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

Utah publishes no fixed number of days for a private buyer to apply for a new title. What it does publish is that 'A temporary permit will need to be obtained from your local DMV office to operate a newly purchased or unregistered vehicle' - so the practical clock is the moment you want to drive it. from the date of purchase.

How much does a title transfer cost in Utah?

The base title fee is $6. The Utah certificate of title fee, the same for a new title and a duplicate. It does not include sales and use tax on the purchase price, the annual registration fee, the age-based uniform fee in lieu of property tax, plate fees, a temporary permit or any inspection. Sales and use tax is due on the purchase price of a vehicle, and Utah publishes no exemption for transfers between family members.

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

Sometimes required. 'No notary is needed to sign off on a title.' Utah notarises only two things in this area: the Survivorship Affidavit sworn by an heir, and the surety company's affidavit on an insufficient-evidence-of-ownership bond.

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

Yes. Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Utah law requires a seller to provide a title within 48 hours of the transaction. Separately, the seller should report the vehicle as sold to the Division of Motor Vehicles, for which the DMV publishes no deadline. from the transaction. The DMV publishes no penalty for a private seller who misses the 48 hours. Leaving the plate on the vehicle, however, can make the seller liable for parking and traffic violations, towing, storage and impoundment fees.

Utah vehicle title transfer: documents, deadlines and fees

Title fee: $6base title fee
Deadline: See ruleUtah publishes no fixed number of days for a private buyer to apply for the new title, but you must obtain a temporary permit from a DMV office - or print one through UPP - to operate a newly purchased or unregistered vehicle until the registration is issued.
Documents: 4incl. TC-656
Where: Onlineno visit needed

Utah law requires the seller to provide a title within 48 hours of the transaction, and 'No notary is needed to sign off on a title.' The buyer applies on Form TC-656 and pays the $6.00 title fee, sales and use tax on the purchase price, the registration fee and the age-based uniform fee. Most person-to-person transfers of a Utah-titled vehicle can be completed entirely online through the UPP service on the Motor Vehicle Portal, with a temporary permit printed on the spot.

8 things this answer does not settle

Two current DMV pages state the odometer-disclosure age test differently: Responsibilities of Buyer and Seller exempts a car '20 years old or older', while What Documents Do I Bring? requires disclosure for 'model year 2011 or newer'. Where your vehicle falls between the two, complete Form TC-891 anyway.
The DMV's Summary of Common Fees lists a title correction 'including name change and lien release' at $6.00, while its Title Corrections page charges $10.00 to add or remove an owner. The titles FAQ reconciles the two as a $6.00 title fee plus a $4.00 duplicate registration fee, but neither fee page says so.
Utah publishes no consolidated registration fee schedule. Only the $6.00 title, duplicate and correction fees, the $6.00 standard temporary permit, the $2.50 96-hour permit and the age-based uniform fee tables appear as figures; registration totals and sales tax are quoted only through the Motor Vehicle Portal Fee Estimator.
The Utah Legislature's code pages would not render in this session, so every statutory citation in this record - Utah Code 75-3-1201, 41-1a-511, 41-1a-411, 41-1a-413 and 31A-22-302 - is recorded exactly as the DMV's own page or its own form states it, not from the statute text.
The DMV publishes no general deadline for a private buyer to apply for a Utah title. The published clocks are the seller's 48 hours to provide the title, the 60 days a new resident is allowed, and the 120 days after which a pending online transaction is cancelled.
Utah publishes no fixed deadline for a private buyer to apply for the new title. The only published private-party clock is the seller's 48-hour duty to provide the title, and the DMV states that duty in hours rather than days.
The DMV's Responsibilities of Buyer and Seller page exempts vehicles '20 years old or older' from the odometer disclosure, while its What Documents Do I Bring? checklist requires disclosure for 'model year 2011 or newer'. The two official pages do not agree; complete Form TC-891 if your vehicle falls between them.
Only the $6.00 title fee and the $6.00 temporary permit are published as flat figures. Registration and sales tax are quoted only through the Motor Vehicle Portal Fee Estimator, so the total cost cannot be stated here.

Do this first

Before you hand over money, check the Utah title itself: the VIN/HIN on it must match the vehicle, the seller must have signed to release ownership, any previous lien holder printed on the face must have signed to release the lien, and the purchase date and price must be filled in.
Get a written bill of sale from the seller showing the sale price and date - Form TC-843 is the DMV's own template, and a handwritten or typed one in ink is equally acceptable. Without a bill of sale documenting the actual price, the DMV calculates your sales tax on fair market value instead.

Your checklist

Before you hand over money, check the Utah title itself: the VIN/HIN on it must match the vehicle, the seller must have signed to release ownership, any previous lien holder printed on the face must have signed to release the lien, and the purchase date and price must be filled in.Official page
Get a written bill of sale from the seller showing the sale price and date - Form TC-843 is the DMV's own template, and a handwritten or typed one in ink is equally acceptable. Without a bill of sale documenting the actual price, the DMV calculates your sales tax on fair market value instead.TC-843Official page
Complete Form TC-656, Vehicle Application for Utah Title and Registration, ticking 'Change of ownership'. Every owner listed must give an ID number and ID type and provide government-issued identification, and you must state whether co-owners are joined by 'And' or by 'Or' - that choice decides whose signature is needed on any future transfer.TC-656Official page
If the vehicle will be registered in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah or Weber county, have it pass an emissions inspection at a station certified by that county's health department before you apply.Applies when: The vehicle will be registered in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah or Weber county and is not on the exempt list.Official page
Start the transfer online through UPP on the Motor Vehicle Portal: enter the VIN, answer whether you have the current title, upload scans of the title front and back, the bill of sale, any lien release not shown on the Utah title and your own ID, then pay the taxes and fees.Applies when: The vehicle's current title of record is a Utah title, the record is not in suspend status or pending previous-owner information, and the vehicle is not salvage-branded or non-repairable.Official page
Print the temporary permit that UPP offers you at the end of the online transaction, or buy a $6.00 standard temporary permit at a DMV office - 'A temporary permit will need to be obtained from your local DMV office to operate a newly purchased or unregistered vehicle.' Do not drive on the seller's plate unless the plate was included in the sale.Official page
Pay the $6.00 title fee, sales and use tax at the combined rate for where you register, the registration fee and the age-based uniform fee in lieu of property tax. Run the figures through the DMV's Fee Estimator first - it is the only place Utah publishes a registration total.Official page
Put Utah insurance on the vehicle - a current policy including No-Fault, bodily injury and property damage liability coverage - before you register it. Section 6 of Form TC-656 has you certify that you will maintain it.TC-656Official page
If the DMV emails you a checklist saying more documents are needed, send them within 120 days - a UPP transaction left pending longer than that is cancelled, and 'fees paid toward this transaction may be non-refundable'.Official page

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The seller's checklist

Sign the Utah certificate of title over to the buyer and hand it to them - 'Although Utah law requires a seller to provide a title within 48 hours of the transaction, a common-sense approach is to obtain a title at the time of sale.' If the names on the title are joined by 'and' every owner must sign; if joined by 'or', one signature is enough.Official page
If your Utah title is lost, complete Form TC-123, Application for Utah Duplicate Title. Its Part 2 is an Assignment and Release of Interest, so the buyer can use the same form - with a bill of sale - to take ownership without waiting for the duplicate to arrive.Applies when: Your original Utah title has been lost, stolen, mutilated or made illegible.TC-123Official page
Fill in a bill of sale in ink with both parties' names and addresses, the VIN, the sale price and the net purchase price, and keep a copy. Form TC-843 is the DMV's template and includes the odometer certification and the plate election.TC-843Official page
Take your license plate off the vehicle unless the plate is being sold with it - Publication 9 warns that if you leave it on 'you may be liab[le] for any parking or traffic violations, towing, storage, and impoundment fees.' Tick the matching box in Section 2 of Form TC-843.TC-843Official page
If a personalized plate is going with the vehicle, complete Form TC-840 so the plate is relinquished by you and reassigned to the new owner - the vehicle it is reassigned to must have current registration.Applies when: The license plate on the vehicle is personalized and is included in the sale.TC-840Official page
Report the vehicle as sold to the Division of Motor Vehicles - online through Report a Sold Vehicle on the Motor Vehicle Portal, by phone on 1-800-DMV-UTAH, by fax on 801-297-3570, or by mail giving the year, make, model, plate number or VIN and your signature. Form TC-502, Application to Cancel Registration, may be used instead.TC-502Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the odometer disclosure together. Either fill in the odometer section on the face of the Utah title, or complete Form TC-891, Odometer Disclosure Statement, with the seller signing as transferor and the buyer as transferee. Both of you must keep a legible copy for at least four years.Applies when: The vehicle is not exempt by age - see the two different age tests the DMV publishes.TC-891Official page

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Documents and official forms

The Utah certificate of title, signed by the seller to release ownership, with the purchase date and price enteredNo notary is needed on the title. If a lien holder is printed on the face, their release signature must be there too.
TC-656Vehicle Application for Utah Title and RegistrationMay be completed at the DMV counter at the time of transfer.
Valid government-issued identification for every owner listed on the applicationForm TC-656 asks for an ID number and ID type - driver license, passport, state ID, FEIN, military ID or foreign ID - for each owner.
TC-843Bill of saleListed as required for a title transfer on the DMV's What Documents Do I Bring? checklist. Form TC-843 is optional as a template; a handwritten or typed bill of sale in ink is accepted.

Also required in some cases

The odometer disclosure has not been made on the title or on the bill of sale, and the vehicle is not exempt by age.

TC-891Odometer Disclosure Statement

The certificate of title shows an active lien holder.

Lien release

The vehicle will be registered in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah or Weber county.

Emissions inspection certificate

The seller's Utah title is lost, stolen, mutilated or made illegible.

TC-123Application for Utah Duplicate Title

A personalized plate is included with the sale.

TC-840Relinquish and Reassign a Personalized Plate

The vehicle is leased and the lessor holds the title.

Leasing company power of attorney, billing statement and Utah sales tax number

Deadlines

DeadlineUtah publishes no fixed number of days for a private buyer to apply for the new title, but you must obtain a temporary permit from a DMV office - or print one through UPP - to operate a newly purchased or unregistered vehicle until the registration is issued. from the date of purchase — Buyer
Deadline120 calendar days from starting the online transfer — Buyer: An online UPP transaction left in pending status is cancelled after 120 days, and fees paid toward it may be non-refundable.The transaction is cancelled and you start again.
DeadlineUtah law requires a seller to provide a title within 48 hours of the transaction; the DMV's own advice is to hand it over at the time of sale. from the transaction — SellerThe DMV publishes no penalty for a private seller who misses it.
DeadlineReport the vehicle as sold to the Division of Motor Vehicles. The DMV publishes no deadline, but until you do, the vehicle stays on your record and renewal notices keep coming to you. from the date of sale — Seller

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$6The Utah certificate of title fee, the same for a new title and a duplicate. It does not include sales and use tax on the purchase price, the annual registration fee, the age-based uniform fee in lieu of property tax, plate fees, a temporary permit or any inspection.	Buyer
Utah certificate of title fee	$6The Utah title fee. It does not include sales and use tax on the purchase price, the annual registration fee, the age-based uniform fee in lieu of property tax, plate fees, a temporary permit or any inspection.	Buyer
Utah sales and use tax on the purchase price	VariesVaries by the combined state and local sales and use tax rate where you register and the purchase price. The Tax Commission's 2026 Q1 combined rate charts run from 6.35% to 10.05%; the state component alone is 4.70%..Utah taxes the net purchase price after a valid trade-in. Where no bill of sale documents the actual price, the DMV calculates the tax on fair market value. Underreporting the price can bring an audit with penalty and interest, and fraud penalties of 100% of the tax or $500, whichever is greater.Official calculator	Buyer
Annual registration fee	VariesVaries by vehicle type, fuel type, county and other factors. The DMV publishes no flat figure and quotes registration only through its Fee Estimator..Utah also offers six-month registration on motorcycles and passenger vehicles and 24-month registration on trailers and electric vehicles.Official calculator	Buyer
Age-based uniform fee in lieu of property tax	$10–$150The 2026 age-based uniform fee for passenger cars, light trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans: $150 for model years 2024-2026, $110 for 2021-2023, $80 for 2018-2020, $50 for 2015-2017 and $10 for 2014 and older. Motorcycles, off-highway vehicles and motor homes are on separate schedules, and medium and heavy duty trucks, commercial trailers and vessels 31 feet and longer pay 1.5 percent of fair market value instead.	Buyer
Standard temporary permit	$6The standard temporary permit, charged 'plus all required fees and taxes'. The length is set by the local DMV office. A 96-hour in-transit permit costs $2.50 instead.Only needed if you must operate the vehicle before the registration is issued.	Buyer
Seller's charge to release the title	$0Utah charges the seller nothing to sign the title over, to report the sale, or to file Form TC-502. The seller's only cost arises if the Utah title is lost and a $6.00 duplicate is needed.	Seller

Sales and use tax is due on the purchase price of a vehicle, and Utah publishes no exemption for transfers between family members.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Sometimes required
A safety inspection is required only when converting a salvage vehicle to a rebuilt title, registering a street-legal ATV for the first time, or registering a motor home with three axles (Class 6).
A VIN/HIN inspection on Form TC-661 applies to units being titled in Utah for the first time, so it does not apply to a vehicle that already carries a Utah title.
Utah does not require a safety inspection to register most vehicles, but every unit titled in Utah for the first time must have its VIN or HIN physically inspected on Form TC-661.
Emissions: Sometimes required
Required only if the vehicle will be registered in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah or Weber county - no other Utah county requires one.
In Salt Lake County a vehicle with a model year less than six years old is tested once every two years; older vehicles are tested annually back through model year 1968.
Utah County additionally requires an emissions inspection on diesel vehicles of model years 1998 through 2021 regardless of age.
Cache County tests model years 2020 through 1996 and exempts model year 2021 and newer.
Weber County exempts model year 1995 and older; model year 1967 and older is exempt everywhere.
Electric vehicles, motorcycles and motor-driven cycles, off-highway vehicles, farm vehicles, vintage vehicles of model year 1982 and older, and custom vehicles are exempt in all five counties.
An emissions inspection is required only if the vehicle will be registered in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah or Weber county, and the test interval depends on the county and the model year.
Notarization: Not required'No notary is needed to sign off on a title.' Utah notarises only two things in this area: the Survivorship Affidavit sworn by an heir, and the surety company's affidavit on an insufficient-evidence-of-ownership bond.
Odometer disclosure: Required, unless you are exempt
The DMV's Responsibilities of Buyer and Seller page says the federal odometer disclosure statement is not needed 'if the car is 20 years old or older'.
The DMV's What Documents Do I Bring? checklist instead says the odometer disclosure is 'required for model year 2011 or newer'. The two pages do not agree, so complete Form TC-891 if your vehicle falls between the two tests.
The disclosure may be made in the odometer section of the Utah title, on a properly completed bill of sale signed by both parties, or on Form TC-891.
A written odometer disclosure is required when ownership transfers, unless the vehicle is old enough to be exempt - and Utah's own pages state the age test two different ways.

What happens to the plates

The plate is the seller's unless the parties agree it goes with the vehicle - Form TC-843 has a checkbox for exactly that choice.

The seller keeps the plates
The plates stay with the vehicle
The buyer gets new plates

'Unless the plates are being sold with the vehicle, please remove your license plate from the vehicle.' Publication 9 adds that leaving it on can make the seller liable for parking and traffic violations, towing, storage and impoundment fees. A buyer who does not get the plate chooses a plate type in Section 4 of Form TC-656.

How to submit

Online
In person at a state title office
By mail

Titling and registering are one errand in Utah: Form TC-656 is the 'Vehicle Application for Utah Title and Registration', and the DMV's counter checklist heads the same document list 'Title Transfer (Utah title and registration)'.

Official state links

Source: Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Checked July 31, 2026. Report a correction

Transferring a vehicle title in Utah

Do this first

Your checklist

The seller's checklist

Both of you, together

Documents and official forms

Also required in some cases

Deadlines

Fees and taxes

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

What happens to the plates

How to submit

Official state links

Common questions about Utah

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