If you are planning on selling a vehicle in Texas, you will have to fill out some paperwork. Sweat the subtleties of the transaction now and you won’t have to deal with them down the road. Let’s look at the paperwork that must be submitted to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to officially transfer ownership of your vehicle. We’ll also touch on additional documents necessary to sell a vehicle in Texas.

Title Transfer

The state of Texas requires that your vehicle’s title be transferred to the new owner. To make this transfer, you must fill out the title assignment found on the back of your vehicle’s official title certificate. If you fail to perform a legal title transfer when selling your car, there will be consequences. As an example, it is possible that you will be held responsible for subsequent crimes and violations committed in the vehicle. It is prudent to go to the nearest county tax office with the vehicle buyer to guarantee that the application for the new vehicle title is filed. If you need a certified copy of your automobile’s title from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, fill out the VTR-34 form. You can download this form from the DMV’s online library of forms.

Additional Documents Necessary to Sell a Car in Texas

As a seller of a vehicle, you must provide specific documents to the buyer. These documents include the bill of sale, a valid vehicle title, the completed title assignment with signature and odometer disclosure. Be sure to make copies of these documents to store in your records. You never know if any technical or legal challenges will pop up in the future. At this point, it is the buyer’s responsibility to complete the remainder of the required documents and pay the fee necessary to register the vehicle in his name in the state of Texas.

Supplemental Material That Will Help You Sell Your Vehicle in Texas

Texas has nuanced laws concerning vehicle efficiency and safety. Therefore, most vehicle buyers ask sellers for an in-depth vehicle history report before agreeing to a sale. Such a report provides information about the vehicle ranging from prior accidents to major repairs, odometer alteration and/or instances of theft. If you have endured any sort of accident, consider enrolling in a TX driving safety course. This course will enhance your defensive driving skills. Such a course might reduce your automobile insurance rate. It is even possible that this course will remove points from your driving record after a speeding ticket or other violation. Have your vehicle history report on-hand so you can show it to the buyer immediately after he requests it. Furthermore, having the vehicle history report on-hand makes it that much easier to market your vehicle and ask the highest possible price.

Transfer the License Plates

You must remove the license plates from your vehicle before the buyer accepts the keys and drives off. It is possible to transfer these license plates to another vehicle you own. Reach out to your nearest county tax assessor collector’s office for details on such a transfer.

Don’t Forget the Bill of Sale!

It is necessary to document the actual sale of your vehicle. The transaction is recorded on a “bill of sale”. This document should include all essential information about the seller, the buyer, the automobile and the agreed sale price. Sign and date the bill of sale and request that the buyer does the same. Make copies for yourself and the buyer. Keep this document in your records as it is proof of the vehicle sale transaction.