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

30 calendar days from delivery of the motor vehicle to the purchaser - the count starts the day after the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section is completed and the vehicle is handed over. A $20 late title penalty fee is added to the title fees. FLHSMV's own example: a title signed over on 5 May with the purchaser arriving on 5 June owes the penalty.

How much does a title transfer cost in Florida?

The base title fee is $75.25. The fee to transfer a Florida certificate of title with the title left electronic. Add $2.50 if a paper title is printed and mailed, $10 for a same-day fast title, $2 to record a lien, and up to $0.50 branch fee per title. It excludes 6% sales tax, the county discretionary surtax, the $28 plate fee, the $225 initial registration fee and the annual registration tax. An original Florida title for a vehicle previously titled in another state or country is $85.25. Florida collects 6% state sales or use tax on the sales price of the vehicle, plus the buyer's county discretionary sales surtax on the first $5,000 of the price, at the moment the title is transferred.

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

Not required. Florida does not notarize vehicle title transfers. TL-11 states plainly that notarization is NOT required in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section of the Florida title even though a space for it is printed there.

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

Yes. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). 30 calendar days from the sale or transfer of the vehicle and its delivery to the purchaser. Until the notice is filed the seller's registration stays attached to the vehicle, and FLHSMV warns the seller can be held liable for actions associated with the motor vehicle even though they no longer own it. Filing the notice satisfies the statutory notice requirement for limitation of liability.

Transferring a vehicle title in Florida

Issued by Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $75.25base title fee
Deadline: 30 daysfrom delivery of the motor vehicle to the purchaser - the count starts the day after the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section is completed and the vehicle is handed over
Documents: 4incl. HSMV 82040 MV
Where: Countytax office, in person

The seller fills in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' block on the front of the Florida title - printed names and signatures, the buyer's name, the selling price, the date and the odometer reading - and hands the title over. Nothing is notarized: TL-11 says notarization is not required in that section even though a space for it is printed. The buyer then files that title with an Application for Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title (HSMV 82040 MV) at a county tax collector office or license plate agency within 30 calendar days of delivery, or a $20 late penalty is added. If the title is held electronically there is no paper to sign: both parties must appear together at the office with photo ID and complete secure reassignment form HSMV 82994. The seller keeps the plate and must file a notice of sale within 30 days.

6 things this answer does not settle

Florida's motor vehicle services are delivered by 67 elected county tax collectors and by privately run license plate agencies, not by a single state counter network. FLHSMV sets the forms, the fees and the procedures, but appointment rules, opening hours, accepted payment types, whether fast title service is offered and the optional $0.50 per-title branch fee are decided locally. Anything county-specific in this record should be confirmed with your own tax collector.
FLHSMV publishes its answers in two registers that do not always agree: short consumer pages under 'Safety Center' and 'Motor Vehicles, Tags & Titles', and the far more detailed Motor Vehicle Procedure Manual written for tax collector staff. Where they conflict - most sharply on whether a vehicle with an outstanding lien can be sold privately - this record follows the consumer page and flags the difference in the scenario.
The county discretionary sales surtax that rides on top of Florida's 6% sales tax is set county by county. TL-08 points to a Florida Department of Revenue chart for the current calendar year rather than publishing the rates, so no rate for a specific county appears in this record.
Some consumer pages still refer to the older combined form 'Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration (HSMV form 82040)'. Since 1 January 2024 motor vehicle titles must be processed on HSMV 82040 MV, the motor-vehicle-specific version, with separate forms for mobile homes (82040 MH) and vessels (82040 VS).
The county discretionary sales surtax rate is set county by county and TL-08 refers to a Florida Department of Revenue chart for the current year rather than publishing the rates, so the surtax portion of your bill has to be confirmed for the buyer's county.
FLHSMV publishes no fee for filing a notice of sale or marking a title sold; we could not confirm whether individual county tax collectors add a service charge.

Do this first

Before any money changes hands, check that the name and address on the seller's driver license or ID card match the owner shown on the title, and that the VIN on the title matches the VIN on the vehicle. If the title is electronic there is no paper to inspect - FLHSMV tells buyers to verify ownership through its Motor Vehicle Information Check.
Make sure the seller has entered your name and the selling price in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section before you accept the title. A title handed over with the purchaser's name or the selling price blank is an 'open title': the office will circle and county-stamp it and will then demand an original or certified bill of sale signed by both of you showing your name, the price and a full description of the vehicle. HSMV 82050 can serve as that bill of sale.

Your checklist

Before any money changes hands, check that the name and address on the seller's driver license or ID card match the owner shown on the title, and that the VIN on the title matches the VIN on the vehicle. If the title is electronic there is no paper to inspect - FLHSMV tells buyers to verify ownership through its Motor Vehicle Information Check.Official page
Make sure the seller has entered your name and the selling price in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section before you accept the title. A title handed over with the purchaser's name or the selling price blank is an 'open title': the office will circle and county-stamp it and will then demand an original or certified bill of sale signed by both of you showing your name, the price and a full description of the vehicle. HSMV 82050 can serve as that bill of sale.Official page
Complete an Application for Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title (HSMV 82040 MV): your full name exactly as it appears on your driver license, date of birth, both mailing and residential addresses, the vehicle description, section 5 'Sale' with the price, section 6 odometer declaration, and sign section 12 under penalties of perjury. If you and someone else are taking joint ownership, tick 'or' or 'and' - if neither box is ticked the title is issued with 'and', which then means both of you must sign to sell it - and both intended owners must sign this first application.HSMV 82040 MVOfficial page
Take the assigned title, the completed HSMV 82040 MV, your driver license or ID card (or a valid passport) and payment to a county tax collector office or license plate agency within 30 calendar days of the vehicle being delivered to you. Missing that window adds a $20 late title penalty on top of the title fee.HSMV 82040 MVOfficial page
Budget for tax as well as the title fee: FLHSMV warns that 'the sales price does not include sales tax or tag and title fees'. Expect 6% Florida sales tax on the full price, plus your county's discretionary sales surtax on the first $5,000, plus the $75.25-$85.25 title fee depending on whether you want the title left electronic, printed, or issued the same day.Official page
To drive the car, register it in the same visit: bring proof of Florida PIP and PDL insurance of at least $10,000 each from a carrier licensed in Florida, and either transfer a plate already registered in your name or buy one for $28. If you have no Florida plate of your own to transfer, the $225 initial registration fee also applies unless you qualify for an exemption on HSMV 82002.HSMV 82002Official page
If you are not registering the vehicle yet, you can still take the title alone by ticking the certification in section 11 of HSMV 82040 MV that the vehicle will not be operated on Florida streets and highways until properly registered.Applies when: You are not putting a plate on the vehicle straight awayHSMV 82040 MVOfficial page
If you borrowed money for the purchase, give the lienholder's full name, address and account or FEID number in section 4 of HSMV 82040 MV so the lien is recorded, and pay the $2 lien recording fee. Only one lien fits on the application - a second or later lien has to go on HSMV 82139.Applies when: Money was borrowed to buy the vehicleHSMV 82139Official page

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The seller's checklist

Complete the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section on the front of the Florida certificate of title in full: printed name and signature of every seller shown on the face of the title, the buyer's printed name and address, the selling price and the date sold. No title is accepted for transfer unless the sales price is entered in the labelled place by the seller.Official page
Do not go looking for a notary. TL-11 states that notarization is NOT required in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section on the Florida title even if there is a place for notarization, and the same goes for an out-of-state title or manufacturer's certificate of origin.Official page
If your paper title has been lost or misplaced, apply for a duplicate on HSMV 82101 and pay the duplicate title fee before you sell. Alternatively both of you can attend the office together for a duplicate-with-transfer, but then you must both be present with photo ID and a power of attorney cannot be used.Applies when: The paper title is missingHSMV 82101Official page
Take the license plate off the vehicle before the buyer drives away. In a Florida sale the plate stays with the seller, not the vehicle. You can move it to a replacement vehicle, but you must surrender it at a tax collector office if you are moving to another state or cancelling the insurance on it.Official page
File the notice of sale within 30 days - either form HSMV 82050 (you complete sections 1 and 3; the buyer's signature is optional) or the 'Notice of Sale of Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home or Vessel' section on the back of the title - at a tax collector office. This detaches your registration from the vehicle and limits your civil liability for how it is driven afterwards. FLHSMV does not keep the form, so retain your copy.HSMV 82050Official page
If you have not yet transferred your plate to a replacement vehicle and want buyers to test drive the car, apply for a demonstration-only temporary tag first; proof of insurance is required to be issued one.Applies when: You have already moved your plate to another vehicleOfficial page

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Both of you, together

Complete the odometer disclosure together in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section: the seller signs and prints their name to make the disclosure and the buyer signs and prints their name to acknowledge it. A printed name that is typed or stamped is acceptable, but the application is rejected if the printed name is left blank.Official page
If the Florida title is held electronically, do not sign anything at home. Buyer and seller must both go to a county tax collector office or license plate agency, both showing photo identification, and complete secure reassignment form HSMV 82994 there, disclosing the odometer reading in front of the clerk. A power of attorney cannot be used for this.Applies when: The Florida title status is electronic rather than paperHSMV 82994Official page
FLHSMV encourages buyer and seller to complete the whole transaction together at a motor vehicle service center, so the seller can see their name come off the record and the buyer knows the ownership documents are genuine.Official page

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Documents and official forms

The Florida certificate of title with the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section completed in fullPrinted names and signatures of every seller and purchaser, the selling price, the date and the odometer disclosure. Notarization is expressly not required.
HSMV 82040 MVApplication for Certificate of Motor Vehicle TitleCompleted and signed by the purchaser under penalties of perjury. The 'Application for Title by Purchaser' section printed on the reverse of the title may be used instead in a casual sale if an accurately completed HSMV 82993 was exchanged between the parties.
Proof of identity for every ownerA valid driver license or identification card issued by Florida or another state, or a valid passport. A business shows its FEID number or proof it is authorised to do business in Florida.
Payment of title fees and Florida sales taxTitle fee, 6% sales tax and any county discretionary surtax are all collected at the counter when the transfer is processed.

Also required in some cases

The seller is giving FLHSMV notice of the sale, or a bill of sale is needed because the title was handed over as an 'open title'

HSMV 82050Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale

The Florida title is held electronically

HSMV 82994Motor Vehicle Title Reassignment Supplement

The seller's paper title is lost, stolen or damaged

HSMV 82101Application for Duplicate or Lost in Transit/Reassignment title

The odometer disclosure is being made outside the title, or the buyer is using the 'Application for Title by Purchaser' section of the title in place of HSMV 82040 MV

HSMV 82993Separate Odometer Disclosure Statement and Acknowledgment

More than one lien is being recorded against the vehicle

HSMV 82139Application for Notice of Lien / Reassignment of Lien

The buyer has no Florida plate to transfer but qualifies for one of the published exemptions from the $225 initial registration fee

HSMV 82002Initial Registration Fee Exemption Affidavit

An owner cannot attend and is sending someone in their place

HSMV 82053Power of Attorney for a Motor Vehicle

The buyer is registering the vehicle and taking plates

Proof of Florida PIP and PDL insurance

Deadlines

Deadline30 calendar days from delivery of the motor vehicle to the purchaser - the count starts the day after the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section is completed and the vehicle is handed over — Buyer: Apply for the Florida certificate of title within 30 days after the vehicle is delivered to youA $20 late title penalty fee is added to the title fees. FLHSMV's own example: a title signed over on 5 May with the purchaser arriving on 5 June owes the penalty.
Deadline30 calendar days from the sale or transfer of the vehicle and its delivery to the purchaser — Seller: File a notice of sale with FLHSMV within 30 days after the sale or transferUntil the notice is filed the seller's registration stays attached to the vehicle, and FLHSMV warns the seller can be held liable for actions associated with the motor vehicle even though they no longer own it. Filing the notice satisfies the statutory notice requirement for limitation of liability.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$75.25The fee to transfer a Florida certificate of title with the title left electronic. Add $2.50 if a paper title is printed and mailed, $10 for a same-day fast title, $2 to record a lien, and up to $0.50 branch fee per title. It excludes 6% sales tax, the county discretionary surtax, the $28 plate fee, the $225 initial registration fee and the annual registration tax. An original Florida title for a vehicle previously titled in another state or country is $85.25.	Buyer
Transfer of a Florida certificate of title	$75.25–$85.25$75.25 if the title stays electronic, $77.75 if a paper title is printed and mailed, $85.25 for a same-day fast title. Excludes sales tax, the $2 lien recording fee, the $0.50 branch fee a tax collector or license plate agency may add, plate and registration fees, and the $225 initial registration fee.The published FLHSMV fee page shows Transfer/Duplicate as $75.25; the fee schedule breaks the same transaction into electronic, printed-paper and fast-title totals.	Buyer
Florida sales or use tax	VariesVaries by 6% of the sales price of the vehicle.Collected by the county tax collector office or license plate agency at the time of the title transfer. FLHSMV does not publish a tax calculator.Official calculator	Buyer
County discretionary sales surtax	VariesVaries by the purchaser's county of residence; the surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the sales price and rates are set county by county.TL-08 points to the Florida Department of Revenue's discretionary sales surtax information for the current calendar year rather than publishing a rate table of its own, so the exact rate must be checked for the buyer's county.Official calculator	Buyer
Late title penalty	$20Added when 30 days or more have passed between the date of purchase and the date of application. Charged in addition to the title fee.	Buyer
Lien recording fee	$2Added to the title transaction when a lien is noted on the new title. The fee schedule shows a transfer with one lien at $77.25 electronic, $79.75 printed paper and $87.25 fast title.	Buyer
Original or replacement license plate	$28Charged when the applicant buys a plate rather than transferring one already registered in their name. Excludes the base registration tax and the initial registration fee.	Buyer
Initial registration fee	$225Charged when the owner has no Florida plate, or record of a Florida plate registered in their name for a vehicle they previously owned, to transfer to the newly acquired vehicle. Exemptions are claimed on HSMV 82002.Must be paid in person at a local service center at the time of titling.	Buyer
Annual registration base vehicle tax	$14.50–$32.50Base vehicle tax only for a passenger automobile: $14.50 up to 2,499 lb net weight, $22.50 for 2,500-3,499 lb, $32.50 for 3,500 lb or more. FLHSMV states other statutory fees apply on top; motorcycles, trucks and heavy vehicles use different rates.	Buyer
Fast (expedited) title	$10Optional. Buys a same-day printed title in an office that offers fast title service; it is already included in the fast-title column of the fee schedule.	Buyer
County branch fee	$0.50Optional fee a tax collector or license plate agency may add for each title it issues, under s. 320.04(1)(c), F.S.	Buyer
Filing the notice of sale (HSMV 82050)	Not publishedNeither the FLHSMV fee page nor the Schedule of Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle, and Vessel Title and Lien Fees lists a charge for filing a notice of sale or marking a title sold, and TL-52 describes the transaction without mentioning a fee. We could not confirm from an official page whether county tax collectors add a service charge.	Seller

Florida collects 6% state sales or use tax on the sales price of the vehicle, plus the buyer's county discretionary sales surtax on the first $5,000 of the price, at the moment the title is transferred.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Not requiredFlorida has no periodic safety inspection, but a physical verification of the vehicle identification number is required for any used motor vehicle that is not currently titled in Florida.
Emissions: Not requiredFlorida does not run a vehicle emissions test: the state's inspection and maintenance programme ended in 2001 when Chapter 325, Florida Statutes, was repealed, and no emissions certificate is part of a title transfer anywhere in the state.
Notarization: Not requiredFlorida does not notarize vehicle title transfers. TL-11 states plainly that notarization is NOT required in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section of the Florida title even though a space for it is printed there.
Odometer disclosure: Sometimes required
Required unless the vehicle is odometer-exempt.
A model year 2011 or newer vehicle becomes exempt 20 years after that model year; a model year 2010 or older vehicle is exempt after 10 years.
Vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR, vehicles that are not self-propelled, low speed electric vehicles and off-highway vehicles are exempt.
The odometer reading must be recorded at every Florida title activity for a vehicle that is not odometer-exempt: the seller discloses by signing and printing their name in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section and the buyer acknowledges it by signing and printing theirs.

What happens to the plates

License plates belong to the person, not the vehicle: in a Florida sale the seller removes the plate and keeps it, and the buyer must transfer their own plate to the vehicle or buy a new one before it can be driven.

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 seller may move the plate to a replacement vehicle, or must surrender it to a tax collector office if they are moving out of state or cancelling insurance on the vehicle. Where the buyer has no plate of their own to transfer, a $225 initial registration fee applies on top of the $28 plate fee, unless one of the HSMV 82002 exemptions applies. Plates must be replaced every ten years under s. 320.06(1)(b), F.S. Surrendering a plate produces a receipt that can later be used as credit against the initial registration fee.

How to submit

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

Florida titles and registers in one counter transaction: the application is the 'Application for Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title' with or without registration, and TL-10 and TL-11 both require a Florida plate to be transferred to or purchased for the vehicle - or a non-use affidavit filed - before the title transaction can be completed.

Official state links

Source: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Checked July 26, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Florida

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Florida?: 30 calendar days from delivery of the motor vehicle to the purchaser - the count starts the day after the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section is completed and the vehicle is handed over. A $20 late title penalty fee is added to the title fees. FLHSMV's own example: a title signed over on 5 May with the purchaser arriving on 5 June owes the penalty.
How much does a title transfer cost in Florida?: The base title fee is $75.25. The fee to transfer a Florida certificate of title with the title left electronic. Add $2.50 if a paper title is printed and mailed, $10 for a same-day fast title, $2 to record a lien, and up to $0.50 branch fee per title. It excludes 6% sales tax, the county discretionary surtax, the $28 plate fee, the $225 initial registration fee and the annual registration tax. An original Florida title for a vehicle previously titled in another state or country is $85.25. Florida collects 6% state sales or use tax on the sales price of the vehicle, plus the buyer's county discretionary sales surtax on the first $5,000 of the price, at the moment the title is transferred.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Florida?: Not required. Florida does not notarize vehicle title transfers. TL-11 states plainly that notarization is NOT required in the 'Transfer of Title by Seller' section of the Florida title even though a space for it is printed there.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Florida?: Yes. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). 30 calendar days from the sale or transfer of the vehicle and its delivery to the purchaser. Until the notice is filed the seller's registration stays attached to the vehicle, and FLHSMV warns the seller can be held liable for actions associated with the motor vehicle even though they no longer own it. Filing the notice satisfies the statutory notice requirement for limitation of liability.
What happens to the license plates in Florida?: License plates belong to the person, not the vehicle: in a Florida sale the seller removes the plate and keeps it, and the buyer must transfer their own plate to the vehicle or buy a new one before it can be driven.

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.

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