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

30 calendar days from the date of assignment on the title (the date of sale); thirty days starts with the day following that date. A delinquent transfer penalty is assessed by the county tax assessor-collector and cannot be waived or forgiven by the county or by TxDMV. Active duty military personnel have 60 days instead of 30.

How much does a title transfer cost in Texas?

The base title fee is From $28. Varies by the buyer's county of residence: $33 if that county is in a federal Clean Air Act nonattainment area or is an 'affected county', $28 in every other county. Since March 1, 2022 the fee follows the purchaser's county of residence regardless of which county processes the application.. Texas charges 6.25 percent motor vehicle sales tax, paid to the county tax assessor-collector when you file the title application, and on a private-party used-vehicle purchase the tax is computed on the greater of the sales price or 80 percent of the vehicle's standard presumptive value.

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

Sometimes required. An ordinary Texas title transfer needs no notary — since April 1, 1990 title assignments, Form 130-U, bills of sale, odometer disclosures and limited powers of attorney do not require notarization — but the gift affidavit (Form 14-317) and the heirship affidavit (Form VTR-262) must be sworn before a notary.

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

Yes. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). 30 calendar days from the vehicle's date of transfer (date of sale). Filing within 30 days is what gives the seller the state-guaranteed protection from liability: TxDMV states that when the notification is filed within 30 days the seller cannot be held responsible for parking tickets and toll violations committed by the buyer. TxDMV will still notate the record if the form is submitted later, but late filing does not guarantee release from liability.

Transferring a vehicle title in Texas

Issued by Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) — title applications are filed at county tax assessor-collector 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: From $28varies — details under fees
Deadline: 30 daysfrom the date of assignment on the title (the date of sale); the thirty days start the day after that date
Documents: 4incl. 130-U
Where: Countytax office, in person

In Texas the title application is filed at a county tax assessor-collector's office, not at a state DMV counter, and the buyer must file it within 30 days of the date of sale. Filing late triggers a delinquent transfer penalty that starts at $25 and grows by $25 for every additional 30-day period up to $250, and neither the county nor TxDMV can waive it. Motor vehicle sales tax of 6.25 percent is paid at the same county window, calculated on the sales price or 80 percent of the vehicle's standard presumptive value, whichever is greater.

7 things this answer does not settle

Texas has 254 county tax assessor-collector offices and each one is run independently by a locally elected official — TxDMV states that although county tax offices provide services on its behalf, operational decisions are made at the county level. Hours, appointment policy, accepted forms of payment and the local registration fee all vary by county, so the exact total you pay at the window is set locally.
TxDMV's buying-and-selling page says sales tax is charged on 'either the purchase price or standard presumptive value (whichever is the highest value)', while Form 130-U and the Comptroller both state the tax is computed on the greater of the sales price or 80 percent of SPV. We have used the 80 percent figure from Form 130-U and the Comptroller.
County offices publish instructions that sometimes differ from the state form. Harris County, for example, states that the seller's signature is not required on Form 130-U for a private-party sale, and describes the filing deadline as '30 working days', while state law and Form 130-U set 30 calendar days. Follow the office where you will actually file, and treat 30 calendar days as the deadline.
Texas has no statewide appointment system for county tax offices; TxDMV notes only that some county offices require appointments. Whether your county accepts a mailed title application also varies — Harris County does, but this is not a statewide rule.
Texas titles and registers at 254 independently run county tax assessor-collector offices, but replacing a lost title is handled by TxDMV's own 16 Regional Service Centers. Which counter you go to, and what you pay, changes with the transaction.
Texas leaves the plates to the seller's choice, so more than one outcome is correct: the seller may transfer them to a replacement vehicle of the same classification, keep them for a later transfer (the sticker does not move), deface the front of them, or simply leave them on — in which case the buyer pays the $2.50 fee to transfer the current registration.
We did not verify the vehicle-class-specific state portion of the inspection fee or the processing and handling fee for every vehicle type; the figures given are those TxDMV and Harris County publish for passenger vehicles and light trucks.

Do this first

Before you hand over money, run the VIN through TxDMV's Title Check to see whether the title has ever been branded junk, salvage or total loss, and check that the name and address on the title and registration match the person selling it to you.
Take the signed title from the seller along with the seller's signed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) showing the sales price, and any release of lien or power of attorney the seller mentions.

Your checklist

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The seller's checklist

Write the buyer's name exactly as shown on the buyer's identification, and the buyer's address, into the assignment on the back of the Texas title, then sign and print your name and enter the date of sale.Official page
Enter the sale price on line 38 of the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U), sign and print your name on the seller's signature line, and give the signed form to the buyer — the buyer cannot title the vehicle out of your name without it.130-UOfficial page
Decide what to do with your license plates: transfer them to a vehicle you are buying if the classification is the same, keep them for a future transfer (the registration sticker does not transfer), or deface the front of the plates with permanent black ink so they cannot be used fraudulently. If you leave them on, hand the buyer the current registration receipt.Official page
File a Texas Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification (Form VTR-346) within 30 days of the date of sale — online at TxDMV.gov/VTN or by mail to TxDMV Vehicle Titles and Registration Division, PO Box 26417, Austin, TX 78755-0417. Do not submit both online and by mail.VTR-346Official page
Go with the buyer to the county tax assessor-collector's office to make sure the title application is actually filed; until it is, the vehicle stays in your name.Official page
Keep a written record of the buyer's name and contact information, the date of sale, and the vehicle's VIN.Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the odometer disclosure on the title assignment together: the seller enters the reading with no tenths, signs, hand-prints their name and gives their current address and the date; the buyer signs, hand-prints their name and gives their address to acknowledge it. The reading on the title must match box 9 of Form 130-U, and the same person may not sign as both buyer and seller.Applies when: The vehicle is subject to odometer disclosure — it is not a 2010-or-older model year, not a 2011-or-newer model year that is already 20 years old, not over 16,000 pounds GVWR and not otherwise exempt.130-UOfficial page

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Documents and official forms

The Texas Certificate of Title, with the assignment on the back completed and signed by the sellerTxDMV tells buyers never to buy a vehicle in a private sale without receiving the title.
130-UApplication for Texas Title and/or RegistrationMust carry the original signature of the buyer; the seller's signature may be reproduced or faxed.
Proof of liability insurance in the applicant's name meeting Texas minimum requirementsNot required if you apply for Title Only, and not required for a trailer.
One unexpired government-issued photo ID from the list in box 15 of Form 130-UAcceptable types include a U.S. driver license or ID card, a U.S. or foreign passport, a U.S. military ID, a NATO or Status of Forces Agreement ID, a U.S. Department of State or Homeland Security ID, a USCIS/DOJ ID, and a Texas License to Carry a Handgun.

Also required in some cases

A record of current inspection is not in the state inspection database and the vehicle is registered in an emissions county or is a commercial vehicle.

Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR)

A lien is shown on the department's record, even one the seller has already paid off.

VTR-266Original signed release of lien

The vehicle's registration is current and the seller leaves the plates and sticker on the vehicle.

The current registration receipt from the seller

Deadlines

Deadline30 calendar days from the date of assignment on the title (the date of sale); the thirty days start the day after that date — Buyer: File the title application at a county tax assessor-collector's office within 30 days of the date of saleA delinquent transfer penalty is added at the county window. The statute makes no provision for anyone to waive it, and if your paperwork is rejected and refiled after the 30 days you still owe the penalty. Active duty military personnel have 60 days.
Deadline30 calendar days from the date of purchase, or entry of the vehicle into Texas — Buyer: Pay motor vehicle sales tax to the county tax assessor-collector within 30 calendar days of purchaseThe county assesses a 5 percent penalty on the tax if it is paid 1 to 30 days late and 10 percent if more than 30 days late; the minimum penalty is $1. This is separate from and additional to the delinquent transfer penalty.
Deadline30 calendar days from the vehicle's date of transfer — Seller: File the Vehicle Transfer Notification within 30 days of the date of saleOnly a notification filed within 30 days carries the state-guaranteed removal of liability; TxDMV will still notate the record if it is filed later, but late filing does not guarantee release from liability.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	From $28Varies by the buyer's county of residence: $33 if that county is in a federal Clean Air Act nonattainment area or is an 'affected county', $28 in every other county. Since March 1, 2022 the fee follows the purchaser's county of residence regardless of which county processes the application..Official calculator	Buyer
Title application fee	From $28Varies by the buyer's county of residence — $33 in a Clean Air Act nonattainment or affected county, $28 elsewhere.The $33 counties are Bastrop, Bexar, Brazoria, Caldwell, Chambers, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, El Paso, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gregg, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hood, Hunt, Jefferson, Johnson, Kaufman, Liberty, Montgomery, Nueces, Orange, Parker, Rockwall, Rusk, San Patricio, Smith, Tarrant, Travis, Upshur, Victoria, Waller, Williamson, Wilson and Wise. All other counties are $28.Official calculator	Buyer
Motor vehicle sales tax	6.25%Varies by 6.25 percent of the greater of the sales price or 80 percent of the vehicle's standard presumptive value on the day of title application.The SPV figure shown to the public on TxDMV's calculator is 100 percent of SPV; the county office uses 80 percent. Paid to the county tax assessor-collector within 30 calendar days of purchase.Official calculator	Buyer
Registration transfer fee	$2.50Paid to transfer current registration to the new owner, in addition to the title application fee. If the registration is not current, full registration fees are due instead unless you apply for Title Only.	Buyer
Full registration fees, if the vehicle's registration is not current	From $50.75Varies by vehicle class and gross weight plus your county's local fee, the processing and handling fee, the $1 insurance verification fee and the inspection program replacement fee.The base annual fee is $50.75 for a passenger vehicle or truck of 6,000 lbs or less and $54.00 for 6,001–10,000 lbs, plus $1 for TexasSure insurance verification. As an illustration, Harris County publishes a total of $78.25 for a 0–6,000 lb vehicle: $51.75 base, $11.50 local, $4.75 processing and handling, $7.50 inspection program replacement and $2.75 emissions inspection.Official calculator	Buyer
Local county fee collected with registration	From $0Varies by the county, which sets it through its Commissioners Court; TxDMV publishes a figure for each of the 254 counties, ranging from $0 to $21.50.Collected only when registration is issued or renewed. Since March 1, 2022, if a statutory county (the purchaser's, seller's or lienholder's) processes the transaction the local fee follows the processing county; if any other willing county processes it, the local fee follows the purchaser's county of residence.Official calculator	Buyer
Inspection program replacement fee	$7.50Charged to non-commercial vehicles at the time of registration, not on a transfer of already-current registration. A new vehicle of the current or previous model year that has not been previously registered pays $16.75 covering two years. Commercial vehicles are exempt because they still pay for a safety inspection.	Buyer

Texas charges 6.25 percent motor vehicle sales tax, paid to the county tax assessor-collector when you file the title application, and on a private-party used-vehicle purchase the tax is computed on the greater of the sales price or 80 percent of the vehicle's standard presumptive value.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Sometimes required
The vehicle is a commercial vehicle — those still need a passing safety inspection in every Texas county
The vehicle is registered in one of the 17 emissions counties and needs a passing emissions inspection before registration
A Vehicle Inspection Report has to be produced only when a current inspection is not already in the state inspection database
Texas abolished the safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025 under House Bill 3297 — non-commercial vehicles now need only an emissions inspection, and only in emissions counties, while all commercial vehicles still need a passing safety inspection.
Emissions: Sometimes required
The vehicle is registered in Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis or Williamson County
Gasoline vehicles model-year 2 through 24 years old are subject; electric-only vehicles remain exempt
Bexar County vehicles become subject on November 1, 2026
Emissions inspections are required before registration for non-commercial vehicles registered in 17 named counties; Bexar County joins them on November 1, 2026.
Notarization: Not requiredAn ordinary Texas title transfer needs no notary — since April 1, 1990 title assignments, Form 130-U, bills of sale, odometer disclosures and limited powers of attorney do not require notarization — but the gift affidavit (Form 14-317) and the heirship affidavit (Form VTR-262) must be sworn before a notary.
Odometer disclosure: Sometimes required
The vehicle is not exempt: 2010 and older model years are exempt, and 2011-and-newer model years become exempt once they are 20 years old
Vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR and vehicles that are not self-propelled are exempt
Where the vehicle is exempt, 'Exempt' goes in box 9 and/or box 10 of Form 130-U and the buyer need not sign the reassignment
The seller must disclose the odometer reading on the title assignment at the time of transfer and the buyer must record it in box 9 of Form 130-U, unless the vehicle is exempt — most importantly, 2010 and older model years, and 2011-and-newer model years once they are 20 years old.

What happens to the plates

In Texas the license plates belong to the seller and the seller chooses whether to remove them; if they are left on the vehicle the buyer pays a $2.50 fee to transfer the current registration.

The seller keeps the plates
The seller may move the plates to a replacement vehicle
The plates stay with the vehicle

TxDMV: 'The seller has the option to remove their license plates and registration sticker from the vehicle.' If removed, there are three options: transfer the plates to a vehicle the seller is buying if the vehicle classification is the same; keep them for a future transfer (the registration sticker does not transfer); or, if neither, deface the front of the plates with permanent black ink or another method to prevent fraudulent use. TxDMV's guidance to sellers is to take the plates off because the plate number ties directly to the seller's name. If the sale happens on a Saturday or Sunday and the seller removes the plates and sticker, the buyer can download a Vehicle Transit Permit valid for five calendar days; only one permit may be issued per vehicle sale.

How to submit

In person at a county office

Texas titles and registers on one document — Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) — filed in a single visit to a county tax assessor-collector's office, with 'Title Only' available if you cannot or will not register.

Official state links

Source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) — title applications are filed at county tax assessor-collector offices. Checked July 26, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Texas

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Texas?: 30 calendar days from the date of assignment on the title (the date of sale); thirty days starts with the day following that date. A delinquent transfer penalty is assessed by the county tax assessor-collector and cannot be waived or forgiven by the county or by TxDMV. Active duty military personnel have 60 days instead of 30.
How much does a title transfer cost in Texas?: The base title fee is From $28. Varies by the buyer's county of residence: $33 if that county is in a federal Clean Air Act nonattainment area or is an 'affected county', $28 in every other county. Since March 1, 2022 the fee follows the purchaser's county of residence regardless of which county processes the application.. Texas charges 6.25 percent motor vehicle sales tax, paid to the county tax assessor-collector when you file the title application, and on a private-party used-vehicle purchase the tax is computed on the greater of the sales price or 80 percent of the vehicle's standard presumptive value.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Texas?: Sometimes required. An ordinary Texas title transfer needs no notary — since April 1, 1990 title assignments, Form 130-U, bills of sale, odometer disclosures and limited powers of attorney do not require notarization — but the gift affidavit (Form 14-317) and the heirship affidavit (Form VTR-262) must be sworn before a notary.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Texas?: Yes. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). 30 calendar days from the vehicle's date of transfer (date of sale). Filing within 30 days is what gives the seller the state-guaranteed protection from liability: TxDMV states that when the notification is filed within 30 days the seller cannot be held responsible for parking tickets and toll violations committed by the buyer. TxDMV will still notate the record if the form is submitted later, but late filing does not guarantee release from liability.
What happens to the license plates in Texas?: In Texas the license plates belong to the seller and the seller chooses whether to remove them; if they are left on the vehicle the buyer pays a $2.50 fee to transfer the current registration.

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.

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