The bottom line: Selling a car out of state isn’t complicated. You handle your own state’s paperwork, and the buyer handles registration in their home state. Select your state in the tool to see exactly what yours requires.
If you’d rather skip paperwork entirely, compare offers from multiple online buyers who handle all of it remotely.
In-State Sales
- Follow your state’s rules only
- Standard title signing
- Standard bill of sale
- Buyer registers in your state
- Buyer gets temp tags same day
Out-of-State Sales
- Same seller rules as local, plus possible notarization
- Title may need notarizing: Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wyoming
- Bill of sale may need notarizing: Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia
- Emissions certificate from the seller: California, Colorado, Georgia and Missouri
- Buyer registers in their home state
- Buyer needs transit permits to drive home legally
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
Compare Instant Offers
Find Your State’s Requirements
Pick your state to see what you do as the seller: title notarization, bill of sale, plates, emissions and the notice-of-sale deadline.
What Makes Out-of-State Sales Different?
The core process is the same as a local sale: sign the title, take off your plates in the states where they stay with you, file the notice of sale with your DMV, and receive payment. The buyer handles registration in their home state, along with their state's taxes and inspection requirements.
Two things differ in an out-of-state sale: notarization and payment. Some states require a notarized title or bill of sale, and if you can't meet the buyer at a bank, checking the payment takes an extra step.
If you're selling privately, remote payment verification is especially important. A wire transfer needs bank confirmation, not just an email notification. Services like KeySavvy hold payment in escrow and handle title transfer remotely for exactly this situation.
Documents You Need
Your vehicle title is the most important document. Make sure it's in your name and free of liens. If you still owe money on the car, you'll need a lien release from your lender before you can sign it over.
A bill of sale documents the transaction details: VIN, make, model, year, sale price, date, and both parties' names and addresses. Twelve states require one outright and a handful more require one when the price is not already on the title. Even where it is not required, it protects you.
Your driver's license is needed for identity verification, especially if notarization is involved. The name on your ID must match the name on the title exactly.
Completing the Sale
Take your license plates off before the buyer leaves. In Alaska, California, Hawaii and Minnesota they stay with the car, in Oregon you can leave them on or take them off, and everywhere else they're registered to you and come off.
File your state's notice of sale on time, because it takes the car out of your name and protects you from what happens to it next. Three states want it the same day, sixteen have no filing at all, and the rest fall between. Your state's deadline is in the state tool.
Keep copies of the signed title, bill of sale, any DMV filings, and payment confirmation for at least one year. Cancel your car insurance once the sale is complete.
What the Buyer Handles
The buyer is responsible for getting insurance in their home state, obtaining transit permits to drive the car legally, and registering in their home state within the required time. They pay sales tax and registration fees in their state.
Their state may also require a safety inspection or emissions test before they can complete registration. None of this becomes your responsibility once you've signed the title and filed your notice of sale.
Skip the Paperwork With an Online Buyer
If the paperwork feels like a lot, online car buyers handle all of it themselves. They operate in all 50 states, pick up from your driveway, and manage their own registration. You don't deal with notarization, transit permits, or remote payment risk.
Carvana is a strong option for newer cars with clean titles. It makes an instant offer online and lets you sign the contracts online (not in California), but every owner on the title has to be at the pickup or drop-off. Peddle and Wheelzy work with older and higher-mileage cars and also operate in every state.
Compare instant offers before you accept one
Compare instant offers before you accept one
Frequently Asked Questions
Which state's rules do I follow as the seller?
You follow your own state's seller requirements. That covers title signing, plates, bill of sale, and notice of sale filing.
If you've moved since the car was registered, your state for this is the one on its title and registration, not where you live now. Sign the title as it instructs, with a notary if it calls for one, and handle the plates and the notice of sale with that state's DMV.
The buyer handles everything in their home state, including registration, taxes, and any inspection requirements.
My state requires notarization but the buyer and I can't meet in person. What do I do?
Many states now accept remote online notarization for vehicle title transfers. You complete notarization via video call with a certified notary, without meeting anyone in person.
Contact your state DMV to confirm whether remote notarization is accepted before proceeding.
Will I still be responsible for tickets or accidents after selling the car?
Not if you file your state's notice of sale within the required timeframe and, where the plates stay with you, take them off before the buyer drives away. Filing the notice removes the vehicle from your name.
With the plates off, no ticket can come back to your registration after the sale.
What if there's still a loan on the car?
You'll need a lien release from your lender before you can sign the title over. Some lenders coordinate directly with the buyer at closing.
Others require the loan to be paid off first so the clean title can be issued.
How do I safely verify payment in a remote sale?
Call your bank directly to confirm a wire transfer has cleared and the funds are available for withdrawal. Don't rely on email notifications or online banking displays, which can show pending deposits before they settle.
For cashier's checks, call the issuing bank directly to verify before handing over the title. Personal checks are not a safe payment method for out-of-state sales.
KeySavvy holds payment in escrow until both sides confirm the transaction is complete, which removes the payment risk entirely.
What is an odometer disclosure and do I need one?
An odometer disclosure records the mileage at the time of sale. Federal law requires it for vehicles of model year 2011 and newer, under 16,000 pounds, until the vehicle is 20 years old. Model year 2010 and older is exempt. The rule is the same whichever states the buyer and seller are in.
In most cases it is printed on the title itself. Twenty states publish a separate form instead.
Can the buyer use my license plates to drive the car home?
No. Plates are registered to you personally. Remove them before the buyer takes the car, and let them arrange transit permits or temporary tags from their home state.
The exception is Alaska, California, Hawaii and Minnesota, where plates stay with the vehicle. Oregon plates stay as well, unless you take them off.
What if the buyer doesn't register the car in their home state?
Once you've signed the title and filed your notice of sale, the buyer's registration is their responsibility. Keep copies of your title, bill of sale, and DMV filing for at least one year.
That documentation proves you completed your side of the transaction correctly.
Can I change my mind after signing the paperwork?
Once you've signed the title and received payment, the sale is generally final. Before that point, either party can still withdraw.
Make sure you're comfortable with the agreed price and the payment method before you sign anything.
Article Update History
Every state rule on this page checked against official DMV sources.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Found this useful? Show Sell Car Advisor first when you search on Google.
Add us as a preferred source on Google