tax, which is computed from the manufacturer's base retail price and the vehicle's age rather than from your purchase price.Official page
Do not drive away on the seller's plate. The registration expired the moment ownership transferred, so buy a Restricted Use 3-Day Permit ($1) on AZ MVD Now or at an office if you need to move the vehicle for the emissions test, an inspection, repairs or the registration itself.Official page
If you will register the vehicle in the Phoenix or Tucson area and the seller has no current passing emissions test on the record, get the vehicle tested at an ADEQ station before you register it.Applies when: The vehicle will be registered at a Phoenix (Area A) or Tucson (Area B) zip code, or is regularly commuted into one.Official page
Arrange Arizona liability insurance from a company authorised to do business in Arizona - minimum $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury and $15,000 property damage - and make sure proof reaches MVD within 30 days of the registration.Official page

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The seller's checklist

Endorse the assignment on the back of the Arizona certificate of title with the warranty of title and hand the title to the buyer at the moment you hand over the vehicle - A.R.S. 28-2058 requires delivery at the time of delivery of the vehicle.Official page
If you cannot produce the paper title - typically because a lienholder held it electronically - complete a Title Transfer Bill of Sale (Form 38-1306), list any Arizona brands and any lienholder, and sign it before a notary public or an MVD agent.Applies when: The Arizona paper certificate of title is not available for you to sign over.38-1306Official page
Take the license plate off the vehicle before the buyer takes possession and keep it, then within 30 days transfer it to another vehicle, surrender it to MVD or an Authorized Third Party, or file a Plate Release (Form 48-3302) affidavit of plate destruction.48-3302Official page
File a Sold Notice within 10 days - free on AZMVDNow.gov, or on Form 46-8502, or on the sold-notice panel on the back of your registration - giving the buyer's name, address and the date sold. An eTitle Transfer files it for you.46-8502Official page
Apply on AZ MVD Now for the credit on the unused part of your registration; $12 is deducted by law, the amount cannot be backdated, and requesting it ends the registration on that vehicle.Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the odometer disclosure together: the seller records the exact reading with no tenths and certifies it is actual mileage (or ticks the mechanical-limits or discrepancy box), and the buyer signs the separate acknowledgement line on Form 38-1306 or the disclosure built into the eTitle flow.38-1306
If you are not using eTitle Transfer, go to the MVD or Authorized Third Party office together on the day the money changes hands - ADOT advises buyers not to pay until the title is confirmed transferable, and many third-party offices open evenings and weekends.Official page

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Documents and official forms

Arizona certificate of title with the seller's assignment and warranty of title completedThe seller must deliver this to the buyer at the time the vehicle is delivered. See the state-wide note about whether this signature must be notarised.
96-0236Title and Registration ApplicationSigned by the incoming owner. Carries no notary block.
Odometer mileage disclosure statementGiven on the title assignment, on Form 38-1306, or through the eTitle Transfer flow.

Also required in some cases

The seller cannot hand over a signed Arizona paper title.

38-1306Title Transfer Bill of Sale

A lien is recorded against the vehicle.

48-9901Lien release

The vehicle will be registered in the Phoenix or Tucson emissions control area and has no current passing test.

Emissions compliance certificate

The seller cannot sign the title paperwork in person.

48-7104Power of Attorney with Odometer Disclosure

The seller is disposing of the plate by destruction or release rather than transferring or surrendering it.

48-3302Plate Release

Deadlines

Deadline15 calendar days from the date the seller transfers or assigns the certificate of title or interest in the vehicle to you — Buyer: Apply for the Arizona title within 15 days.Form 38-1306 warns the buyer has 15 days 'in order to avoid penalty charges, whether or not the vehicle is being used'. The vehicle also cannot legally be driven in the meantime without a permit, because its registration expired on transfer.
Deadline10 calendar days from the date you sell, trade, end a lease on, donate or otherwise transfer ownership — Seller: File the Sold Notice within 10 days.Until it is filed, MVD records still show you as the owner, so tickets, accidents, criminal use and abandonment - which ADOT puts at $500 or higher - can land on you.
Deadline30 calendar days from the date you transfer or assign your title or interest in the vehicle — Seller: Deal with the license plate within 30 days.A.R.S. 28-2058 requires the plate to be transferred to another vehicle, surrendered to the department or an authorized third party, or covered by an affidavit of plate destruction within thirty days.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$4The Arizona certificate of title fee, the same $4 whether you are transferring, replacing a lost title, adding or deleting a lien, or titling a restored salvage vehicle. It excludes the registration fee, the Air Quality Research Fee, the vehicle license tax and any emissions test. A mobile home is charged $7 per section instead.	Buyer
Certificate of title fee	$4The Arizona certificate of title fee. It does not include the registration fee, the Air Quality Research Fee, the vehicle license tax or an emissions test.	Buyer
Registration fee	$8The flat registration fee as itemised by ADOT's own fee estimator. ADOT publishes no consolidated in-state fee schedule, so this is the only itemised figure it puts online.	Buyer
Air Quality Research Fee	$1.50The Air Quality Research Fee, itemised on ADOT's fee estimator alongside the title and registration fees.	Buyer
Vehicle license tax (VLT)	VariesVaries by the manufacturer's base retail price (MSRP), the model year, and whether the vehicle is titled as new or used - not on what you paid for it. ADOT computes 60 percent of the base retail price, reduces it by 16.25 percent for each year since first registration, then charges $2.80 per $100 of that assessed value for a new vehicle and $2.89 per $100 for a used one.ADOT's estimator on its Out-of-State Vehicles page will quote the VLT once you enter the original MSRP, the model year and whether the vehicle is new or used. There is no age-based discount.Official calculator	Buyer
Sales or use tax	$0Arizona levies no transaction privilege tax or use tax on a casual sale between private individuals. The Department of Revenue treats isolated or occasional sales by people who are not in the business of selling as exempt. This is different from buying from an out-of-state dealer, where use tax is collected at registration.	Buyer
Emissions test	$12.25–$23.75Set by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and paid at the test station, not to MVD. Phoenix: OBD and IM147 $16.15, Steady State Loaded/Idle and Loaded Opacity $15.20, Snap Opacity $23.75. Tucson: OBD $16.15, Steady State Loaded/Idle and Loaded Opacity $12.25, Snap Opacity $20.45.Only in the Phoenix and Tucson control areas, and only if there is no current passing test on the record.	Either party
Restricted Use 3-Day Permit	$1Lets you legally move an unregistered vehicle for emissions testing, inspection, repairs needed to pass, or to complete registration - nothing else.	Buyer
Registration credit processing fee	$12Deducted by law from the seller's registration credit. It applies only if the seller claims the credit, and the credit itself shrinks the longer they wait.	Seller
eTitle Transfer - seller's cost	$0ADOT states there are no fees for sellers using eTitle Transfer; the buyer pays all normal title and registration fees.	Seller

Arizona charges no sales or use tax on a casual sale between private individuals, but use tax is collected by MVD at registration on a vehicle bought from an out-of-state dealer or manufacturer unless equal or greater tax was already paid in the state of purchase.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Not requiredMost Arizona transfers need no inspection. A Level I VIN inspection (Form 48-4503) is done for title-only requests, bonded titles and some out-of-state or out-of-country vehicles that arrive without proof of title or registration, and a Level III is required to title a restored salvage vehicle.
Emissions: Sometimes required
The vehicle will be registered in, or is regularly commuted into, the Phoenix (Area A) or Tucson (Area B) emissions control area.
The vehicle is model year 1967 or newer and more than five years old; ADEQ exempts newer vehicles for the first five years of registration.
There is no current passing test already on the vehicle's record - ADEQ treats the previous owner's valid test as good for the transfer.
Emissions testing is an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality programme and applies only in the Phoenix (Area A) and Tucson (Area B) control areas; a passing test is a precondition of registering there.
Notarization: Sometimes required
The seller signs a Title Transfer Bill of Sale (Form 38-1306) or a Bill of Sale (Form 48-2004) instead of handing over a signed paper certificate of title - both carry an acknowledgement block that a notary public or an MVD agent must complete over the seller's signature.
A Power of Attorney with Odometer Disclosure (Form 48-7104) is used because the seller cannot sign in person.
ADOT's publications disagree about the paper title itself: its current Selling Your Vehicle page says only to sign the back of the title, while its 'Steps to take when selling your car' handout tells the seller to have that signature notarised. An MVD agent can witness the signature at the counter if you want to settle it.
Arizona does not notarise the Title and Registration Application, but its bill-of-sale and power-of-attorney forms all carry an acknowledgement block over the seller's signature that a notary public - or an MVD agent at the counter - must complete.
Odometer disclosure: Sometimes required
The vehicle is model year 2010 or older and is now at least ten model years old - A.R.S. 28-2058(B) exempts it.
The vehicle is model year 2011 or newer and is now at least twenty model years old - A.R.S. 28-2058(B) exempts it.
The vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating of 16,000 pounds or more, or is not self-propelled - exempt.
The seller must give the buyer an odometer mileage disclosure statement on the title assignment or on the bill of sale, and ADOT is emphatic that you record the reading rather than estimate it.

What happens to the plates

Plates belong to the seller, not the vehicle: remove the plate before the buyer takes possession, and within 30 days transfer it to another vehicle, surrender it to MVD or an Authorized Third Party, or file an affidavit of plate destruction (Plate Release, Form 48-3302).

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

A.R.S. 28-2058 makes all three disposals equivalent and sets the 30-day clock from the transfer or assignment of title or interest. ADOT's Sold Notice form adds that the plate 'must be removed from the vehicle and kept in your possession'. A buyer who finds a plate still on the car may not drive on it - the registration expired on transfer. Credit for the unused registration follows the plate: apply on AZ MVD Now, where a $12 processing fee is deducted by law, and note that a lost or damaged plate does not forfeit the credit but costs $5 to replace when the credit is transferred.

How to submit

Online
In person at a state title office
In person at an authorized third-party office

Arizona titles and registers in one transaction: Form 96-0236 is a single Title and Registration Application, and ADOT states that when a vehicle is titled it is usually registered at the same time.

Official state links

Source: Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD). Checked July 26, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Arizona

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Arizona?: 15 calendar days from the date the previous owner transfers or assigns the certificate of title or interest in the vehicle to you. A.R.S. 28-2058 sets the 15-day duty and ADOT's Title Transfer Bill of Sale warns that the buyer has 15 days 'in order to avoid penalty charges, whether or not the vehicle is being used'. Separately, the vehicle's registration expired the moment ownership transferred, so it may not be driven until it is registered or you buy a Restricted Use 3-Day Permit.
How much does a title transfer cost in Arizona?: The base title fee is $4. The Arizona certificate of title fee, the same $4 whether you are transferring, replacing a lost title, adding or deleting a lien, or titling a restored salvage vehicle. It excludes the registration fee, the Air Quality Research Fee, the vehicle license tax and any emissions test. A mobile home is charged $7 per section instead. Arizona charges no sales or use tax on a casual sale between private individuals, but use tax is collected by MVD at registration on a vehicle bought from an out-of-state dealer or manufacturer unless equal or greater tax was already paid in the state of purchase.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Arizona?: Sometimes required. Arizona does not notarise the Title and Registration Application, but its bill-of-sale and power-of-attorney forms all carry an acknowledgement block over the seller's signature that a notary public - or an MVD agent at the counter - must complete.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Arizona?: Yes. Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD). 10 calendar days from the date you sell, trade, end a lease on, donate or otherwise transfer ownership of the vehicle. Without it, MVD records still show you as the owner and you can be held responsible for fees and violations that happen after the sale, including an abandoned-vehicle charge ADOT puts at $500 or higher. An eTitle Transfer files the Sold Notice automatically.
What happens to the license plates in Arizona?: Plates belong to the seller, not the vehicle: remove the plate before the buyer takes possession, and within 30 days transfer it to another vehicle, surrender it to MVD or an Authorized Third Party, or file an affidavit of plate destruction (Plate Release, Form 48-3302).

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.

41 official sources · last checked July 26, 2026 · How this was compiled · Report a correction