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The bottom line: Sign the title over to the buyer and hand it to them in person. Then deal with your plates, because in New Jersey that’s the step that ends your responsibility for the car.
Title notarization: not required
Bill of sale: recommended
Where plates stay: with the seller
Remind the buyer they have 10 working days to register the car. If the title is lost, sort that out before you list anything, since it runs on the MVC’s schedule rather than yours.
Not sure a private sale is worth the effort? You can compare offers from multiple buyers in about two minutes and use that as your floor.
New Jersey at a glance
- Title required to sell: yes
- Title notarization: not required
- Cost to replace a lost title: $60
- Replacement title processing time: same-day in person by appointment, or 8 to 12 weeks by mail
- Title replacement available online: no
- Bill of sale required: recommended
- Bill of sale notarization: not required
- Emissions testing required to sell: not required (buyer needs a passing test to register statewide, at biennial inspection)
- Safety inspection required to sell: not required
- License plates stay: with the seller
- Buyer’s deadline to register: 10 working days
- Buyer penalty for missing deadline: $25
- Form to release yourself from liability: None required (plate surrender)
- Deadline to file release of liability: Not required
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Step-by-Step Process for New Jersey
Step 1: Prepare Your New Jersey Paperwork
Documents you’ll need:
- Vehicle title. In your name and clear of liens
- Valid driver’s license. The name has to match the title exactly
- Lien release documentation. Only if you still owe money on the car
If your title is missing:
You’ll need a replacement before you can sell. Form: Form OS/SS-UTA. Cost: $60. How long: same-day in person by appointment, or 8 to 12 weeks by mail.
You can apply in person by appointment or by mail. Where you file is what decides how long you wait, so pick the route that fits your timeline before you start filling anything in.
If you can’t get a title:
A private sale isn’t possible. The buyer needs the title to register the car, so private buyers won’t complete a purchase without one.
Junk buyers are a different situation. Many let you select no title in their quote form and still return a number, at a lower figure than a titled car would bring.
A quote isn’t the same as a completed transfer, though. Ask the buyer what they need from a New Jersey seller before you book a pickup. Our guide to selling a junk car in New Jersey covers what the state requires either way.
If your car still runs and you want full market value, get the replacement title first and sell it normally.
If you still owe money on the car:
Your lender has to release the lien before the title can transfer. Ask them for the payoff amount and an original signed lien release on their letterhead, listing the VIN, year, make, and every owner name as it appears on the title.
Some lenders will accept a dealer wire transfer statement with a transaction number, or a paid loan statement with a matching VIN, in place of the letter. If you owe more than the car is worth, you’ll need to cover the difference before selling.
Learn more: How to Sell a Financed Car?
Name matching requirement:
Check the title carefully. The name on your licence has to match the name on the title. If you married or changed your name, bring the documentation that shows it.
Electronic titles:
How it works here: Electronic titles available via MVC system; lienholder typically holds the e-title; duplicate title issued with a lien is mailed to the lienholder
In practice that means calling the lender early. If they hold the record, they have to release it before you can close a private sale, and that adds time.
Step 2: Prepare Your Car
Clean your car inside and out, gather maintenance records, and run a VIN check to get the best price and build buyer confidence.
Learn more:
Step 3: Price Your Car
Learn more: Best Free Car Valuation Tools
Step 4: Advertise Your Car
Facebook Marketplace works well in New Jersey, especially in Newark, Jersey City, and Trenton where buyer activity is highest. Cars.com and Autotrader are good for reaching buyers statewide and from the nearby New York and Philadelphia metro areas.
New Jersey’s dense population means strong demand year-round for all vehicle types, from daily commuters to family SUVs. Peddle or Wheelzy will buy your old or damaged car directly, and Carvana works well for newer cars in good condition.
Get an instant number before you post the listing. Compare offers from multiple buyers in one form, and you’ll know what a private buyer has to beat.
Best for Newer Cars
-
Offer amount 35% 5/5
-
Process ease 20% 5/5
-
Offer validity 15% 4/5
-
Pickup / drop-off 15% 4/5
-
Payment speed 15% 4/5
- Accepts cars with active loans
- Trade-in can save on sales tax
- License plate starts the quote
- Direct deposit option available
Best for Older Cars
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
-
Process ease 15% 5/5
- Quote stays valid for 7 days
- Handles all the paperwork too
- Buys cars that are missing keys
- Pays cash or check at pickup
Best for Junk Cars
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 5/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
-
Process ease 15% 4/5
- Assists with replacement titles
- Buys cars stripped for parts
- Driver pays you before loading
- Quote often needs a phone call
Automated assistant — general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
Learn more:
Step 5: Meet with Buyers Safely
Always meet at public places like bank parking lots during daylight hours.
Learn more:
Step 6: Handle Payment and Negotiate
Cash for cars under $5,000, cashier’s check verified at the bank, or meet at the buyer’s bank for a wire transfer.
Learn more:
Step 7: Complete the New Jersey Title Transfer
The assignment section is on the back of your New Jersey title certificate. Fill in the buyer’s full legal name and address, the sale date, the purchase price, and the odometer reading.
Federal law requires the mileage disclosure on most passenger vehicle transfers. Write the reading as it appears, and if it isn’t the true mileage, tick one of the two boxes provided: not actual mileage, or mileage has exceeded mechanical limits.
Both you and the buyer sign the assignment. Use blue or black ink only.
Don’t use white-out or cross-outs, and don’t try to fix a mistake yourself. Call the MVC first, because some errors are still workable. If it isn’t, you’ll be applying for a replacement title before you can sell.
If the title lists two owners joined by “AND,” every owner has to sign. If it uses “OR,” one signature is enough.
Hand the complete certificate to the buyer. They take it to MVC Vehicle Center in person to transfer and register it, within 10 working days of the sale date or they face a $25 penalty.
Step 8: Sign a Bill of Sale
Bill of sale: recommended
Form: not provided by the state; use any standard bill of sale
It’s worth having one either way. It records the price the buyer needs for sales tax, and it’s the only document you keep showing what you sold and when.
You can use our free bill of sale generator to create one in minutes.
Learn more: What is Bill of Sale for a Car? (Seller Guide + Templates)
Step 9: Handle Your New Jersey License Plates
Where plates stay: with the seller
What to do with them: transfer to another vehicle owned by the same person (same class) at an MVC Agency, or surrender by drop box at any agency
Plate transfer fee: $5
Sort this out before the buyer drives away, not after. You can also mail plates to the Motor Vehicle Commission, P.O. Box 129, Trenton, NJ 08666-0129, with a stamped self-addressed envelope if you want the receipt back.
The buyer gets new plates when they register the car in their own name.
Learn more: How to Remove License Plates Safely?
Step 10: Release Yourself From Liability
Does plate surrender release liability: yes
If you skip it: no specific penalty, but seller remains liable for the vehicle (tickets, tolls, accidents) until plates are surrendered
Whatever the MVC sends back, file it somewhere you’ll find it again. It’s what dates the end of your responsibility for that car.
Step 11: Cancel Insurance
Cancel your insurance once the title is signed over and your plates are handled, not before. Dropping coverage while the car is still registered to you causes its own problems.
Learn more: When to Cancel Car Insurance After Selling a Car?
New Jersey Sale Checklist
Before the Sale
At the Sale
After the Sale
New Jersey MVC Resources
- New Jersey MVC: New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC)
- Transferring vehicle ownership: New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Transferring Vehicle Ownership
- Duplicate title: not available
- Phone support: (609) 292-6500
New Jersey Fees and Costs
| What You Pay? | Cost | When? |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate title (if needed) | $60 | Before sale |
| Lien payoff (if applicable) | Loan balance | Before sale |
| License plate transfer | $5 | If moving plates to another vehicle you own |
| License plate surrender | Free | When turning plates in to MVC |
| Everything else | $0 | Buyer pays (title transfer, registration, sales tax) |
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the buyer have to transfer the title after we complete the sale?
The buyer has 10 working days from the date of sale to complete the title transfer and registration at MVC Vehicle Center. Missing that deadline results in a $25 penalty.
Tell your buyer before they drive away. A late transfer leaves the car sitting in your name for longer than it should.
Do I need to get the title notarized when I sign it over in New Jersey?
Title notarization: not required
Either way, you sign the assignment section on the back of the title in blue or black ink. Check this before the day of the sale, because it isn’t something you can fix in a car park.
When is a bill of sale required in New Jersey?
Bill of sale: recommended
Notarizing it: not required
It’s worth having one regardless. It documents the sale price the buyer needs for sales tax, and it protects both of you if something is disputed later.
Learn more: What is Bill of Sale for a Car? (Seller Guide + Templates)
Can I sell my car if I still owe money on it in New Jersey?
Yes, but the lien has to come off first.
Ask your lender for an original signed lien release on their letterhead, listing the VIN, year, make, and every owner name as it appears on the title. Some will accept a dealer wire transfer statement with a transaction number, or a paid loan statement with a matching VIN, instead.
If you owe more than the car is worth, you’ll need to cover the difference before the sale closes.
My car was inherited. What additional New Jersey forms do I need?
Form: Form BA-62
You file it in person at a Vehicle Center, with the title, proof of the death, and proof that you have authority to sign. A raised seal from the County Surrogate in the county where the person lived is part of it.
What else they want depends on the size of the estate, and larger estates need paperwork from the probate court. Call ahead before you book the appointment.
Both my spouse and I are on the New Jersey title. Do we both need to sign?
It depends on how the title reads. If your names are joined by “AND,” every owner listed has to sign the assignment. If it uses “OR,” one signature is enough.
Check before the sale. If one owner can’t be there, you’ll need a notarized Power of Attorney authorizing the other to sign for that transaction.
What if I make a mistake on the New Jersey title?
Don’t reach for white-out or cross it out. Call the MVC first, because some errors are still workable.
If the title can’t be used, you’ll be applying for a replacement before you can sell. Form: Form OS/SS-UTA. Cost: $60.
The buyer is from out of state. Does New Jersey require anything special?
Your obligations as the seller don’t change. Complete the assignment accurately, take your plates off, and hand over the signed title.
The buyer uses your completed New Jersey title to register in their home state. Make sure you have the physical certificate in hand before you meet them.
Do New Jersey license plates transfer to the buyer?
Where plates stay: with the seller
What to do with them: transfer to another vehicle owned by the same person (same class) at an MVC Agency, or surrender by drop box at any agency
Sort it out before the buyer drives away. The buyer gets new plates when they register the car in their own name.
Article Update History
All fees, forms, and MVC requirements in this article reflect the current rules for selling a car privately in New Jersey.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"not required" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"with the seller" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$5" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$60" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Emissions Testing Required to Sell?
"not required (buyer needs a passing test to register statewide, at biennial inspection)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Release of Liability Form Name
"None required (plate surrender)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Duplicate Title Application Form
"Form OS/SS-UTA" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Bill of Sale Form Availability
"not provided by the state; use any standard bill of sale" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Title Transfer Form
"Form BA-62" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
