Selling a car with a title from another state

What changes is mostly on the buyer's side of the deal. Their state may want the car inspected, the old title surrendered, or extra paperwork filed, and a seller who knows that up front avoids a sale that stalls halfway.

Your part: sign the title you actually hold

Start with the document in your hand. The state printed across the top issued it, and that state's own rules set out where you sign, who has to sign, and whether a notary is involved. The table further down lists what each state says about this.

A few habits hold almost everywhere:

• Sign your name the way it is printed. In Colorado, the seller has to sign in a way that matches, letter for letter, the owner name on the title's front.
• Get every owner. Titles joined by "AND" generally need every owner's signature; "OR" titles often need only one. Five states in the table below spell this out, Utah and Wisconsin among them.
• Fill in the buyer. Kansas and Mississippi both treat a title handed over with the buyer's name left blank as a violation of state law.
• Clear any lien first. Maryland wants any lien cleared before you sell, and Nebraska agrees.

The mileage line follows federal rules

The odometer statement is the one piece that works the same no matter which state issued the title, because it comes from federal regulation. Under 49 CFR 580.5, the seller must disclose the mileage to the buyer "on the title," or on the document used to reassign it. The disclosure has to be signed by the seller and carry the seller's printed name.

Older cars can skip it. 49 CFR 580.17 sets two age cutoffs:

Worked out for a sale in 2026: a 2010 model passed its 10-year mark on January 1, 2020, so it is exempt. A 2011 model needs a full 20 years, so in 2026 it still needs the mileage written in. If your odometer is broken or reads wrong, our odometer guide covers what to do.

Why the buyer may need a VIN inspection

The buyer's state may want proof that the VIN on the car matches the title. Two examples show how this plays out:

Oregon requires a VIN inspection for vehicles titled out of state or out of country. It defines the inspection as a physical check that the VIN on the vehicle matches the title or ownership document, and the fee is $9. If the car is still in another state, that state's DMV can do the inspection. Oregon charges nothing for it then, though the other state may charge its own fee, and Oregon accepts either its own form or the other state's (Oregon DMV).

California requires an in-person DMV visit to register a car titled out of state, because the vehicle must be physically inspected. A peace officer in another state can do the VIN verification, but only on California's REG 31 form (California DMV).

What a California buyer has to bring

California's out-of-state checklist is a useful picture of how much the buyer's state can ask for (California DMV):

• the original out-of-state title, which the buyer surrenders;
• the REG 343 application, completed and signed by every owner who will be on the new title;
• California-compliant liability insurance;
• a California smog check, because the state does not accept out-of-state smog tests.

None of that is your paperwork as the seller. Those steps fall on the buyer.

Each state's title-signing rules

Find the state printed on your title. Here is one rule from that state's own page or statute about signing it over.

Vermont's row deserves a second look if you hold an older Vermont car. A 2009 or older vehicle registered in Vermont in the owner's name needs no title there, but the Vermont DMV recommends getting one when you sell to a buyer who will register the car in another state (Vermont DMV).

Before you sign: a short checklist

1. Check that the name on the title matches yours, and that every listed owner can sign.
2. Confirm any lien is released.
3. Read the seller section on your title and the row above for its state.
4. Write the actual mileage unless the federal age exemption applies.
5. Fill in the buyer's name and address; don't leave it blank.
6. Keep a copy of everything you signed.

Repair before selling, or not?

An out-of-state title doesn't decide whether a repair is worth it. The inspection steps belong to the buyer either way. If you'd rather not put money into a car that doesn't run, you can sell the whole car as it sits.

Selling us a car titled in another state

We buy whole non-running and junk cars, including ones titled outside the state where they sit. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Let us know which state issued the title so the paperwork is planned from the start.

Want to go over the paperwork first? Call (877) 421-6008.

After the car is gone, check your state's plate and sale-notice rules on our after you sell page.