Why You Need to Put Your Car Title in Your Name and Legally Transfer It When You Sell
Published on 7/18/2026
Buying a car is exciting. The paperwork? Less so. But skipping the title transfer is one of the most expensive shortcuts a car owner can take. Whether you just bought a vehicle or you’re getting ready to sell one, understanding how title transfers work can save you from fines, lawsuits, and some genuinely stressful surprises.
What “Putting the Title in Your Name” Actually Means
When you buy a car, the title — the legal document that proves ownership — has to be transferred into your name at your local DMV or title office. A signed-over title in your glovebox is not the same as a title in your name. Until the state records you as the legal owner, the previous owner is still on the hook in the eyes of the law.
This matters more than most people realize. State motor vehicle agencies typically require the transfer to be completed within a fixed window after the sale — often 30 days, but it varies widely by state (from as little as 5 days to as long as 60). Every day past that deadline adds risk.
What Happens When You Don’t Transfer the Title as a Buyer
Skipping the transfer might seem harmless — maybe you figure you’ll get to it later, or you’re planning to resell the car soon anyway. Here’s what you’re really exposing yourself to:
• You inherit every defect in the title chain. Unpaid liens, odometer rollbacks, hidden ownership disputes — they all become your problem.
• You can’t register or insure the car properly. Most states won’t let you register a vehicle without a title in your name, and driving uninsured is its own legal landmine.
• You owe taxes and fees that keep accruing. Late transfer penalties stack up the longer you wait.
• If you resell without titling it first, you commit “title jumping.” More on that below.
The Hidden Danger for Sellers: Liability Doesn’t Disappear
Here’s the part that catches people off guard. When you sell a car and don’t legally transfer the title to the new owner, you remain the legal owner of record. That means:
• Parking tickets, toll violations, and red-light camera tickets go to the address on file — yours.
• If the car is involved in an accident or a crime, law enforcement comes looking for the registered owner.
• You may be sued for liability if the buyer drives uninsured and injures someone, because on paper, it’s still your car.
• Registration fees and late penalties keep billing to you until the transfer is recorded.
A quick trip to the DMV to file the transfer (and keep a copy of the bill of sale and release of liability) is the difference between a clean break and years of chasing down someone else’s mess.
“Title Jumping” Is Illegal
Title jumping — also called title skipping or floating — happens when someone buys a car and resells it without ever transferring the title into their own name. They just hand the signed-over title from the previous owner straight to the next buyer.
It’s illegal in every state, and the penalties are serious. In Texas, for example, title jumping is treated as a misdemeanor or even a felony depending on the circumstances, with fines up to $2,000 and potential jail time[1]. Dealers caught doing it can lose their license entirely.
Why is it punished so harshly? Because title jumping buries the chain of ownership, which opens the door to:
• Unpaid sales taxes
• Undetected liens following the car from owner to owner
• Odometer fraud going unnoticed
• Stolen vehicles being laundered back into the market
The Right Way to Handle a Title Transfer
Whether buying or selling, keep it clean and legal:
When you buy
1. Get the signed title from the seller (and a bill of sale).
2. Run a VIN check to confirm there are no liens or theft records.
3. Take the title to your DMV or title office within your state’s deadline (see the list below).
4. Pay the transfer fee and sales tax, and get the new title issued in your name.
When you sell
1. Sign the title over to the buyer correctly and completely.
2. Fill out a release of liability form and submit it to your DMV — this is what protects you if the buyer doesn’t register the car.
3. Keep copies of everything: the signed title, the bill of sale, and your liability release.
4. Remove your plates if your state requires it.
Find Your State’s DMV — and Your Transfer Deadline
Every state runs its own motor vehicle agency — some call it the DMV, others the BMV, MVD, or RMV — and the exact title-transfer deadlines, forms, fees, and rules vary. Use the official link below to start your transfer, and note the deadline you have to beat. Deadlines shown are for transferring a title after a private-party purchase; always confirm the current rule on your state’s site, as laws change.
• Alabama — 20 days to title and register — Official site
• Alaska — 30 days (apply for new title/registration) — Official site
• Arizona — 15 days to apply for a new title — Official site
• Arkansas — 60 days to title and register — Official site
• California — 10 days to transfer; seller reports within 5 days — Official site
• Colorado — 60 days to title and register — Official site
• Connecticut — Promptly/at delivery (no fixed day count) — Official site
• Delaware — Within 30 days of purchase — Official site
• District of Columbia — After purchase — confirm current deadline with DC DMV — Official site
• Florida — 30 days; seller notice of sale within 30 days — Official site
• Georgia — 7 days to title and register (casual sale) — Official site
• Hawaii — 30 days (buyer); seller notifies county within 10 days — Official site
• Idaho — 30 days; seller release may be filed within 5 days — Official site
• Illinois — 20 days to deliver the title application — Official site
• Indiana — 45 days after purchase — Official site
• Iowa — 30 calendar days after purchase/transfer — Official site
• Kansas — 60 days to avoid penalty — Official site
• Kentucky — 15 days; seller affidavit if not transferred — Official site
• Louisiana — 5 days after delivery of title/vehicle — Official site
• Maine — 30 days ($50 late penalty after) — Official site
• Maryland — After purchase — confirm current deadline with MVA — Official site
• Massachusetts — 10 days of purchase — Official site
• Michigan — 15 days from date of sale — Official site
• Minnesota — 20 days (buyer); seller notice of sale within 10 days — Official site
• Mississippi — 30 business days of purchase — Official site
• Missouri — 30 days; seller reports sale within 30 days — Official site
• Montana — 40 days from change of ownership — Official site
• Nebraska — 30 days of purchase — Official site
• Nevada — 30 days of sale — Official site
• New Hampshire — 20 days of sale — Official site
• New Jersey — 10 working days from date of sale — Official site
• New Mexico — 30 days (late penalty after) — Official site
• New York — Title/register before legal operation — Official site
• North Carolina — 28 days of acquiring the vehicle — Official site
• North Dakota — 30 days of receipt of endorsed title — Official site
• Ohio — 30 days of sale (late fee after) — Official site
• Oklahoma — 30 days of assignment date — Official site
• Oregon — 30 days; seller notifies DMV within 10 days — Official site
• Pennsylvania — 20 days of notarization — Official site
• Rhode Island — 30 calendar days from bill of sale — Official site
• South Carolina — 45 days to register; seller files Form 416 — Official site
• South Dakota — 45 days to apply for title/registration — Official site
• Tennessee — After purchase — confirm current deadline with TN DOR — Official site
• Texas — 30 days; seller transfer notice within 30 days — Official site
• Utah — After purchase — confirm current deadline with UT DMV — Official site
• Vermont — 10 days from the time required — Official site
• Virginia — 30 days to forward title to DMV — Official site
• Washington — 15 days (buyer); seller reports within 5 business days — Official site
• West Virginia — 60 days; original owner notifies immediately — Official site
• Wisconsin — Immediately (plates within 2 business days to operate) — Official site
• Wyoming — Up to 45 days on a properly executed title — Official site
The Bottom Line
A title isn’t just a piece of paper — it’s the legal record of who owns the car and who’s responsible for it. Putting it in your name when you buy protects you from inheriting someone else’s problems. Transferring it legally when you sell protects you from being on the hook for a car you no longer drive.
It’s a small amount of paperwork that stands between you and fines, lawsuits, and legal headaches. Do it right the first time.
[1]Dirt Legal, "Penalty for Title Jumping in Texas," https://dirt-legal.com/blog/resources/penalty-for-title-jumping-in-texas/