Free preview · from the dealership side of the desk
Selling a car privately feels done the moment the cash is in your hand and the taillights pull away. On paper, it isn’t. Until the state knows you sold it, you can still be the registered owner of a car you no longer have: the toll bills, parking tickets, camera fines and, in the worst case, the first call after an accident can come to you.
Dealers have a person whose whole job is title work. As a private seller, that person is you. The good news is the paperwork is short. Free first step: pull out your title today, not on sale day. If a bank is still printed on it after you paid the loan off, you’ll need a lien release. Below: signing the title the right way, the odometer disclosure, the bill of sale, plates and the release of liability, a worked example of why the last form matters, and what to check with your DMV.
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In the full guide
- Before you list: get the title in order
- Signing the title the right way
- The odometer disclosure
- The bill of sale
- Plates, registration and the release of liability
- Worked example: why the last form matters
- After the sale: the cleanup list
- What to say
- Your game plan
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