To transfer a title in a Texas private sale, the seller signs the title over with the sale date and odometer reading, both of you sign Form 130-U with the real sales price on it, and the buyer takes everything to the county tax office within 30 days to pay 6.25 percent sales tax and apply for a new title. The seller should file the free Vehicle Transfer Notification with TxDMV within the same 30 days. Miss the buyer's deadline and penalties stack up, so do not let the signed title sit in a glovebox for a month.
I went through the TxDMV buying and selling page and the current Form 130-U (revision 05/26) this week, mid October 2026, and a few rules have shifted recently enough that older advice floating around is wrong. The biggest one: most Texas cars no longer need a safety inspection before registration. The paperwork, though, is as picky as ever.
What the seller hands over
According to TxDMV's buying and selling page, the seller gives the buyer a properly signed title that includes the date of sale and the odometer reading, plus a signed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) with the sales price clearly shown. If there was a loan, bring the release of lien; if someone is signing for the owner, bring the power of attorney. TxDMV also tells sellers to keep written records with the buyer's contact info, the date, and the VIN.
The seller can pull the plates. Texas lets sellers move them to another vehicle of the same class or keep them for later; if they do neither, TxDMV says to deface the front of the plates so nobody can misuse them. If the sale happens on a weekend and the plates come off, the buyer can print a Vehicle Transit Permit, good for five calendar days and only one per sale, to drive to the tax office.
The buyer's 30 days and what they cost
The buyer has 30 days from the date of sale to title the vehicle. TxDMV recommends the seller go along to the county tax office, because the clerk can tell you on the spot whether the title being signed over is correct or carries salvage or legal problems. That is good advice, and frankly it is the cheapest fraud check you will get. Bring the signed title, the 130-U, ID, proof of liability insurance, and any lien release.
Sales tax is where people get surprised. The Texas Comptroller sets the rate at 6.25 percent and says private-party used car sales may be taxed on the standard presumptive value (SPV). The 130-U spells it out: tax is figured on the greater of the sales price or 80 percent of the SPV on the day you apply. So if you paid $12,000 and the SPV is $16,000, the floor is $12,800 and the tax is $800, not $750. Writing a lower price on the form does not help. The 130-U also has a box for an appraised value in place of SPV, so ask your county office when that applies and what proof it takes. The form also lists a title application fee of $28 or $33 depending on county and a $2.50 fee to transfer current registration.
Being late costs twice. The Comptroller charges a 5 percent tax penalty if you pay 1 to 30 days late and 10 percent after that. Separately, the 130-U notes an escalating delinquent transfer penalty of up to $250; a TxDMV notice to counties describes it as an automatic $25 that grows by $25 for each month late, with no waivers. Active-duty military get 60 days instead of 30. A gift between immediate family members is taxed at a flat $10, with Comptroller Form 14-317 signed by both people.
The seller's notification
Sellers, file the Vehicle Transfer Notification online. TxDMV says that if you file it within 30 days of the sale, you cannot be held responsible for parking tickets and toll violations the buyer racks up. Without it, the car stays tied to your name in the state record until the buyer titles it, and some buyers never do. I would file it the same evening, from the driveway, while the buyer is still in sight.
Inspection, emissions and plates in 2026
As of January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles no longer need a safety inspection before registration, per TxDMV's registration page. Vehicles registered in 17 counties still need a passing emissions test: Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson. Commercial vehicles still need a commercial inspection everywhere. If the state database does not show a current inspection record, ask the seller for the latest Vehicle Inspection Report.
Checks before you sign anything
TxDMV's own stolen-car advice is blunt: make sure the name on the title and registration matches the seller, and look at the VIN plate on the dash to confirm it is present, secure and not repainted. Use TxDMV's Title Check tool on Texas titles, and look for brands such as salvage or rebuilt, which we cover in Texas salvage and rebuilt title rules. If the title is from another state, read out-of-state title transfers first, since a brand can get lost crossing state lines, and match the VIN using the steps in VIN verification for title transfer. Federal title data is searchable through NMVTIS.
A history report covers what the title cannot: past accidents, odometer readings over time, and auction records. We resell CARFAX and AutoCheck under license and are not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. A CARFAX is roughly $5.50 for guests and $4.50 for members, and around $6.75 with AutoCheck included, compared with the usual $39.99 to $44.99 retail, though you should confirm at checkout since those figures move. More on that side of the deal is in CARFAX for private-party sales.
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