How to Sell a Car in Texas Privately? (State Guide)

Mostly no. Texas requires a title to legally transfer ownership.

The one exception under Tex. Transp. Code § 501.098: you can sell without a title only if the car is 13+ years old, has been unregistered for 7+ years, and goes to a licensed used automotive parts recycler for parts, dismantling, or scrap only.

If your title is lost, apply for a certified copy with Form VTR-34. If you’re not the recorded owner, you’ll need a bonded title using Form VTR-130-SOF.

The buyer has 30 days from sale date (60 days for active-duty military) to complete the title transfer and registration at your county tax office. If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day counts.

After that, the buyer faces a $25 per month late penalty.

Title notarization is not required in Texas, since the title assignment itself never needs a notary. Just sign in blue or black ink exactly as your name appears on the title.

A bill of sale is recommended in Texas, and there is no state-issued form, so a generic document works fine. Notarization is not required.

Yes, but you need to coordinate lien release with your lender.

In Texas, lenders typically mail you the title once the loan is paid off, or release it electronically through the ELT system.

You’ll need a paper title in hand before you can sign it over to the buyer.

If you owe more than the car’s worth, you’ll need to pay the difference.

For small estates that don’t go through probate, Texas allows Form VTR-262 (Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle). To use it, all heirs must sign it, and it must be notarized.

You then submit it to your county tax office to get the title transferred into your name first before selling.

For larger estates that go through probate, the executor uses the probate court order to transfer the title. In either case, the title must be in your name before you can sell the car.

Texas requires Form 14-317 (Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Gift Transfer). To use it, both donor and recipient must sign it, and file it along with the title transfer.

It depends on how the title reads. If your names are joined by AND both owners must sign. If your names are joined by OR either owner can sign alone.

Check the title carefully before the sale to avoid delays at your county tax office.

Don’t try to fix it yourself with white-out or cross-outs. Any corrections void the title completely.

Contact your county tax office for instructions on getting a corrected title before the sale goes through.

Your obligations as the Texas seller are the same regardless of where the buyer lives. Sign the title, file Form VTR-346 within 30 days, and remove your plates.

The buyer will need to register the car and pay any applicable taxes in their home state.

Some states require a VIN inspection when a vehicle is transferred in from another state, but that’s the buyer’s responsibility, not yours.

No. License plates stay with the seller in Texas, not with the car. You can transfer them to another vehicle you own, or destroy them.

Yes. Texas requires you to file Form VTR-346 within 30 days of the sale.

You can file File Form VTR-346 online, by mail, or at a TxDMV Regional Service Center or county tax office, within 30 days of the sale..

Penalty for not filing: no monetary penalty, but liability remains until you file. Don’t skip this step.

No. Form 130-U is the buyer’s application. As a private seller (non-dealer), you’re not required to sign it.

Some county tax offices may ask you to sign as a backup, so if you’re going with the buyer to the tax office, signing the seller section is optional and harmless.