Car title guides for every state
What you need to sell or junk a car where you live: how to sign over the title, replace a lost one, tell the state you sold it, and what to do with your plates. Each guide links to the official state pages and forms.
| State | Title agency | Seller notice | License plates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama title guide | Alabama Department of Revenue (Motor Vehicle Division) | None found | Seller keeps |
| Alaska title guide | Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles | Notice of Vehicle Sale for Transfer | Varies |
| Arizona title guide | Arizona MVD (ADOT Motor Vehicle Division) | Sold Notice | Seller keeps |
| Arkansas title guide | Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Office of Motor Vehicle) | Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Motor Vehicle | Check with state |
| California title guide | California DMV | Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) | Stay with car |
| Colorado title guide | Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles | Report Release of Liability | Seller keeps |
| Connecticut title guide | Connecticut DMV | None found | Seller keeps |
| Delaware title guide | Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles | Seller's Report of Sale | Varies |
| Florida title guide | Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) | Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel | Check with state |
| Georgia title guide | Georgia Department of Revenue (Motor Vehicle Division) | None found | Seller keeps |
| Hawaii title guide | your county Motor Vehicle office (Hawaii) | Notice of Transfer | Check with state |
| Idaho title guide | Idaho Transportation Department (DMV) | Release of Liability | Seller keeps |
| Illinois title guide | Illinois Secretary of State (Vehicle Services) | Seller's Report of Sale | Seller keeps |
| Indiana title guide | Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) | None found | Seller keeps |
| Iowa title guide | Iowa DOT (Motor Vehicle Division) | Notice of Sale of Vehicle and Delivery of Title | Return to state |
| Kansas title guide | Kansas Department of Revenue (Division of Vehicles) | Seller's Notification of Sale | Seller keeps |
| Kentucky title guide | your County Clerk's office (Kentucky vehicle titles) | Affidavit of Incomplete Transfer (out-of-state buyers only) | Seller keeps |
| Louisiana title guide | Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) | Notice of Vehicle Transfer | Varies |
| Maine title guide | Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles | None found | Check with state |
| Maryland title guide | Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) | None found | Return to state |
| Massachusetts title guide | Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) | None found | Seller keeps |
| Michigan title guide | Michigan Secretary of State | None found | Seller keeps |
| Minnesota title guide | Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) | Report vehicle sold, donated or removed from state | Stay with car |
| Mississippi title guide | Mississippi Department of Revenue (Title Bureau) | None found | Return to state |
| Missouri title guide | Missouri Department of Revenue (Motor Vehicle Bureau) | Notice of Sale | Seller keeps |
| Montana title guide | Montana Motor Vehicle Division | None found | Seller keeps |
| Nebraska title guide | Nebraska DMV (titles through your County Treasurer) | None found | Check with state |
| Nevada title guide | Nevada DMV | Vehicle Resale Notification | Seller keeps |
| New Hampshire title guide | New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles | None found | Check with state |
| New Jersey title guide | New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) | None found | Return to state |
| New Mexico title guide | New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) | Notice of Vehicle Sold | Seller keeps |
| New York title guide | New York State DMV | None found | Return to state |
| North Carolina title guide | North Carolina DMV | Affidavit for Removal of Registered Vehicle from Vehicle Registration Files | Return to state |
| North Dakota title guide | North Dakota DOT (Motor Vehicle Division) | None found | Seller keeps |
| Ohio title guide | your County Clerk of Courts Title Office (Ohio) | None found | Check with state |
| Oklahoma title guide | Service Oklahoma | Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle | Seller keeps |
| Oregon title guide | Oregon DMV | Notice of Sale or Transfer of a Vehicle | Varies |
| Pennsylvania title guide | PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services | Notice of a transferred vehicle (title or bill of sale) | Return to state |
| Rhode Island title guide | Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles | None found | Seller keeps |
| South Carolina title guide | South Carolina DMV | Notice of Vehicle Sold | Return to state |
| South Dakota title guide | South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles | Seller - Report of Sale | Seller keeps |
| Tennessee title guide | your County Clerk's office (Tennessee vehicle titles) | None found | Check with state |
| Texas title guide | Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) | Vehicle Transfer Notification | Seller keeps |
| Utah title guide | Utah Division of Motor Vehicles | None found | Check with state |
| Vermont title guide | Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles | None found | Seller keeps |
| Virginia title guide | Virginia DMV | Notify DMV of vehicle sale | Seller keeps |
| Washington title guide | Washington State Department of Licensing | Vehicle Report of Sale | Seller keeps |
| West Virginia title guide | West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles | None found | Check with state |
| Wisconsin title guide | Wisconsin DMV | Seller Notification | Seller keeps |
| Wyoming title guide | your County Clerk's office (Wyoming vehicle titles) | None found | Seller keeps |
Compiled from official state websites, checked October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with your state before you sell.
Title and paperwork articles
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Learn what a release of liability when selling a car is, how it protects you from tickets, tolls and towing fees, and how to file it with your state DMV.
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How the car donation tax deduction really works for a junk car, from the IRS gross-proceeds and $500 rules to itemizing, and how it compares with selling.
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Can you junk a car with a lien? Learn how liens work, your options for paying off or working with the lender, and how to handle the title transfer.
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Salvage vs. rebuilt vs. junk title, explained in plain English: what each title brand means, how a car gets one, and how it affects selling or scrapping.
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Lost car title? Learn the general steps to get a duplicate title from your state DMV, what to bring, and how to handle common snags before you junk the car.
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