If you’re selling or buying a Virginia-titled vehicle privately from another individual, follow the steps outlined below to sign over the title or to title and register your new vehicle. These directions also apply if you’re donating a vehicle or receiving a vehicle as a gift.
Virginia-titled Vehicles
Selling/Donating
In Section A on the front of the title, do the following:
- Print and sign your name as seller(s) - all owners listed on the title must sign
- Provide the name and address of the buyer/recipient on the top line of Section A
- Fill out the odometer reading using the odometer reading from the vehicle (do not guess or estimate)
- Enter the date of sale
- Fill out the sale price section with either the sales price or write “gift” as the sale price if you’re donating the vehicle
Note: For the vehicle to qualify as a “gift”, please ensure your sale matches one of the requirements found on the back of the Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption (SUT-3). If you do not qualify for a “gift” tax exemption, please provide a proof of purchase price, such as a buyer’s order, bill of sale or the seller’s declared sale price. The bill of sale can be a handwritten statement signed by the seller and purchaser or a Vehicle Price Certification signed by the seller or purchaser.
- The seller should remove the license plates from the vehicle before allowing the buyer to take possession of the vehicle
- If you purchase a replacement vehicle, you may transfer your old plates to the replacement vehicle
- If you’re not transferring the plates to another vehicle, be sure to turn in or inactivate your plates online or at a DMV customer service center or DMV Select before notifying your insurance company of the sale
- If you have six months or more remaining in your vehicle registration period, you may qualify for a refund. There are two ways to get a refund:
- Complete an Application for Vehicle Registration Refund Form (FMS-210) and mail it with the license plates to the address shown on the form
- By returning the completed FMS-210 and plates to a customer service center or DMV Select
- If you have six months or more remaining in your vehicle registration period, you may qualify for a refund. There are two ways to get a refund:
Note: Partial refunds do not include one-time plate reservation fees, Virginia Road Tax for heavy trucks and any late fees.
- You must notify DMV you have sold, traded or donated your vehicle. You can do this online, at a customer service center or by phone.
You must notify your insurance company when you have sold, traded, or donated a vehicle. If you bought another vehicle, you may transfer insurance coverage to the new vehicle. Be sure to obtain liability insurance for the other vehicle before you register it with DMV and transfer your prior vehicle’s plates or purchase new plates.
Note: Avoid future problems! Insurance companies notify DMV when they cancel, add or write new coverage for a vehicle. If your insurance company cancels liability coverage on your vehicle because you no longer own it and you have not notified DMV in advance, our records will show the vehicle is registered in your name but is not insured. It is unlawful to have an uninsured registered vehicle, so DMV may suspend your driver’s license and vehicle registration privileges.
Buying/Receiving
Before you proceed, check the vehicle’s condition and history at the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).
Follow these steps to complete your portion of the title:
- Check the title for accuracy
- Make sure the seller has:
- Completed Section A on the front of the title, including the signature of the vehicle owner or owners
- Entered the correct odometer reading and certification (i.e., Actual Mileage)
- Entered your name and address correctly
- Entered the correct date of sale
- Entered the correct sales price
- Make sure the seller has:
- If the vehicle was received as a gift or donation:
- Ensure Section A on the front of the title is complete
- Ensure “gift” is written as the sales price
- Fill out the Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption (SUT-3) to certify the vehicle was received as a gift and not subject to sales and use tax
- If the vehicle was donated or sold by a charitable organization, ensure the organization has provided a statement on the official letterhead stationery of the charity, certifying the charity is registered with the Internal Revenue Service § 501(c)(3) as a non-profit organization and has not registered the vehicle
- Sign and print your full name as the “buyer” in Section A of the title
- Complete Section E (Personal Property Tax Relief) of the title
- Complete Section F (Lien Inf.) of the title if lien holder information is applicable
- If you want to register and title the vehicle at the same time, complete Section G (Application for Registration) of the title including the insurance certification
- Complete Section H (Certification of Buyer) on the back of the title
Once these steps are complete, you can visit a DMV customer service center, DMV Select or mail the title to DMV to obtain the vehicle title and registration in your name.
- Register the vehicle (if you didn’t at titling)
- If you didn’t already register your vehicle when you titled it, you may now register your vehicle with DMV and pay the appropriate registration fees
- Place license plates on your vehicle
- You can either purchase new license plates or apply to transfer existing plates from another of your vehicles to the new vehicle and pay the transfer fee
- Ensure the vehicle has a valid safety inspection sticker
- Before operating a vehicle in Virginia, it must pass an annual safety inspection and display a valid safety inspection sticker. Trailers with separate braking systems must also be inspected
- If you drive your vehicle without an inspection sticker, you may be ticketed by law enforcement. A conviction for violating Virginia inspection laws could result in a fine and be posted to your driving record. For information about safety inspections or to find safety inspection stations near you, contact Virginia State Police or call (804) 674-6774.
- Register the vehicle with your city/county (if required)
- The locality in which you live may require you to register the vehicle. Contact your locality to find information for your local Commissioner of the Revenue, Treasurer, or Director of Finance, in order to pay vehicle registration fees to your city or county
Vehicles either sold to or donated to charitable organizations may be exempt from Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax. To be exempt, the organization must be registered with the Internal Revenue Service § 501(c)(3) as a non-profit organization and be specifically exempted in the Code of Virginia § 58.1-2403. The charity must also receive the title along with the vehicle.
The vehicle donated to the charity will have to be titled in the charitable organization's name, and the titling fee will be collected.
Once the vehicle has been titled in the name of the charity and the charity wants to transfer the vehicle to a recipient, the following documents are to be provided to the recipient:
- A statement on the official letterhead stationery of the charity, certifying the charity is registered with the Internal Revenue Service § 501(c)(3) as a non-profit organization, and has not registered the vehicle, driven, nor permitted the vehicle to be driven on the highways.
- The title to the vehicle, with the vehicle reassigned to the individual recipient in Section A, and showing the sale price or, if a donation, the word "gift."
State Agencies
Refer to state-owned vehicles for additional information.
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Out of State Vehicles
If you’re selling or buying an out-of-state-titled vehicle privately from another individual, follow the steps outlined below to sign over the title or to title and register your new vehicle in Virginia. These directions also apply if you’re donating a vehicle or receiving a vehicle as a gift.
Selling/Donating an Out-of-state Vehicle
In the sale information section on the title, do the following:
- Print and sign your name as seller(s) - all owners listed on the title must sign
- Provide the name and address of the buyer/recipient
- Fill out the odometer reading using the odometer reading from the vehicle (do not guess or estimate)
- Enter the date of sale
- Fill out the sale price section with either the sales price or write “gift” as the sale price if you’re donating the vehicle
Note: For the vehicle to qualify as a “gift”, please ensure your sale matches one of the requirements found on the back of the Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption (SUT-3). If you do not qualify for a “gift” tax exemption, please provide a proof of purchase price, such as a buyer’s order, bill of sale or the seller’s declared sale price. The bill of sale can be a handwritten statement signed by the seller and purchaser or a Vehicle Price Certification signed by the seller or purchaser.
Buying/Receiving an Out-of-state Vehicle
Before you proceed, check the vehicle’s condition and history at the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).
Follow these steps to complete your portion of the title:
- Check the title for accuracy
- Make sure the seller has:
- Completed the seller portion of the title, including all owners’ signatures
- Entered the correct odometer reading and certification (i.e., Actual Mileage)
- Entered your name and address correctly
- Entered the correct date of sale
- Entered the correct sales price
- Make sure the seller has:
- If the vehicle was received as a gift or donation:
- Ensure the seller, buyer and purchase information on the title is complete
- Ensure “gift” is written as the sales price
- Fill out the Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption (SUT-3) to certify the vehicle was received as a gift and not subject to sales and use tax
- If the vehicle was donated or sold by a charitable organization, ensure the organization has provided a statement on the official letterhead stationery of the charity, certifying the charity is registered with the Internal Revenue Service § 501(c)(3) as a non-profit organization and has not registered the vehicle
- Sign and print your full name as the “buyer” in the buyer’s section of the title and complete any necessary buyer certifications
- Complete the lien disclosure section of the title if lien holder information is applicable
- Fill out the Virginia Application Certificate for Title and Registration (VSA 17A)
- Complete the Owner Information section of the application
- Complete the Vehicle Information section of the application
- Complete the Lien Information section of the application is lien holder information is applicable
- Complete the Odometer Statement section, matching what was provided on the title
- Complete the Personal Property Tax Relief section
- If you want to register and title the vehicle at the same time, complete the Registration Information section of the application including the insurance certification
- Sign the application
Once these steps are complete, you can visit a DMV customer service center, DMV Select or mail the title to DMV to obtain the vehicle title and registration in your name.
- Register the vehicle (if you didn’t at titling)
- If you didn’t already register your vehicle when you titled it, you may now register your vehicle with DMV and pay the appropriate registration fees
- Place license plates on your vehicle
- You can either purchase new license plates or apply to transfer existing plates from another of your vehicles to the new vehicle and pay the transfer fee
- Ensure the vehicle has a valid safety inspection sticker
- Before operating a vehicle in Virginia, it must pass an annual safety inspection and display a valid safety inspection sticker. Trailers with separate braking systems must also be inspected
- If you drive your vehicle without an inspection sticker, you may be ticketed by law enforcement. A conviction for violating Virginia inspection laws could result in a fine and be posted to your driving record. For information about safety inspections or to find safety inspection stations near you, contact Virginia State Police or call (804) 674-6774.
- Register the vehicle with your city/county (if required)
- The locality in which you live may require you to register the vehicle. Contact your locality to find information for your local Commissioner of the Revenue, Treasurer, or Director of Finance, in order to pay vehicle registration fees to your city or county
Vehicles either sold to or donated to charitable organizations may be exempt from Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax. To be exempt, the organization must be registered with the Internal Revenue Service § 501(c)(3) as a non-profit organization and be specifically exempted in the Code of Virginia § 58.1-2403. The charity must also receive the title along with the vehicle.
The vehicle donated to the charity will have to be titled in the charitable organization's name, and the titling fee will be collected.
Once the vehicle has been titled in the name of the charity and the charity wants to transfer the vehicle to a recipient, the following documents are to be provided to the recipient:
- A statement on the official letterhead stationery of the charity, certifying the charity is registered with the Internal Revenue Service § 501(c)(3) as a non-profit organization, and has not registered the vehicle, driven, nor permitted the vehicle to be driven on the highways.
- The title to the vehicle, with the vehicle reassigned to the individual recipient in Section A, and showing the sale price or, if a donation, the word "gift."