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The bottom line: Selling a car to an online buyer takes paperwork in three stages: before you request a quote, at pickup, and with the DMV after the sale. Which documents you need at each stage depends on your buyer, your state and your car’s situation.
The stage that catches people out is the last one, because most people think only about pickup day. In 35 states, you have to file a release of liability or notice of transfer with the DMV.
Skip it and the tickets, tolls and tax bills on a car you no longer own stay in your name until you do.
Compare offers from multiple services with Sell Car Advisor before you start, to see which buyer fits your car.
Stage 1: Before You Request a Quote
- Car title (front and back; locate it now, before you call)
- Valid photo ID for all owners listed on the title
- Vehicle registration (expired OK with most buyers)
- VIN number (on dashboard or driver’s door frame)
- Loan payoff info if you still owe money (lender name, account number, payoff amount)
Stage 2: At Pickup
- Signed title (buyer or driver will walk you through where to sign)
- All keys and remotes including spares
- Odometer reading (federal law covers model year 2011 and newer)
- Bill of sale (the buyer usually provides it; required in 12 states)
- Take the license plates off before the driver arrives (they stay with you in 46 states)
Stage 3: After the Sale
- File release of liability / notice of transfer with your DMV if your state requires it
- Cancel or transfer your registration
- Keep a copy of the signed title and bill of sale for your records
Check Your State Requirements:
- Notarized title required? (seven states)
- Notarized bill of sale required? (three states)
Key Takeaways
will work with an expired registration or a missing key.
won’t buy a financed car or an active lease, even if the car’s condition is fine.
requires photo uploads before pickup and accepts electronic titles only from some states, so check yours before you start.
- On the day: the title signed, a photo ID for everyone named on it, every key and remote, and the odometer reading.
- After the sale: a release of liability or notice of transfer has to be filed with the DMV in 35 states, and nobody reminds you.
- Notary: Seven states need the title signature notarized, and three need the bill of sale notarized too.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Stage 1: What Every Online Car Buyer Needs From You
Before you request a quote from any online buyer, have these ready:
Your car’s title is the most important document. It proves you own the vehicle and must be signed over to the buyer at pickup. If you don’t have one, read our guide on selling a car without a title before going any further.
Valid state-issued photo ID is required for every person who has to sign the title.
Whether that is everyone named on it depends on the word between the names. “Or” usually lets either owner sign alone; “and” usually needs both. Read your own title before you assume a second person has to take the afternoon off.
Your VIN is needed to generate an accurate quote. You’ll find it on the dashboard (visible through the windshield on the driver’s side) or on the sticker inside the driver’s door frame.
Stage 2: What You Need at Pickup
Pickup day has its own paperwork requirements beyond what you gathered for the quote.
All keys and remotes must be handed over, including spares. A missing key rarely stops a junk car sale, and it can change the offer with a buyer like Carvana or CarMax.
Odometer disclosure is required by federal law on model year 2011 and newer vehicles under 16,000 lbs. Older cars are exempt, whatever their mileage.
You sign a statement confirming the reading. Whether it goes on the title itself or on a separate state form depends on where you live.
Most online buyers include this form in their pickup paperwork, but have your odometer reading ready. Learn what an odometer disclosure statement is and when it’s required.
A bill of sale is generated by the buyer in most cases. Confirm it ahead of time, because it is required outright in 12 states and recommended nearly everywhere else.
License plates stay with you in 46 states, so they come off before the driver arrives. In four of the others the standard plates stay on the car for the buyer, and in Oregon they do unless you take them off.
Where you keep them, you either transfer them to your next car, surrender them, or destroy them. Taking them off is a two-minute job with the right screwdriver.
Stage 3: What to File After the Sale
This is the step most sellers skip, and it is the one that causes the most trouble afterwards. A release of liability or notice of transfer has to be filed in 35 states.
It is what takes your name off the car. Until it is filed, a ticket, a toll or an accident on that plate is still yours to argue about.
Deadlines run from a few days to a month. California gives you 5 days, Washington 5 business days and Texas 30 days.
Cancel or transfer the registration at the same time, and tell your insurer the car is gone. Do those two in that order, because several states tie the plates, the registration and the insurance together and will write to you if the insurance stops first.
Keep a copy of the signed title and the bill of sale. If a question comes up later about who owned the car on a given day, that copy is the answer.
Company-Specific Paperwork Requirements
Flexible Buyers: Wheelzy and Peddle
Wheelzy buys cars in any condition, running or not
- Buys cars without keys
- Buys cars missing parts, engine and transmission in
- Pays cash or check at pickup
- Quote often needs a phone call
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Offer amount 30% 5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 5/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
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Process ease 15% 4/5
Wheelzy is the most forgiving with paperwork. They’ll still buy your car if you don’t have keys, your registration is expired, or you can’t locate the title in some states. Their offer can still change at pickup: the tow driver checks the car and the title, and Wheelzy’s terms let the buyer lower the price for a missing or aftermarket part.
Peddle buys junk, salvage, and non-running cars
- Free towing
- Fast payment
- Buys non running cars
- Pays by check at pickup
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Offer amount 30% 5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
-
Process ease 15% 5/5
Peddle wants your title at pickup, salvage titles included, and works out a different offer if you don’t have one. They won’t buy financed cars or active leases. If the rest of your paperwork is messy, an expired registration or a missing spare key, they work around it.
Stricter Buyers: Carvana and CarMax
Carvana buys newer running cars, with pickup in some areas
- Accepts cars with active loans
- Trade-in can save on sales tax
- License plate starts the quote
- Direct deposit option available
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Offer amount 35% 5/5
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Process ease 20% 5/5
-
Offer validity 15% 4/5
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Pickup / drop-off 15% 4/5
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Payment speed 15% 4/5
Carvana requires photo uploads before pickup: your odometer reading, front and back of your title with all four corners visible, and driver’s licenses for everyone on the title. If you have a loan, they’ll want a payoff statement from your lender. They accept electronic titles only from Florida, Arizona and Ohio (one Carvana page adds Michigan), so from any other state, order a paper title from your DMV first.
CarMax inspects and buys your car at 250+ stores
- Buys yours even if you don't buy ours
- Offer holds seven days and is not negotiable
- At-home pickup, though not everywhere and a fee may apply
- Quote in about 2 minutes online
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Offer amount 35% 3/5
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Process ease 20% 3/5
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Offer validity 15% 4/5
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Pickup / drop-off 15% 4/5
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Payment speed 15% 2/5
CarMax keeps paperwork simpler. Bring your title or payoff information, current registration, and a photo ID for all title holders. All title holders must be present at the appointment.
They don’t require photo uploads like Carvana does, but they’re less flexible when documents are missing.
Other Online Buyers
WeBuyAnyCarUSA buys cars face-to-face at their branches
- Appraisal at a branch or at home
- Check handed over on the spot
- Paid same day by Zelle, ACH or check
- Mobile appraiser comes to you
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Offer amount 35% 4/5
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Process ease 20% 3/5
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Offer validity 15% 4/5
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Pickup / drop-off 15% 3/5
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Payment speed 15% 4/5
WeBuyAnyCar has experience with complex ownership situations, including power of attorney, company vehicles, and divorce or estate sales. They require standard title and ID documentation, but they know how to work through unusual paperwork scenarios.
CarGurus compares instant offers from local dealers side by side
- Offers compared side by side
- Star ratings for each dealer
- Handles your outstanding loans
- Dealer pays by check or transfer
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Offer amount 35% 4/5
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Process ease 20% 3/5
-
Offer validity 15% 3/5
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Pickup / drop-off 15% 4/5
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Payment speed 15% 4/5
CarGurus connects you with local dealerships, so requirements vary by dealer. You’ll need your VIN or license plate to start the process, then bring your ID, your title or registration and any lien details to the dealer. Inherited vehicles or sales on someone else’s behalf may require extra paperwork, such as a copy of the will or a power of attorney, depending on your state.
Requirements at a Glance
| Buyer | Title Required? | Photo Uploads? | Handles Liens? | Missing Keys OK? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelzy | Flexible (state-dependent) | No | No published payoff; lien release may be needed | Yes |
| Peddle | Usually (salvage titles accepted; some cars sell without one) | No | No, liens must be cleared first | Yes |
| Carvana | Yes (strict) | Yes | Yes | Affects the offer |
| CarMax | Yes | No | Yes | Affects the offer |
| WeBuyAnyCar | Yes | No | Yes | Sometimes |
State Requirements That Affect Your Sale
Three state-level requirements can affect your sale regardless of which buyer you choose: notarized titles, bill of sale rules, and release of liability filings.
Seven states require your title signature to be notarized: Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.
If you are in one of them, get it done before pickup day rather than the morning of. A notary who is closed at eight in the morning is how a collection gets rescheduled.
A bill of sale is required outright in 12 states and recommended in most of the rest. Your buyer usually provides it.
In three states the bill of sale has to be notarized as well: Louisiana, Tennessee and West Virginia. In Tennessee that’s only when your lender still holds the title. Confirm it before pickup, because it is the one document a driver cannot fix at the kerb.
If Your Car Still Has a Loan
Selling a financed car adds a few steps but it’s manageable. Have your lender’s contact information, account number, and current payoff amount ready before you call any buyer.
Which buyers settle a lender directly, and which need the loan cleared first, differs from one to the next. Carvana settles the lender out of the offer and sends you any equity left over. Peddle does not: you clear the lien yourself and show the lien release first. Ask any other buyer before you accept an offer rather than after.
Carvana asks for a photo of your lender’s 10-day payoff statement before pickup, and a monthly statement won’t do.
Where the title itself sits is a state matter. In 22 states the lender releases the lien electronically, so there is no paper title in a drawer for anyone to hand over.
If the payoff is more than the offer, the gap is yours to cover and how each buyer collects it varies. Ask about that before you commit too.
Special Situations and Extra Paperwork
Selling for a deceased family member needs a death certificate and proof that you are the person allowed to sell. Which document that is, and whether it has to be notarized, is set by the state, and the form names differ in every one of them. Our guide has the form and the rule for all fifty.
Multiple owners on the title usually means everyone who has to sign is there with ID, and the word joining the names is what decides who that is. If an owner cannot be there, a power of attorney covers it. More on selling a car with multiple owners.
Selling a company vehicle requires business documentation showing you’re authorized to sell. Call your chosen buyer ahead of time to confirm exactly what they need.
If You’re Missing Documents
Can’t find your title: apply for a replacement through your state’s DMV. 22 states take the application online, and the rest want a form, a counter or the post. Check how to get a replacement title in your state for the fee and the wait where you live.
If you’re selling to Wheelzy, call them first. They can sometimes help you through the process while still moving the sale forward.
Missing registration: Most online buyers can still work with you. Wheelzy will still buy a car whose registration has run out.
Check with your buyer before going through the effort of getting a replacement. You may not need it.
Compare Offers Before You Decide
Paperwork is not the only thing that differs between buyers. Among the cars ten years and older put through our own comparison tool, the gap between the best and the worst same-day offer on the same car runs to a middle figure of $346, across the cars quoted by two buyers or more.
On 45% of them the best offer was at least double the worst.
How far apart the best and worst offer are on the same car 944 cars 10 years and older, each quoted by two or more buyers on the same dayShow the numbers
Best offer against worst Share of cars Offers Within 10% 8.9% 84 10% to 25% apart 10.7% 101 25% to 50% apart 15.9% 150 50% to 100% apart 20.0% 189 Double to triple 18.0% 170 More than triple 26.5% 250 
Your car is probably newer than that set, and the point holds either way: the buyer with the friendliest paperwork is not automatically the one with the best number.
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FAQ
Can I sell my car without a title to an online buyer?
It depends on the state and the buyer. Nine states exempt a car above a certain age from needing a title at all, and the rest want one or a replacement in hand.
Wheelzy is the most flexible of the buyers here and can work from a registration in some states. Carvana and CarMax want a title, and Carvana takes an electronic one only from a few states.
Call the buyer first. Our guide to selling a car without a title covers what each state allows.
Where do I sign the title, and whose name goes in the buyer’s section?
The seller’s signature goes in the section headed for the seller or transferor, usually on the back, and the odometer reading goes in the box beside it. Sign in blue or black ink, exactly as your name is printed on the front, and do not sign anywhere else.
The buyer’s section is the company’s legal name and address, which the driver or the online paperwork gives you. Never hand over a title you have signed with the buyer’s half left blank.
If you have already signed in the wrong box, stop and call the buyer. Crossing it out or using correction fluid usually voids the title and means applying for a new one.
What paperwork do I get back after the sale?
A copy of the signed title, a bill of sale or buyer’s order, and whatever odometer statement your state uses. An online buyer usually emails them, or the driver leaves your copies in the folder.
Ask on the day if nothing arrives. It is much easier to get a copy from the buyer in the first week than six months later when a DMV letter is what prompted you to look.
What happens if I never file the release of liability?
Nothing, until something does. In most states there is no fine for skipping it, and the cost is that the car stays attached to your name: the tickets, the tolls and the accident the new owner has next month all come to you first.
Some states are more direct about it. California says plainly that you remain liable for tickets, tolls and accidents until you file.
It takes a few minutes online in most places, and it is the single cheapest thing on this page.
What’s the difference between a title and a bill of sale?
Your title is the legal proof of ownership, and signing it over is what actually transfers the car.
A bill of sale is the record of the transaction: the price, the date and both parties’ details. It proves what was agreed, not who owns the car.
Do online car buyers accept electronic titles?
It depends on the buyer. Carvana accepts electronic titles from a limited set of states; Wheelzy and WeBuyAnyCar work with more of them.
If your state holds titles electronically, you never had a paper one to lose, and the transfer happens between the DMV and the buyer. Mention your state when you call and they will tell you whether anything has to be printed first.
Can someone else handle the sale for me?
Yes, with a power of attorney that names them and the vehicle. The person signing needs legal authority to act for the owner, and a buyer will ask to see the document before the driver is sent.
This is the usual route when an owner is in hospital, has no current driving licence, or lives in another state. Call the buyer first: what they accept varies, and a form that works at one will be refused at the next.
Where the owner has died, a power of attorney is no longer valid and the estate paperwork takes its place.
Do I need to provide maintenance records to an online buyer?
No. An online buyer prices the car from what you tell them and what their inspection finds, not from a folder of receipts.
That is one thing they are easier about than a private sale, where service history changes what a buyer will offer.
Article Update History
State paperwork rules now come from the state paperwork checklist in MyGarage, and offer-gap figures from Sell Car Advisor quote data.
Each state's notarization, bill of sale and release of liability rules checked against current DMV data.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
Release of Liability Filing Deadline
"5 days" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Release of Liability Filing Deadline
"5 business days" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Release of Liability Filing Deadline
"30 days" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
How far apart the best and worst offer are on the same car, Junk Car Value Statistics
"944 cars 10 years and older, each quoted by two or more buyers on the same day" Accessed Oct. 2, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 2, 2026
