BUYING OR SELLING A VEHICLE?
Reporting the Sale & Transferring Ownership Into Your Name
REPORTING THE SALE
WHY DO I NEED TO FILE?
Whenever you sell or give up ownership of a vehicle (including cars, trucks, motorcycles, registered off-road vehicles, and trailers), file a report of sale so you’re not held liable for any tolling bills, towing charges, or civil and criminal liabilities incurred by the new owner.
**The new owner is responsible for transferring the title.**
File a report of sale any time you sell, trade, gift, donate, or dispose of your vehicle. Please contact our office if you have any questions about when to report the sale of a vehicle.
If you’ve sold a boat, see Report the sale of a boat on the DOL website.
WHAT INFORMATION WILL I NEED?
License plate number
Date of the sale or transfer
Sale price – enter zero if a gift or inheritance
Name and address of the person or organization who took ownership of the vehicle and
VIN – Vehicle ID number
Make sure everything is correct before you file. If you find an error after you’ve filed, you’ll have to revisit our office to explain the error. The report will be deleted and you’ll need to file another one.
FILE YOUR REPORT
You should file within 21 days. There’s no late fee for filing after 21 days, but you may be held liable for any financial, criminal or civil liabilities that the new owner may incur. It’s in your best interest to file as soon as possible.
You may file in multiple ways:
At our office —> Complete a Vehicle Report of Sale form and bring it to our office along with check/cash
By mail —> Mail Vehicle Report of Sale form to our office (include completed form along with check/cash)
Online —> Complete a Vehicle Report of Sale form and file it online at dol.wa.gov or use your License eXpress account
For more information please contact our office and we’d be happy to help you. You may also visit the Washington State Department of Licensing’s Buying and Selling A Vehicle site for additional information and forms.
TRANSFER OWNERSHIP INTO YOUR NAME
WHEN YOU BUY FROM AN AUTO DEALER
Dealers will transfer the title into your name when you buy it. You will need an unexpired Washington State Driver’s License in order to complete the registration process.
For more information, click here for DOL supporting information and an FAQ.
WHEN YOU BUY FROM A PRIVATE PARTY
Find out how to transfer ownership into your name when you buy a vehicle from an individual or receive a vehicle as a gift.
Get the most up-to-date information and forms from the DOL to accurately complete this process.
For more information please contact our office and we’d be happy to help you. You may also visit the Washington State Department of Licensing’s site for additional information and forms.
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