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

15 calendar days from the date the seller delivers the vehicle and the assigned title to you. KRS 186A.215(4) treats a transferee who has not filed within "fifteen (15) calendar days" as in default: the seller may file TC 96-3 and the clerk then "shall enter appropriate data into the AVIS system which shall restrict any registration transaction from occurring on that vehicle until the transfer has been processed." KRS 186.020(1) separately requires a purchaser to apply for registration within 15 days, and until then "the bill of sale or assigned title must be in the motor vehicle during this fifteen (15) day period."

How much does a title transfer cost in Kentucky?

The base title fee is $9. The statutory fee for an application for a Kentucky certificate of title under KRS 186A.130(1)(a) — $6 retained by the county clerk and $3 to the Transportation Cabinet. It excludes the 6% motor vehicle usage tax, the $2 transfer fee and $6 clerk's service fee that KRS 186.190(3) charges the seller, the $11.50 annual registration fee plus the $6 clerk registration fee, notary charges, the sheriff's inspection fee on an out-of-state vehicle, county ad valorem property tax, and the optional $25 speed title. KRS 186A.130(1)(c) also sets a separate $6 fee for "each application for a printed title"; the Cabinet does not publish whether that $6 is charged on top of the $9 before Kentucky's 1 January 2027 switch to electronic titles. Kentucky charges 6% motor vehicle usage tax, collected by the county clerk when the title is transferred, on the sale price stated in a notarised affidavit — unless your transfer is on the KRS 138.470 exemption list below.

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

Required. Kentucky is a notarised-title state twice over: the seller must sign the title assignment in front of a notary, and the seller's and buyer's signatures on the sale-price affidavit — TC 96-182 or Form 71A100 — must each be notarised separately before the clerk will transfer the registration.

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

Yes. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Vehicle Regulation, Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing. 15 calendar days from the date you delivered the vehicle and signed the title assignment over to the buyer. Kentucky has no automatic seller release. Until the buyer files, the vehicle stays in your name for registration and for the January 1 ad valorem property tax assessment. TC 96-3 is the mechanism: you file it with the county clerk in your own county of residence and "request the registration on this vehicle be revoked as provided by KRS 186.180(4) or by any other law until this transfer has been processed." The Cabinet gives the same instruction for a sale to an out-of-state buyer.

Transferring a vehicle title in Kentucky

Issued by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Vehicle Regulation, Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing — certificates of title and registrations are applied for and issued over the counter by the 120 county clerks. Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $9base title fee
Deadline: 15 daysfrom the date the seller delivers the vehicle and the signed-over title to you
Documents: 4incl. TC 96-182
Where: Countytax office, in person

The seller signs the title assignment in front of a notary and completes the seller half of TC 96-182 with the sale price, date of sale and odometer reading — that notarised price is what the 6% motor vehicle usage tax is charged on. The buyer takes the notarised title, TC 96-182, original proof of Kentucky insurance dated within 45 days, photo ID and payment to a county clerk within 15 calendar days. The seller's plate comes off the vehicle and stays with the seller, so the buyer needs their own plate before driving away.

10 things this answer does not settle

Kentucky's titling law is mid-overhaul and two changes land after this record was written. From 1 January 2027, KRS 186A.130 stops naming dollar amounts and hands title fees to the Transportation Cabinet to set by administrative regulation under KRS 186.017, so the $9 title fee, $6 duplicate and $25 speed title quoted here are the figures in force between 15 July 2026 and 1 January 2027 and will change. Also from 1 January 2027, KRS 186A.126 stops the Cabinet posting paper titles at all — the title "shall be held in AVIS" and an owner who wants paper must apply to the county clerk and pay a print fee.
The exact out-of-pocket title fee is ambiguous during this window. KRS 186A.130(1)(a) sets $9 for "each application for a certificate of title" and KRS 186A.130(1)(c) separately sets $6 for "each application for a printed title", but neither the statute nor drive.ky.gov says whether both are charged on an ordinary 2026 transfer where a paper title is still posted automatically. Ask the county clerk for the total before you go.
Two current statutes disagree about what happens to the plate. KRS 186.190(1)(a) says that on a change of ownership "the registration plate shall not remain upon the motor vehicle, but shall be retained by the seller", while the older KRS 186A.215(2) still says "any unexpired registration shall remain valid upon transfer of said vehicle to the transferee." This record follows KRS 186.190, which is the later and more specific provision and matches the Cabinet's instruction to return the plate to the county clerk when a vehicle leaves the state.
The Transportation Cabinet publishes no consolidated fee schedule for titling. The only dollar figures on drive.ky.gov are the $6 duplicate title, $25 speed title, $5 transit tag, $25 personalised plate and $11 personalised plate re-issue; every other amount in this record comes from the Kentucky Revised Statutes, which a county clerk's counter total may not match once local charges are added.
Kentucky county clerks also collect annual motor vehicle ad valorem property tax, and KRS 186.232(4) bars a clerk from transferring title "if there are delinquent ad valorem taxes on the motor vehicle." Rates are set locally and neither the Department of Revenue's motor vehicles page nor drive.ky.gov publishes a statewide figure, so we could not put a number on it.
A transfer-on-death beneficiary designation for Kentucky vehicles exists in statute (KRS 186A.037) but does not take effect until 1 January 2028. It is not available now, and this record does not treat it as a route for an heir.
KRS 186A.130 sets both a $9 fee for "each application for a certificate of title" and a separate $6 fee for "each application for a printed title", and neither the statute nor drive.ky.gov says whether both are charged on an ordinary 2026 transfer. Ask the county clerk for the counter total.
Two current statutes disagree about the plate: KRS 186.190(1)(a) says it is retained by the seller, while the older KRS 186A.215(2) says "any unexpired registration shall remain valid upon transfer". This answer follows KRS 186.190, the later and more specific provision.
Kentucky publishes no fixed notary fee. The $5 figure here is a county clerk's own statutory charge under KRS 64.012(1)(f); a private notary may charge differently, and an ordinary Kentucky sale needs two notarisations.
Motor vehicle ad valorem property tax is collected by the county clerk at local rates that neither the Department of Revenue nor the Transportation Cabinet publishes as a statewide figure, and a delinquency blocks the transfer under KRS 186.232(4).

Do this first

Sign the OWNER/BUYER block of TC 96-182 in front of a notary — your signature is notarised separately from the seller's, because KRS 138.450(22) defines the affidavit the tax turns on as one where "the signature of the buyer and the signature of the seller are individually notarized".
Before you hand over money, check the face of the title for a lienholder's name and notation date. If a lien is noted, the seller cannot give you clear title until it is discharged — see the lien scenario.

Your checklist

Sign the OWNER/BUYER block of TC 96-182 in front of a notary — your signature is notarised separately from the seller's, because KRS 138.450(22) defines the affidavit the tax turns on as one where "the signature of the buyer and the signature of the seller are individually notarized".TC 96-182Official page
Before you hand over money, check the face of the title for a lienholder's name and notation date. If a lien is noted, the seller cannot give you clear title until it is discharged — see the lien scenario.Official page
Get Kentucky insurance on the vehicle and bring the current original card — not a copy — with an effective date inside the last 45 days. KRS 186.190(2)(b) stops the clerk transferring the registration without it.Official page
Bring your Kentucky driver's license, Kentucky ID card or Social Security card. If the name on the title is not the name on your ID, bring an affidavit such as a marriage license or divorce decree showing they are the same person.Official page
Take the notarised signed-over title, the completed TC 96-182, your insurance card, ID and payment to the county clerk within 15 calendar days. You may use the clerk in your own county or, under KRS 186A.120(1)(a)2, the clerk in the seller's county.TC 96-182Official page
Pay the 6% motor vehicle usage tax at the counter. It is charged on the price you and the seller notarised; with no notarised affidavit the clerk taxes the reference-manual retail value instead and you owe the difference plus penalty and interest.Official page
Arrange a plate. The seller's plate leaves with the seller under KRS 186.190(1)(a), so either transfer a plate you already hold on another vehicle of the same class or buy a new registration from the clerk — $11.50 registration plus the $6 clerk fee.Official page
If you need the paper title quickly, ask the clerk for a $25 speed title — the Department issues it within 48 hours and it is posted the following business day. You cannot buy one at the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing in Frankfort.Applies when: You need the certificate of title faster than the normal post.Official page
If the certificate of title has not reached you within 45 days of the application, contact the county clerk's office that took it.Official page

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The seller's checklist

Sign the assignment on the back of the Kentucky certificate of title in front of a notary. Do not sign it in advance — the Cabinet's rule is that "the seller must sign the back of the title in the presence of a notary".Official page
Do not use liquid paper or white-out on the title, scratch through or mark out information, or erase or mutilate it. A clerk must refuse an altered title; if information needs changing, supply a signed and notarised affidavit with the new information.Official page
Complete and sign the SELLER block of TC 96-182 with the date of sale, the actual sale price, any trade-in and the odometer reading, and have your signature notarised. Titles issued before 2000 always need this form; the price affidavit is needed on every sale.TC 96-182Official page
Take your registration plate off the vehicle before the buyer drives away. Under KRS 186.190(1)(a) "the registration plate shall not remain upon the motor vehicle, but shall be retained by the seller".Official page
Move the plate to another vehicle of the same classification at the clerk's counter, or hold it for the rest of the registration period and notify the clerk to transfer it before you drive the replacement vehicle on a public highway.Official page
Pay the county clerk the $2 transfer fee and the $6 clerk's service fee that KRS 186.190(3) charges to the seller, not the buyer.Official page
If 15 calendar days pass and the buyer still has not filed, complete TC 96-3, Affidavit of Incomplete Transfer, before a notary and file it with the county clerk in your own county of residence. The clerk then blocks any registration transaction on the vehicle until the transfer is processed.Applies when: The buyer has not completed the transfer within 15 calendar days of delivery.TC 96-3Official page

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Both of you, together

Enter and certify the odometer reading together in Section 2 of TC 96-182, ticking "in excess of its mechanical limits" or "not the actual mileage" if either applies. If the title has no usable odometer space, use TC 96-5 instead.TC 96-182Official page
State the real sale price in the notarised affidavit. Both of you certify it "pursuant to the penalty provisions of KRS 190.990(5)", and a false statement of total consideration is a Class D felony carrying a minimum $2,000 fine.TC 96-182Official page
If the title names two owners, tick the OR or AND joint-ownership box on TC 96-182. The form warns: "If neither box is selected, the Title Transfer shall require both signatures."TC 96-182Official page

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Documents and official forms

The Kentucky certificate of title with the seller's assignment signed in front of a notaryThe Cabinet's in-state list requires a "Signed over Kentucky title. (signatures must be notarized)".
TC 96-182TC 96-182, Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration, with the seller's and buyer's signatures each notarisedCarries the odometer disclosure and the notarised statement of sale price that sets the usage tax.
Current original proof of Kentucky insurance with an effective date within 45 daysA copy is not accepted.
Kentucky driver's license, Kentucky ID card or Social Security card

Also required in some cases

The sale price is being recorded on the Department of Revenue's separate affidavit rather than in Section 2 of TC 96-182.

71A100Form 71A100, Affidavit of Total Consideration Given for a Motor Vehicle

The title has no usable odometer space or the reading was not entered on TC 96-182.

TC 96-5TC 96-5, Odometer Disclosure Statement

The mileage was recorded wrongly and the new title has already printed. Only the seller can make the correction.

TC 96-322TC 96-322, Affidavit of Mileage Correction

An owner cannot sign the title or the application in person.

TC 96-336TC 96-336, Limited Power of Attorney to Transfer Ownership & Disclose Mileage

The name on the title differs from the name on your identification.

Affidavit showing that the name on the title and the name on your ID are the same person

The vehicle is owned by a business licensed by the Kentucky Secretary of State.

The business's Federal Employer Identification Number

Deadlines

Deadline15 calendar days from the date the seller delivers the vehicle and the signed-over title to you — Buyer: Transfer the title at a county clerk within 15 calendar daysThe Cabinet states that "the title must be transferred to the new owner within 15 days." Miss it and the seller can file TC 96-3, after which the clerk "shall enter appropriate data into the AVIS system which shall restrict any registration transaction from occurring on that vehicle until the transfer has been processed." KRS 186.020(1) also requires the assigned title or bill of sale to be carried in the vehicle during the 15-day period.
Deadline15 calendar days from the date you delivered the vehicle and signed the title over — Seller: File TC 96-3 if the buyer has not transferred the title within 15 calendar daysUntil the transfer is processed the vehicle stays in your name for registration and for the 1 January ad valorem property tax assessment. TC 96-3 is filed with the clerk in your own county of residence, not the buyer's.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$9The statutory fee for an application for a Kentucky certificate of title under KRS 186A.130(1)(a) — $6 retained by the county clerk and $3 to the Transportation Cabinet. It excludes the 6% motor vehicle usage tax, the $2 transfer fee and $6 clerk's service fee that KRS 186.190(3) charges the seller, the $11.50 annual registration fee plus the $6 clerk registration fee, notary charges, the sheriff's inspection fee on an out-of-state vehicle, county ad valorem property tax, and the optional $25 speed title. KRS 186A.130(1)(c) also sets a separate $6 fee for "each application for a printed title"; the Cabinet does not publish whether that $6 is charged on top of the $9 before Kentucky's 1 January 2027 switch to electronic titles.	Buyer
Application for a Kentucky certificate of title	$9KRS 186A.130(1)(a): "Each application for a certificate of title shall be nine dollars ($9), of which the county clerk shall retain six dollars ($6) and the Transportation Cabinet shall receive three dollars ($3)." This is the figure in force between 15 July 2026 and 1 January 2027; from 1 January 2027 the amount is set by administrative regulation instead.Excludes usage tax, registration, the seller's transfer fee, notary charges and any sheriff's inspection.	Buyer
Printed certificate of title	$6KRS 186A.130(1)(c): "Each application for a printed title shall be six dollars ($6), of which the county clerk shall retain four dollars ($4) and the Transportation Cabinet shall receive two dollars ($2)."The Cabinet does not publish whether this $6 is charged in addition to the $9 title fee before 1 January 2027, while paper titles are still posted automatically. From 1 January 2027 titles are held electronically in AVIS and this is the fee an owner pays to get paper (KRS 186A.126(4)). Confirm the total with your county clerk.	Buyer
Motor vehicle usage tax	6%Varies by the vehicle's taxable retail price — the sale price you and the seller state in the notarised affidavit on TC 96-182 or Form 71A100, subject to a floor of 50% of the reference-manual trade-in value; if no notarised affidavit is produced the clerk taxes the reference-manual value instead.Collected by the county clerk at the counter. KRS 138.460(5) bars the clerk from titling or registering the vehicle until it is paid.Official calculator	Buyer
Transfer fee charged to the seller	$2KRS 186.190(3)(a): on delivery of the title and the notarised affidavit "the seller shall pay to the county clerk a transfer fee of two dollars ($2), which shall be remitted to the Transportation Cabinet."	Seller
County clerk's service fee charged to the seller	$6KRS 186.190(3)(c): "The seller shall pay to the county clerk a fee of six dollars ($6) for the clerk's services." From 1 January 2027 this amount is set by administrative regulation under KRS 186.017 instead of being fixed in the statute.	Seller
Annual registration fee	$11.50KRS 186.050(1): "The annual registration fee shall be eleven dollars and fifty cents ($11.50) for: (a) Motor vehicles, including pickup trucks and passenger vans." A motorcycle is $9 and a commercial vehicle over 10,000 lb declared gross weight pays a weight schedule starting at $30.	Buyer
County clerk's fee for issuing the registration and plate	$6KRS 186.040(1)(c): "for services performed, the owner shall pay the county clerk the sum of six dollars ($6) for each registration, or if the registration exceeds a twelve (12) month period, the clerk shall receive a fee of nine dollars ($9)."	Buyer
Notarising the signatures	From $5Varies by who notarises for you — Kentucky sets no fixed private notary fee, requiring only under KRS 423.430(1) that it comply with KRS 64.300 and be disclosed in advance.The $5 floor is the county clerk's own statutory charge for "acknowledging or notarizing any deed, mortgage, power of attorney, or other written instrument" under KRS 64.012(1)(f). The Cabinet's duplicate title price is quoted as "$6.00 (U.S.) plus the cost of a notary", so the notary is charged on top wherever it appears. Kentucky needs two notarisations on an ordinary sale — the title assignment and the sale-price affidavit.	Either party
Motor vehicle ad valorem property tax	VariesVaries by the vehicle's assessed value and the state, county, city, school and special district rates that apply where it is registered — Kentucky publishes no single statewide rate."Motor Vehicle Property Tax is an annual tax assessed on motor vehicles and motor boats ... Payment shall be made to the motor vehicle owner's County Clerk." It is assessed against whoever owned the vehicle on 1 January, but KRS 186.232(4) stops the clerk transferring title "if there are delinquent ad valorem taxes on the motor vehicle", so in practice it has to be cleared before the transfer goes through — settle between you who pays.Official calculator	Either party
Speed title (optional)	$25KRS 186A.130(2): "Each application for a speed title shall be twenty-five dollars ($25), of which the county clerk shall retain five dollars ($5) and the Transportation Cabinet shall receive twenty dollars ($20)."Optional. Apply at the county clerk, not at the Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing in Frankfort. The Department issues it within 48 hours of the clerk's electronic notification and it is "mailed to you the following business day". Not available on classic vehicles, boats, mechanics lien, towing and storage, affidavit of ownership or bill of sale, duplicates, corrections, restored titles, out-of-country titles, court orders, Kentucky-assigned VINs, junk or unrebuildable salvage titles, or kit vehicles.	Buyer

Kentucky charges 6% motor vehicle usage tax, collected by the county clerk when the title is transferred, on the sale price stated in a notarised affidavit — unless your transfer is on the KRS 138.470 exemption list below.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Not required
KRS 186A.115(1)(a) requires the sheriff's certified inspection only for a vehicle "brought into this state". A vehicle already on a Kentucky title changing hands between two Kentucky residents does not need one, and Kentucky runs no periodic safety inspection.
Kentucky has no periodic safety inspection. A sheriff's certified inspection — $15 for an individual — is required once, before you can title a vehicle that was brought into Kentucky from another state or country.
Emissions: Sometimes required
An emissions requirement can only reach a vehicle registered in a county authorised under KRS 224.20-710 to 224.20-765 or KRS Chapter 77 to conduct vehicle emissions tests (KRS 186.290(4)).
No emissions certificate appears on any of the Transportation Cabinet's published title or registration document lists. We could not confirm from an official page whether any Kentucky county currently runs a testing programme.
Kentucky's emissions statute reaches only vehicles registered in a county that has been authorised to run a vehicle emissions testing programme, and the Transportation Cabinet's published title and registration document lists do not ask for an emissions certificate anywhere in the state.
Notarization: RequiredKentucky is a notarised-title state twice over: the seller must sign the title assignment in front of a notary, and the seller's and buyer's signatures on the sale-price affidavit — TC 96-182 or Form 71A100 — must each be notarised separately before the clerk will transfer the registration.
Odometer disclosure: Required, unless you are exempt
Exempt if the vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds or is not self-propelled (49 CFR 580.17(a)(1)-(2)).
Exempt if it was manufactured in or before the 2010 model year — for a transfer in 2026, model year 2010 and older vehicles need no odometer disclosure (49 CFR 580.17(a)(3)).
Not exempt if it was manufactured in or after the 2011 model year: those stay covered for 20 years, so a 2011 model year vehicle first becomes exempt for transfers in calendar year 2031 (49 CFR 580.17(a)(4)).
The seller must state the mileage in writing on every transfer of ownership. Kentucky captures it in Section 2 of TC 96-182, or on TC 96-5 when the title has no usable odometer space — with the federal age exemptions below.

What happens to the plates

Kentucky plates follow the person, not the vehicle: when a registered vehicle changes hands the plate comes off and stays with the seller, who may move it to another vehicle of the same class or hold it for the rest of the registration period. The buyer needs their own plate before driving.

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

KRS 186.190(1)(a) is explicit — "when a motor vehicle that has been previously registered changes ownership, the registration plate shall not remain upon the motor vehicle, but shall be retained by the seller and may be transferred to another vehicle owned or leased by the seller." KRS 186.190(1)(b) lets the seller move the plate at the time of sale, or hold it and later "notify the county clerk and transfer the plate to a vehicle of the same classification that he or she has obtained prior to operating that vehicle on a public highway"; if the transfer falls in the last month of the registration the seller must renew on the new vehicle. On a dealer trade-in the plate comes off the traded vehicle and the buyer keeps it, driving on a dealer temporary tag until the clerk issues the registration (KRS 186.190(1)(c)). Plate and vehicle transfers must both be started inside the same 15-day window (KRS 186.190(1)(d)). If the vehicle is junked, the owner surrenders the plate and receipt to the clerk (KRS 186.190(4)); if it is sold to an out-of-state resident, the Cabinet requires the plate to be returned to the Kentucky county clerk. The annual registration fee for a passenger car, pickup or passenger van is $11.50 (KRS 186.050(1)) plus a $6 clerk fee (KRS 186.040(1)(c)); a personalised plate costs $25 plus registration, and moving a personalised plate to another vehicle costs an $11 re-issue fee.

How to submit

In person at a county office

Title and registration are one errand at one counter in Kentucky: you hand the county clerk in your county of residence a single form — TC 96-182, the "Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration" — pay the title fee, usage tax and registration fee together, and walk out with a plate and registration receipt. Only the printed certificate of title arrives later, by post.

Official state links

Source: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Vehicle Regulation, Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing — certificates of title and registrations are applied for and issued over the counter by the 120 county clerks. Checked July 31, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Kentucky

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Kentucky?: 15 calendar days from the date the seller delivers the vehicle and the assigned title to you. KRS 186A.215(4) treats a transferee who has not filed within "fifteen (15) calendar days" as in default: the seller may file TC 96-3 and the clerk then "shall enter appropriate data into the AVIS system which shall restrict any registration transaction from occurring on that vehicle until the transfer has been processed." KRS 186.020(1) separately requires a purchaser to apply for registration within 15 days, and until then "the bill of sale or assigned title must be in the motor vehicle during this fifteen (15) day period."
How much does a title transfer cost in Kentucky?: The base title fee is $9. The statutory fee for an application for a Kentucky certificate of title under KRS 186A.130(1)(a) — $6 retained by the county clerk and $3 to the Transportation Cabinet. It excludes the 6% motor vehicle usage tax, the $2 transfer fee and $6 clerk's service fee that KRS 186.190(3) charges the seller, the $11.50 annual registration fee plus the $6 clerk registration fee, notary charges, the sheriff's inspection fee on an out-of-state vehicle, county ad valorem property tax, and the optional $25 speed title. KRS 186A.130(1)(c) also sets a separate $6 fee for "each application for a printed title"; the Cabinet does not publish whether that $6 is charged on top of the $9 before Kentucky's 1 January 2027 switch to electronic titles. Kentucky charges 6% motor vehicle usage tax, collected by the county clerk when the title is transferred, on the sale price stated in a notarised affidavit — unless your transfer is on the KRS 138.470 exemption list below.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Kentucky?: Required. Kentucky is a notarised-title state twice over: the seller must sign the title assignment in front of a notary, and the seller's and buyer's signatures on the sale-price affidavit — TC 96-182 or Form 71A100 — must each be notarised separately before the clerk will transfer the registration.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Kentucky?: Yes. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Vehicle Regulation, Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing. 15 calendar days from the date you delivered the vehicle and signed the title assignment over to the buyer. Kentucky has no automatic seller release. Until the buyer files, the vehicle stays in your name for registration and for the January 1 ad valorem property tax assessment. TC 96-3 is the mechanism: you file it with the county clerk in your own county of residence and "request the registration on this vehicle be revoked as provided by KRS 186.180(4) or by any other law until this transfer has been processed." The Cabinet gives the same instruction for a sale to an out-of-state buyer.
What happens to the license plates in Kentucky?: Kentucky plates follow the person, not the vehicle: when a registered vehicle changes hands the plate comes off and stays with the seller, who may move it to another vehicle of the same class or hold it for the rest of the registration period. The buyer needs their own plate before driving.

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.

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