How to Fill Out a Title When Selling a Car, Field by Field

Before you pick up a pen

Most title mistakes happen because the seller starts writing before the deal is settled. Do these first:

• Agree on the price and date. They go on the title, and changing them later isn't easy.
• Get the buyer's exact legal name as it appears on their ID, and their address.
• Check the lien section. If a lender is shown, you'll need its signature or a release letter.
• Read your state's instructions. Many print them on the title or the agency's site, and a few states need a notary.
• Use the right pen. Black or blue ink, never pencil.

Then fill in the title with the buyer present, ideally at the moment you exchange money and keys. A signed but otherwise blank title, sometimes called an "open title," is risky and illegal in many states, because anyone can write their own name in.

The fields on the seller's side

Titles differ in layout from state to state, but the seller's section, often labeled "assignment of title" or "transfer by owner," asks for the same information. Here's how to fill out a title when selling a car, field by field:

Some states add a damage disclosure, asking whether the car has been in a flood or had damage over a certain amount. Answer honestly; a false answer can undo the sale.

When the title has no room

Older titles and some electronic-title printouts don't have every field a sale needs, or the transfer section has already been used by a dealer. Many states have a separate form for this, such as a secure odometer disclosure form or a reassignment supplement. Don't write in the margins or squeeze extra names in. Ask the agency which form it uses, fill that in instead, and staple nothing to the title until you've checked; some states want the pages kept loose.

The odometer section

Federal law requires an odometer disclosure on most transfers. For model year 2011 and newer vehicles, the requirement lasts until the vehicle is 20 years old; older models were exempt after 10 years. Write the miles without tenths, exactly as shown, then tick the box that applies: the reading is the actual mileage, it exceeds the odometer's mechanical limits, or it isn't the actual mileage. If the odometer has been replaced or rolled over, say so with the right box rather than leaving it blank.

The signatures

Sign the way your name appears on the front of the title, and print it where there's a line for that. If two owners are joined by AND, both sign. If you need the details of each signature line, including notary states and the AND/OR rule, our guide on where to sign a title goes through them one by one.

The lienholder section

If the front of the title shows a lender, the lien must be released before the buyer can get a clean title. Many titles have a lien release box for the lender to sign. Others rely on a separate release letter. Either way, give the buyer the original, not a copy. If you're still paying off the loan, arrange the payoff before or at the sale; our guide on how long a title takes after a payoff explains the timing.

The buyer's part of the title

The buyer's side is shorter. On the title itself, the buyer usually signs and prints their name, and confirms the odometer reading. In some states the buyer also writes their address and a lienholder if they're financing. Then the buyer takes the title to the state.

How to fill out title transfer paperwork

The title is only half the paperwork. The buyer also fills out the state's title application, which is what the agency uses to issue a new title. How to fill out title transfer forms well comes down to matching the old title exactly:

1. Copy the VIN from the title, then check it against the car.
2. Enter the year, make and body type as shown on the old title.
3. Write your name exactly as on your ID.
4. Add a lienholder if you financed the purchase.
5. Enter the price and date to match the title and bill of sale; they set the sales tax.
6. Sign and date the application.

Texas uses Form 130-U for this, filed at the county tax office within 30 days; other states use their own forms. Our title transfer finder links to each state's application, and a signed bill of sale backs up the price and date.

Gifts, dealers and out-of-state buyers

Giving the car away

For a gift, the price field usually says "gift" or $0, depending on the state's instructions. Many states also want a gift affidavit or a line on the title application that claims a sales tax exemption, and some limit the exemption to close family. Write the true relationship and don't call a sale a gift to avoid tax; agencies compare the price with the car's value.

Selling to a dealer or a junkyard

A dealer that buys your car usually fills out the buyer section and the paperwork for you, but you still sign as seller and enter the odometer reading. Check the buyer's name the dealer writes, and keep a copy. A licensed salvage yard or junk buyer also takes the title; some states have a separate section or form for a vehicle sold for scrap, so ask the yard which one it uses.

A buyer from another state

Fill out your title the way your own state requires, not the buyer's. The buyer's state then accepts your title as proof of ownership. If your state requires a notary and the buyer's doesn't, use the notary anyway; it's your title that has to be valid. The buyer may also need a VIN inspection at home, so give them a bill of sale and any service records that help.

What does a pink slip look like?

"Pink slip" is California's nickname for its certificate of title, left over from the decades when the title was printed on pink paper. The front shows the registered owner, the VIN, the plate number, the make and year, and any lienholder. The back and lower sections hold numbered signature lines: the owner, the co-owner and the lender each have their own. Newer California titles use a different color scheme and more security features, but the name stuck, and people use it for any car title.

How do you fill out a pink slip?

How to fill out the pink slip follows the steps above. The seller enters the odometer reading and signs on the owner line, a co-owner signs on theirs, and a lender being paid off signs the release line. The buyer prints and signs in the new owner section. Then the seller files a release of liability with the DMV, and the buyer submits the title, fees and, where required, a smog certificate. Our California title transfer guide covers those steps and deadlines.

How to get a pink slip for my car

If you own the car outright, the title should already be in your hands or on file. If a lender held it, the lender releases its interest once the loan is paid, and the title comes to you. How to get a pink slip from DMV when it's lost: California owners apply for a duplicate title with form REG 227. Our guide on replacing a lost car title covers every state's version.

If you make a mistake

Stop writing. Don't use white-out, don't scratch it out, and don't write over it. Most states treat an altered title as void or suspicious. What to do next depends on the state:

• A statement of error. Many states have a form, sometimes called a statement of facts or affidavit of correction, that explains the mistake and is filed with the title.
• A duplicate title. If the error can't be explained away, the owner applies for a duplicate and starts again.
• A reassignment. Some titles have space for a dealer reassignment, which isn't for private sellers to fix mistakes.

Call or check your state's agency before trying anything. Fixing a title the wrong way can turn a small error into a long delay.

After the title is filled out

1. Make a copy or take photos of both sides of the signed title before you hand it over.
2. Give the buyer the original title, any lien release, and a signed bill of sale.
3. Remove your plates if your state requires it.
4. File a notice of sale or release of liability where your state has one.
5. Cancel or move your insurance once the buyer has the car.

If you've kept the plates, our guide on getting a new license plate covers transferring them to your next car.

Filling out a title FAQ