To fill out an affidavit of non-dealer transfer, enter the vehicle’s identifying details exactly as they appear on the current title, record the buyer, seller, sale date, and actual purchase price, sign the form (before a notary if your state requires it), and submit it to your state titling agency with the signed title and any supporting documents inside your state’s transfer deadline. The form is a sworn statement, so every field has to be accurate before anyone signs.
What to Gather Before You Start
Pull everything together before you sit down with the form. Hunting for a VIN mid-signature is how fields get left blank, and blank fields are the most common reason agencies reject paperwork.
- Vehicle details: The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), year, make, and model. Pull these from the existing title rather than the vehicle itself to avoid transcription errors on the VIN.
- Odometer reading: The mileage at the time of sale, recorded accurately.
- Purchase price: The actual amount paid, including any trade-in value or other consideration. This is the number the state uses to calculate sales tax.
- Party information: Full legal names and current addresses for both buyer and seller. Some states also require phone numbers or driver’s license numbers.
- Date of sale: The exact calendar date, because it starts the clock on your title transfer deadline.
- Government-issued ID: Both parties typically need a valid, unexpired photo ID. A driver’s license or passport works in every state.
Your state’s version of the form is usually available as a PDF on the website of your Department of Motor Vehicles, Secretary of State, or county tax assessor’s office. Search for “affidavit of non-dealer transfer” plus your state name to find the right one.
Filling In the Form Section by Section
Start with the vehicle information block. Enter the VIN character by character and double-check it against the title. A single transposed digit will cause the agency to reject the application. Fill in the year, make, and model exactly as they appear on the existing title, not from memory or from how the vehicle is marketed.
Move to the buyer and seller sections. Use your full legal name as it appears on your ID. If you’ve recently moved, use your current address, not the one on an outdated license. Enter the sale date and the purchase price. If the vehicle is a gift, write $0 or “gift” in the price field and be prepared to submit additional documentation proving the family relationship.
Both parties then sign and date the form. Because this is a sworn affidavit, your signature carries the same legal weight as testimony under oath. Do not sign until every field is complete and accurate. Once signed, changes to the form usually mean starting over on a fresh copy.
Handle the Odometer Disclosure Correctly
Federal regulations require the seller to disclose the vehicle’s odometer reading during any transfer of a vehicle less than 20 model years old. As of January 1, 2021, the window expanded from 10 years to 20 years, beginning with Model Year 2011 vehicles and rolling forward each year.1National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements If you are buying or selling a 2011 or newer vehicle, an odometer disclosure is mandatory regardless of what your state form asks for.
Some states let you record the disclosure on the title itself; others require a separate odometer disclosure statement.2eCFR. 49 CFR Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements The disclosure must indicate whether the reading is the actual mileage, reflects mileage in excess of the odometer’s mechanical limits, or does not reflect actual mileage because of a known discrepancy. Do not guess. If the odometer has been replaced or you know it is inaccurate, say so on the form. Federal penalties for odometer fraud can reach tens of thousands of dollars per violation, and buyers who discover the deception can sue for treble damages.
If the Vehicle Is a Gift or Family Transfer
When no money changes hands, the affidavit still gets filed, but the transaction details change. Most states offer a sales tax exemption or reduced rate when a vehicle is transferred between qualifying family members. Eligible relationships usually include spouses, parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings, though the exact list varies by state. Write “gift” or $0 in the price field and be ready to attach whatever proof of relationship your state requires.
There is also a federal layer to watch for. The IRS annual gift tax exclusion for 2026 is $19,000 per recipient.3Internal Revenue Service. What’s New – Estate and Gift Tax If the vehicle’s fair market value exceeds that threshold, the person giving the car may need to file IRS Form 709, a gift tax return.4Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 709 (2025) Filing does not necessarily mean owing tax, since the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption typically absorbs the excess, but skipping the filing is a compliance issue. Gifts between spouses are generally unlimited and do not trigger Form 709.
Get the Purchase Price Right
The purchase price on the affidavit is the number your state uses to calculate sales tax, which creates an obvious temptation: write down $500 for a car that actually sold for $5,000. Agencies know this. Many states cross-reference the declared price against NADA or Kelley Blue Book values, and if your number is suspiciously low, the state may assess tax based on fair market value instead.
The consequences go beyond paying the tax you should have paid. Because the affidavit is a sworn document, intentionally misrepresenting the purchase price is fraud. States treat this with varying severity, but it can result in back taxes, penalties, and in serious cases criminal charges. Write the real number.
Notarization
Whether you need a notary depends on your state. Roughly a dozen states require notarized signatures on the title or transfer documents for private sales; the rest do not. In states that require it, both parties usually need to sign in front of the notary, so plan to appear together or ask whether your state permits separately notarized copies.
Notary fees for a single signature typically run between $5 and $25. Many banks, UPS stores, and shipping centers offer notary services during business hours. Some states also allow remote online notarization, which is useful when the buyer and seller are not in the same city.
What to Submit With the Affidavit
Once the affidavit is complete, signed, and notarized if required, submit it to your local titling agency along with the supporting documents. Depending on your state, that agency may be called the DMV, the Secretary of State’s office, or the county tax assessor. Most states accept in-person submissions, and some allow mailing or online filing.
You will typically need to bring:
- The original title, signed over by the seller on the back, with the buyer’s information filled in.
- A bill of sale, which can be a simple signed statement describing the vehicle, the price, and the parties.
- A separate odometer disclosure statement, if your state does not use the title itself for that purpose.
- Proof of insurance, since many states require liability coverage before issuing new registration.
- Government-issued photo ID for both parties if they appear together, or at minimum for the buyer.
Meet Your State’s Transfer Deadline
Every state sets a deadline for the buyer to transfer the title after a private sale. These deadlines commonly range from 10 to 30 days after the sale date. Missing yours usually means a late fee, which can be a flat surcharge, a percentage of your registration fees, or both. Set a calendar reminder for a few days after the purchase so the paperwork does not slip.
If You Are the Seller, File a Release of Liability
Sellers have a separate step. Most states allow or require the seller to file a notice of transfer, sometimes called a release of liability, with the titling agency. This notice tells the state you no longer own the vehicle, which protects you from liability for parking tickets, toll violations, and traffic camera citations the new owner racks up after the sale. If the buyer delays transferring the title for weeks, every ticket issued to that plate still comes back to you unless you have filed this notice.
File the notice as soon as the sale is complete. Many states allow you to submit it online the same day. Keep a copy of the signed bill of sale and affidavit for your own records, along with a photo of the buyer’s ID. If a dispute later arises about when or whether the sale happened, you will want documentation that does not depend on the other party’s cooperation.