Buying a car or truck in Texas? Here's Title Transfer & Registration information

When you buy a car in Texas, the state law requires that the vehicle be titled and registered in the buyer’s name within 20 working days of the date of sale. If you are purchasing a car from an auto dealer, the law requires the car dealer to file the title transfer papers on behalf of the buyer.

For a person-to-person sale, that is, if you’re buying a car from an individual seller, get an Application for Texas Certificate of Title (Form 130-U). You can get one at Texas Dept. of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Vehicle Titles and Registration Division (VTR) regional offices, or your county tax assessor-collector’s office.

The Form 130-U is also available online at www.dot.state.tx.us, or call (888) 232-7033 to have the form faxed to you. Both the car buyer and the seller must sign the title application form and the title. To ensure proper transfer of title to the buyer, take the form, title and the registration receipt to the county tax assessor-collector’s office and file the title application.        At this time the buyer must pay the motor vehicle tax, which is 6.25 percent of the purchase price.


The new owner of the vehicle will receive the Texas Registration and Title System Title Application Receipt from the tax assessor-collector’s office, once the title transaction is filed in the buyer’s name and the title and registration fees are paid. The new title certificate will be mailed to the buyer if the car is paid in full. Otherwise, the title will be mailed to the lien holder. You are also required to provide proof of liability insurance when you title and/or register your vehicle.






What if the new owner does not transfer the title?
Contact the county tax assessor-collector’s office or VTR regional office and fill out a Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification form (Form VTR-346). Or, write a letter to:

Texas Department of Transportation,
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division,
P.O. Box 13175, Austin, Texas 78711-3175.

The letter must provide the vehicle description (year, make, vehicle identification number), date of sale, and the buyer's
name and address. The fee for this service is $5.00. Checks or money orders should be made payable to TxDOT.

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