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

30 calendar days from delivery of the vehicle to the buyer. ITD charges a $20.00 penalty for late title filing "when a title is filed more than 30 days after being transferred to a new owner". The ITD Bill of Sale warns the buyer that the penalty applies "whether the vehicle is registered or not".

How much does a title transfer cost in Idaho?

The base title fee is $14. The state title fee set by Idaho Code 49-202(2)(b). It excludes the county title administration fee, which every county adds and which runs from $0.00 (Bannock, Boise, Camas, Caribou, Clark and Power counties) to $18.75 (Blaine), so the total title fee at the counter is $14.00 to $32.75. It also excludes 6% Idaho sales or use tax, registration and plate fees, the optional $26.00 rush fee, the $5.00 VIN inspection where one is required, and the $20.00 late-filing penalty. Idaho charges 6% sales or use tax on the total sales price of a vehicle bought from a private individual, collected by the county assessor (DMV) or ITD when you apply for the Idaho title - unless you produce one of the Tax Commission's exemption certificates.

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

Sometimes required. Idaho does not publish a notarisation requirement for the ordinary assignment of an Idaho title by a seller. Notarisation attaches to the duplicate-title family of applications - ITD 3367, ITD 3371 and ITD 3369 - and to a power of attorney used to apply for a duplicate, and in each of those cases a county assessor or deputy assessor may witness the signature instead of a notary.

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

Yes. Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Division of Motor Vehicles, working through the 44 county assessors' motor vehicle offices. 5 calendar days from delivery of the motor vehicle to a dealer, purchaser or other transferee. Idaho Code 49-526(2) protects a former owner who files: they are not liable under section 49-2417, "nor shall the former owner be liable for any motor vehicle infractions, towing, storage, repair or service charges that may occur subsequent to delivery of the vehicle". ITD warns that the motor vehicle record stays in the seller's name until the buyer applies for and receives a new title, so a seller who does not file keeps that exposure.

Transferring a vehicle title in Idaho

Issued by Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Division of Motor Vehicles, working through the 44 county assessors' motor vehicle offices. Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $14base title fee
Deadline: 30 daysfrom delivery of the vehicle to the buyer
Documents: 5incl. ITD 3738
Where: Countytax office, in person

Idaho does the transfer at a county assessor's motor vehicle office, not online. The buyer must file the assigned title there within 30 calendar days of taking delivery or ITD adds a $20.00 late-filing penalty, and pays the $14.00 state title fee, the county's title administration fee of up to $18.75, and 6% Idaho sales tax on the price. The seller takes the license plates off the vehicle and has five days to file a Notice of Release of Liability - free online at DMV Online, or $3.50 on paper.

6 things this answer does not settle

Two ITD publications disagree about how long a new resident has. The current New to Idaho guide says you must title and register within 30 days of moving to Idaho, and Idaho Code 49-119 (amended in 2024) makes you a resident after 30 days of domicile. A Registering Vehicles in Idaho fact sheet still hosted on itd.idaho.gov, stamped 07/17, says 90 days and defines a resident by 90 continuous days. This record follows the 30-day figure.
Idaho's total title cost is not one number. The $14.00 state title fee is fixed by statute, but every county adds its own title administration fee, published by ITD as $0.00 to $18.75 depending on the county, and several counties changed theirs as recently as January 2026. Check ITD's county fee table for the county where you will file.
ITD's duplicate-title forms contradict themselves on notarisation. ITD 3367, ITD 3371 and ITD 3369 all open with a warning in bold that the form will not be processed unless the signature has been notarised, then say on page 2 that the signature may be either notarised or witnessed by a county assessor or deputy assessor. Signing at the county counter appears to be accepted, but a visitor who reads only the first page will pay for a notary.
ITD still publishes a driver's manual chapter on vehicle title and registration (apps.itd.idaho.gov) whose figures are long out of date - it quotes 5% sales tax, an $8.00 title fee, a $3.00 VIN inspection and a $2.00 release-of-liability fee. None of those figures are used in this record; the current amounts come from ITD's fee tables and Idaho Code 49-202.
The total you pay at the counter depends on your county: ITD's title administration fee runs from $0.00 to $18.75 and the county registration administration fee is separate again.
ITD does not publish a statement that the seller's assignment on an ordinary Idaho title needs no notarisation. This record reports it as not required because ITD's list of required titling documents does not mention one and because the forms that do require notarisation - ITD 3367, ITD 3371 and ITD 3369 - say so in bold on their face.

Do this first

Before you pay, check that the Idaho title is already in the seller's own name. The Tax Commission is explicit that "the motor vehicle must first be titled in the seller's name for the sale to take place" - if the seller only appears as the purchaser on someone else's title, they must title it in their name before you can title it in yours.
Look at the lienholder section of the title. If a lien is shown, do not hand over money until it has been discharged on the face of the title over the lienholder's signature or released on a separate document such as ITD 3777. ITD 3369 tells buyers to ring their county motor vehicle office or ITD on (208) 584-4343 if they are unsure whether a lien is still on the record.

Your checklist

Before you pay, check that the Idaho title is already in the seller's own name. The Tax Commission is explicit that "the motor vehicle must first be titled in the seller's name for the sale to take place" - if the seller only appears as the purchaser on someone else's title, they must title it in their name before you can title it in yours.Official page
Look at the lienholder section of the title. If a lien is shown, do not hand over money until it has been discharged on the face of the title over the lienholder's signature or released on a separate document such as ITD 3777. ITD 3369 tells buyers to ring their county motor vehicle office or ITD on (208) 584-4343 if they are unsure whether a lien is still on the record.Applies when: The title or the title record shows a lienholderITD 3777Official page
Take from the seller the Idaho title with the seller's signature releasing their interest, the date of sale entered, and - for a motor vehicle newer than 2010 weighing under 16,000 lbs - the odometer reading and status written on the title itself.Official page
Make sure the selling price is recorded, either in the price field on the front of the title or on a Bill of Sale (ITD 3738) signed by both of you. The county uses it to calculate the 6% sales tax, and the Tax Commission says you must show an original bill of sale as proof of what you paid.ITD 3738Official page
You may drive the vehicle home before it is registered: Idaho Code 49-504(6) makes the properly assigned and dated certificate of title, or the seller's bill of sale, a 72-hour permit to operate without license plates. The 72 hours are counted excluding weekends and Idaho state holidays.Official page
Take the assigned title, the bill of sale and your identification to a county assessor's motor vehicle office within 30 calendar days of delivery. The deputy assessor prepares the Application for Certificate of Title for you - for an ordinary in-state private sale you do not fill in ITD 3337 yourself.Official page
Pay the $14.00 title fee, your county's title administration fee (from $0.00 to $18.75), and 6% Idaho sales tax on the price - plus the optional $26.00 rush fee if you want the title expedited. ITD's New to Idaho guide says to bring cash, a cheque or a credit card.Official page
Apply for registration and order license plates in the same visit - ITD lets you register as soon as the title documents have been submitted. Standard plates are $3.75 each, are made to order and take about six weeks to arrive, so keep your proof of application until they come.Official page
If you would rather post the application than attend in person, include a Limited Power of Attorney (ITD 3368) authorising the county assessor to sign the title application for you. ITD requires the power of attorney to describe the vehicle fully and be signed by you.Applies when: You are filing with a county assessor's motor vehicle office by postITD 3368Official page

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The seller's checklist

Make sure the Idaho title is in your own name before you sell. If you never titled the vehicle after buying it, you must do that first - the Tax Commission states the vehicle must first be titled in the seller's name for the sale to take place.Official page
Sign the seller's release on the certificate of title and enter the date of sale. If the vehicle is a motor vehicle newer than 2010 under 16,000 lbs, write the odometer reading and its status - actual, not actual, or exceeds mechanical limits - on the title itself; ITD 3368 confirms federal rules require the disclosure on the title rather than by power of attorney.Official page
Enter the true selling price in the price field on the front of the title, or give the buyer a Bill of Sale (ITD 3738) stating it. ITD 3738 warns that listing a false selling price, name or address is a felony under Idaho Code 49-518(5).ITD 3738
Take your license plates off the vehicle. In Idaho the plates are yours, not the buyer's: ITD's Release of Liability form says "Remove your vehicle license plates upon sale or transfer! You may transfer the plates through a DMV office to another vehicle you own."ITD 3858Official page
File the Notice of Release of Liability within five days of handing the vehicle over. Filing it online at DMV Online is immediate and, under Idaho Code 49-202(5)(c), carries no fee because the fee does not apply to a transaction filed electronically; the paper form ITD 3858 costs $3.50 at a county assessor's motor vehicle office.ITD 3858Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the Bill of Sale (ITD 3738) together: the seller certifies the selling price, the odometer reading and status and any known brands and signs, and the buyer signs the acknowledgement that they are aware of the odometer certification. The Tax Commission requires both signatures on the bill of sale. The brands the form asks about - Rebuilt Salvage, Reconstruct, Repaired and any previous brand - are defined on ITD's Salvage Vehicles page.ITD 3738

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Documents and official forms

The Idaho certificate of title, with the previous owner's signature releasing interest and, where the vehicle is not odometer exempt, the odometer reading and status entered on the titleITD lists this first among the required titling documents for a used vehicle bought from a private party.
ITD 3738The selling price - entered on the front of the title, or on a Bill of Sale signed by both the buyer and the sellerThe Tax Commission treats the bill of sale as the proof of sales price and requires an original signed by both parties. There are no trade-in allowances in a private-party sale.
Your full legal name plus an Idaho driver's license number, Idaho ID card number, social security number or individual taxpayer identification number - or an EIN for a business - and a verifiable physical and mailing addressIdaho Code 49-504(1) requires this on every title application; a person with no social security number must present written documentation sufficient for ITD to determine that none has been issued. ITD's New to Idaho guide simply says to bring your personal identification.
Payment for the $14.00 title fee, the county title administration fee and 6% Idaho sales tax - cash, cheque or credit cardITD lists "Any applicable fees" among the required titling documents and tells customers to bring cash, a cheque or a credit card to the county office.
Liability insurance with a company licensed to do business in Idaho, at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injury or death and $15,000 for property damageIdaho verifies coverage electronically through Drive Insured rather than asking for a card at the counter, and suspends the registration of a vehicle uninsured for two consecutive months.

Also required in some cases

The title or title record shows a lienholder

ITD 3777A discharge of the lien - noted on the face of the title over the lienholder's signature, or a separate Release and Satisfaction Of Interest

You are filing with the county assessor's motor vehicle office by post

ITD 3368A Limited Power of Attorney authorising the county assessor to sign the title application for you

The vehicle has never been titled in Idaho before

ITD 3403A VIN inspection certification completed by an officer of the law, a DMV employee, a military police officer or an Idaho licensed vehicle dealer

Your name has changed since the title was issued, or a printed name and a signature differ

ITD 3125A One And The Same Statement, where a printed name on the paperwork does not match the signature

Deadlines

Deadline30 calendar days from delivery of the vehicle to the buyer — Buyer: File the application for an Idaho title with a county assessor's motor vehicle office within 30 calendar days of the vehicle being delivered to youITD charges a $20.00 penalty for late title filing "when a title is filed more than 30 days after being transferred to a new owner". The ITD Bill of Sale warns the buyer that the penalty applies "whether the vehicle is registered or not".
Deadline5 calendar days from delivery of the motor vehicle to a dealer, purchaser or other transferee — Seller: File a Notice of Release of Liability within five days of delivering the vehicle to the buyer - online at DMV Online, or on paper form ITD 3858 with a $3.50 fee to your county assessor's motor vehicle officeIdaho Code 49-526(2) protects a former owner who files: they are not liable under section 49-2417, "nor shall the former owner be liable for any motor vehicle infractions, towing, storage, repair or service charges that may occur subsequent to delivery of the vehicle". ITD warns that the motor vehicle record stays in the seller's name until the buyer applies for and receives a new title, so a seller who does not file keeps that exposure.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$14The state title fee set by Idaho Code 49-202(2)(b). It excludes the county title administration fee, which every county adds and which runs from $0.00 (Bannock, Boise, Camas, Caribou, Clark and Power counties) to $18.75 (Blaine), so the total title fee at the counter is $14.00 to $32.75. It also excludes 6% Idaho sales or use tax, registration and plate fees, the optional $26.00 rush fee, the $5.00 VIN inspection where one is required, and the $20.00 late-filing penalty.	Buyer
Idaho certificate of title fee	$14Set by Idaho Code 49-202(2)(b). It does not include the county title administration fee, sales tax, registration or plates.	Buyer
County title administration fee	$0–$18.75Every county sets its own and ITD publishes the table: $0.00 in Bannock, Boise, Camas, Caribou, Clark and Power counties, up to $18.75 in Blaine. Added to the $14.00 state title fee, so the total title fee at the counter is $14.00 to $32.75.Charged by the county assessor's motor vehicle office where you file. ITD publishes the per-county table on its Vehicle Titles page.	Buyer
Idaho sales tax on the purchase price	6%Varies by the total sales price you agreed with the seller; there are no trade-in allowances in a private-party sale.Collected by the county assessor (DMV) or ITD when you apply for the Idaho title. Idaho's sales and use tax rate is 6%, and ITD 3369 prints "Sales Tax (6%)" on its face.Official calculator	Buyer
Vehicle registration fee	From $45Varies by vehicle age, type and weight, your county of residence, and whether the vehicle is electric or plug-in hybrid.ITD publishes $69.00 for a passenger vehicle one or two years old, $57.00 at three to six years and $45.00 at seven or more, plus $140 a year for an electric vehicle or $75 for a plug-in hybrid, a $1.25 EMS fee, and a county registration administration fee. Use ITD's own estimator for your vehicle.Official calculator	Buyer
Standard license plate	$3.75Per plate. Personalised plates cost $25.00 to issue plus $15.00 per registration year; most special plates cost $35.00 to issue plus $25.00 a year.Plates are made to order and posted - allow six weeks.	Buyer
Optional rush title processing	$26Optional, and in addition to the $14.00 title fee.	Buyer
Penalty for late title filing	$20Charged when the title is filed more than 30 days after the vehicle was transferred to the new owner. It is a penalty, not part of the ordinary cost.	Buyer
Release of liability filing fee	$3.50Charged on the paper form ITD 3858 filed with a county assessor's motor vehicle office. Idaho Code 49-202(5)(c) says the fee "shall not apply when a transaction is filed electronically with the department", so filing at DMV Online avoids it.	Seller

Idaho charges 6% sales or use tax on the total sales price of a vehicle bought from a private individual, collected by the county assessor (DMV) or ITD when you apply for the Idaho title - unless you produce one of the Tax Commission's exemption certificates.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Sometimes required
The vehicle has never been titled in Idaho before - then a VIN inspection is required
The vehicle is coming into Idaho from another state - then a VIN inspection is required
Idaho requires a VIN inspection - not a safety inspection - and only when the vehicle is arriving from another state or has never been titled in Idaho before. The fee is $5.00 per inspection under Idaho Code 49-202(2)(k).
Emissions: Not requiredNo Idaho vehicle needs an emissions test to be titled or registered. The Idaho Legislature repealed the state requirement for vehicle inspection and maintenance programmes effective 1 July 2023, and the EPA approved removing the Ada County programme in 2023.
Notarization: Not requiredIdaho does not publish a notarisation requirement for the ordinary assignment of an Idaho title by a seller. Notarisation attaches to the duplicate-title family of applications - ITD 3367, ITD 3371 and ITD 3369 - and to a power of attorney used to apply for a duplicate, and in each of those cases a county assessor or deputy assessor may witness the signature instead of a notary.
Odometer disclosure: Required, unless you are exempt
Model year 2010 or older motor vehicles are exempt
Vehicles over 16,000 lbs gross vehicle weight are exempt
Vehicles designed with no odometer - trailers, campers and some off-highway vehicles - are exempt
Vessels are exempt
The seller must disclose the odometer reading for a motor vehicle newer than 2010 that weighs under 16,000 lbs, and the disclosure has to be made on the title itself as part of the seller's release.

What happens to the plates

Idaho license plates belong to the person, not the vehicle: ITD's Release of Liability form tells the seller to remove the plates on sale or transfer, and the buyer orders new plates at $3.75 per standard plate when they register.

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

"Remove your vehicle license plates upon sale or transfer! You may transfer the plates through a DMV office to another vehicle you own." Standard plates carry a county designator matching where you live, are good for ten years with active registration, are made to order and are posted - allow six weeks for delivery. Personalised plates cost $25 to issue plus $15 per registration year; most special plates cost $35 to issue plus $25 a year. From 1 July 2026 ITD stops issuing registration stickers and stops replacing plates every ten years.

How to submit

In person at a county office
By mail

Titling and registering are one errand at one county counter in Idaho, but titling legally comes first: ITD says the vehicle must be titled in Idaho before it can be registered, and that you can apply for registration immediately after submitting the title documents to a county assessor's motor vehicle office.

Official state links

Source: Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Division of Motor Vehicles, working through the 44 county assessors' motor vehicle offices. Checked July 31, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Idaho

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Idaho?: 30 calendar days from delivery of the vehicle to the buyer. ITD charges a $20.00 penalty for late title filing "when a title is filed more than 30 days after being transferred to a new owner". The ITD Bill of Sale warns the buyer that the penalty applies "whether the vehicle is registered or not".
How much does a title transfer cost in Idaho?: The base title fee is $14. The state title fee set by Idaho Code 49-202(2)(b). It excludes the county title administration fee, which every county adds and which runs from $0.00 (Bannock, Boise, Camas, Caribou, Clark and Power counties) to $18.75 (Blaine), so the total title fee at the counter is $14.00 to $32.75. It also excludes 6% Idaho sales or use tax, registration and plate fees, the optional $26.00 rush fee, the $5.00 VIN inspection where one is required, and the $20.00 late-filing penalty. Idaho charges 6% sales or use tax on the total sales price of a vehicle bought from a private individual, collected by the county assessor (DMV) or ITD when you apply for the Idaho title - unless you produce one of the Tax Commission's exemption certificates.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Idaho?: Sometimes required. Idaho does not publish a notarisation requirement for the ordinary assignment of an Idaho title by a seller. Notarisation attaches to the duplicate-title family of applications - ITD 3367, ITD 3371 and ITD 3369 - and to a power of attorney used to apply for a duplicate, and in each of those cases a county assessor or deputy assessor may witness the signature instead of a notary.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Idaho?: Yes. Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Division of Motor Vehicles, working through the 44 county assessors' motor vehicle offices. 5 calendar days from delivery of the motor vehicle to a dealer, purchaser or other transferee. Idaho Code 49-526(2) protects a former owner who files: they are not liable under section 49-2417, "nor shall the former owner be liable for any motor vehicle infractions, towing, storage, repair or service charges that may occur subsequent to delivery of the vehicle". ITD warns that the motor vehicle record stays in the seller's name until the buyer applies for and receives a new title, so a seller who does not file keeps that exposure.
What happens to the license plates in Idaho?: Idaho license plates belong to the person, not the vehicle: ITD's Release of Liability form tells the seller to remove the plates on sale or transfer, and the buyer orders new plates at $3.75 per standard plate when they register.

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.

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