Sell your car in Marion

Step by step

1. Make sure the title is in your name and free of liens Required by law

   You need a valid title to sell. If there was a loan, the lienholder must release its interest on the title or in a signed statement before you can sell.

   Oregon DMV - Buying or selling a vehicle
2. Get any inspection or smog certificate your state requires Recommended

   Some states make the seller provide a certificate: California requires a valid smog certification for most vehicles, and Missouri a safety inspection less than 60 days old. Check your state below.

   Missouri Department of Revenue - Selling a vehicle
3. Sign the title over with the odometer reading Required by law

   Complete the seller's (assignment) section of the title with the buyer's name and address, the sale date, the price and the odometer reading, with every owner on the title signing. Some states, such as Pennsylvania and Kentucky, require the seller's signature to be notarized.

   Virginia DMV - Buying/Selling a vehicle
4. Give the buyer a bill of sale Recommended Seller and buyer

   Record both parties' names, the vehicle and VIN, the date and the price, signed by both. Several states require one or publish an official form (e.g. New York MV-912, Colorado DR 2173, Connecticut H-31).

   New York DMV - Buy, sell, or transfer vehicle ownership
5. Remove your license plates Required by law

   In most states plates belong to the owner, not the car: remove them before the buyer drives away, then transfer them to another vehicle or surrender them as your state requires.

   Washington DOL - Report a vehicle sale
6. File the notice of sale or release of liability Required by law

   Report the sale to the state so later tickets, tolls and liability are not yours: e.g. within 5 days in California (Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability) and Washington (Report of Sale), within 30 days in Texas (Vehicle Transfer Notification).

   Texas DMV - Buying or selling a vehicle
7. Notify your insurer and cancel the registration where required Recommended

   Tell your insurance company about the sale. Virginia warns that if you don't notify DMV the vehicle may show as registered but uninsured; in DC you should not cancel insurance before surrendering the tags.

   Virginia DMV - Buying/Selling a vehicle
8. Buyer titles the vehicle and pays sales tax Required by law Buyer

   The buyer applies for a new title and registration in their state within its deadline (for example 30 days in Texas, 10 working days in New Jersey) and pays the sales or use tax then.

   Texas DMV - Buying or selling a vehicle

Documents checklist

Tick what you already have. This stays on your device, and none of it is needed to post your car.

• Certificate of titleSigned over to the buyer with sale date, price and odometer reading; lien released first.Required by law
• Odometer disclosureUsually recorded on the title itself; required for most vehicles under 20 years old (model year 2011 and newer).Required by law
• Bill of saleRequired or provided as an official form in some states (e.g. New York MV-912, New Jersey, South Dakota Form 1025); recommended everywhere.Recommended
• Notice of sale / release of liabilityState form or online filing that records the transfer and protects the seller, e.g. Texas Vehicle Transfer Notification, Washington Report of Sale, California NRL.Required by law
• Lien releaseNeeded if the vehicle was financed and the release is not already shown on the title.Recommended

Stay safe when buyers contact you

• Washington DOL recommends meeting the buyer at a vehicle licensing office to collect payment and sign over the title.
• Never hand over a title with the buyer's name left blank: Nebraska calls it an 'open' title and Georgia makes giving or accepting one a misdemeanor.
• File your state's notice of sale right away; until it is on record you can be held responsible for the buyer's tickets, tolls and liability.