Title Transfer: How to Transfer a Car Title

What a title transfer is

A title transfer is the legal reassignment of ownership of a motor vehicle from one party to another. It is triggered by a private-party sale, a dealer sale, a gift, an inheritance, a name change, or adding/removing an owner. The transfer is documented either on the back of a paper title (the “assignment of ownership” section) or, when the title is held electronically, on the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale (form BMV 3770).

Two rules apply to almost every transfer:

1. Signatures must be notarized. Do not sign the title until you are in front of a notary or deputy clerk. Notaries are available at the Clerk’s title offices.
2. You have 30 days. The title must be transferred within 30 days of the date of sale (the notarized assignment date) or a $5 late fee applies.

What to bring (checklist)

Buying or selling a vehicle privately (paper title)

• The original Ohio title, with the seller’s assignment of ownership on the back completed and notarized (buyer’s full legal name and address, purchase price, and odometer reading)
• Valid photo ID (Ohio driver license or state ID) for the buyer
• Payment for the $18 title fee plus any lien notation fee
• Sales tax on the purchase price (rates vary by county, check with your local title office)
• The buyer’s Social Security number (required for all owners)
• If two owners will be on the title, both parties must be present unless a notarized Power of Attorney (form BMV 3771) is provided

Transferring an electronic title (private sale)

• A completed, notarized Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale (form BMV 3770), seller fills out page 1, buyer fills out page 2
• Valid photo ID, SSN, sales tax, and the $18 title fee, same as above
• Note: the BMV 3770 cannot be used by dealerships or insurance companies, and cannot be used for watercraft, outboard motors, all-purpose vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, or unconventional vehicles (those require a physical title)

Gift or family transfer

• The original title, assigned and notarized, with the purchase price marked as a gift (sales tax generally does not apply to a qualifying gift, but confirm with the title office)
• Valid photo ID and the $18 title fee

After the Clerk: register and plate at a BMV deputy registrar

• Your new Ohio title (or memorandum title if there’s a lien)
• Proof of Ohio insurance and payment for registration + plate fees

Step by step: a private-party title transfer

1. Before money changes hands, verify the title. Confirm the seller is the listed owner, the VIN matches the vehicle, and the title has no alterations. An altered or erased title is void.
2. Meet at a notary together (or use POA). The seller completes the assignment on the back of the title, buyer’s full legal name and address (no nicknames or initials), the odometer reading, and the purchase price, and signs in front of a notary. If both buyer and seller can be present at the title office, a deputy clerk can notarize on the spot.
3. Go to your County Clerk of Courts title office. Bring the notarized title, your photo ID, SSN, payment for the $18 title fee, and sales tax on the purchase price (rates vary by county). The new title is printed for you.
4. Head to a BMV deputy registrar to register and plate. With the title in hand, visit a deputy registrar to get your registration and license plates. You can transfer plates from a vehicle you already own ($9.00) or buy new plates.
5. Keep your documents. Store the title somewhere safe (not in the vehicle), and keep your registration in the car.

Fees

Title fees are set by the state and collected by the Clerk of Courts; registration and plate fees are collected by the BMV. The Certificate of Title fee rose to $18.00 statewide effective for 2026 under HB 96 (some counties may charge $23 if local officials approve it).

Fees change. Verify current amounts on bmv.ohio.gov and with your County Clerk of Courts before your visit.

Common scenarios

• The seller still owes money on the car (lien). The lienholder usually holds the title. You’ll need the title released first, or you’ll receive a memorandum title to register while the lien stays on record. See Memorandum Title in Ohio.
• You bought the car out of state. That out-of-state title must be converted to an Ohio title and requires a VIN inspection first. See Out-of-State Title Transfer in Ohio and the VIN inspection page.
• The title is lost. The seller must get a duplicate title before they can transfer to you. See Duplicate Title in Ohio.
• A minor is buying or selling. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian’s notarized Minor Consent (form BMV 3751) with the title.
• Inherited vehicle. A surviving spouse can transfer one or more vehicles by affidavit (within statutory value limits); larger estates may require probate paperwork. Bring the title and a copy of the death certificate, and call the title office first.
• Dealer purchase. When you buy from an Ohio dealer, the dealer handles the title paperwork for you. Dealer-side title work follows separate dealer and official title-office processes.

Common questions

Does DMVQ transfer titles? No. DMVQ is an informational resource, not a government office. Ohio titles are issued by the County Clerk of Courts, not the BMV. Get the title at your local Clerk of Courts, then visit a BMV deputy registrar for registration and plates.

Do I have to use a specific county’s title office? No. Ohio allows cross-county titling, so you can title at any Clerk of Courts office in the state.

Can I sign the title before I arrive? No. The assignment must be signed in front of a notary. A title that’s pre-signed by the seller is a red flag and can be rejected. Meeting at the title office lets a deputy clerk notarize for you.

How long do I have to transfer the title? 30 days from the date of sale (the notarized assignment date). After that, a $5 late fee is added.

How much is sales tax on a used car in Ohio? Sales tax rates vary by county. The title office collects it at transfer. Check with your local Clerk of Courts for the current rate.

What if the title is held electronically? Use the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale (form BMV 3770) instead of the back of a paper title. The seller completes page 1 and the buyer completes page 2, both notarized.

Can someone else handle the transfer for me? Yes, with an original Power of Attorney (form BMV 3771). For dual ownership, both owners must be present unless a POA covers the absent owner.

Helpful next pages

• DMVQ guide hub
• What to bring to the BMV
• Out-of-state title transfer in Ohio
• Duplicate title in Ohio
• Memorandum title in Ohio
• VIN inspection
• Guide: How to transfer a car title in Ohio
• Guide: BMV vs. Clerk of Courts in Ohio

before you visit

Transferred your title at the Clerk of Courts? Visit a BMV deputy registrar to finish your registration and plates. Check queueing options to save time, or start with the what-to-bring checklist.

Where this information comes from

• Ohio BMV, Vehicle Titles (How to Title): https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/titles-new.aspx
• Ohio BMV, Documents & Fees: https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/doc-fees.aspx
• Ohio Revised Code 4505.06 (titling): https://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4505.06