Texas gives you 30 days from the sale to get a used vehicle titled in your name. That’s the TxDMV rule. Who does the work depends on the seller. A dealer files the paperwork for you. In a private sale, you and the seller handle it yourselves, and you finish it at the county tax office. Below, the process is laid out on a timeline, from the day you buy to what happens if you miss the deadline, with 2026 fees.
Sale day at a Texas dealer
- Sign the buyer’s order, the contract and the title application. Read each one first. The FTC Buyers Guide on the window becomes part of your contract.
- Get a metal plate on the car. Paper tags ended July 1, 2025. Dealers now put a metal plate on the car at the sale. TxDMV’s dealer guide says the dealer collects a $10 plate fee and can’t charge more than that.
- Leave the filing to the dealer. TxDMV says dealers file the title application for retail buyers, so you shouldn’t need to visit the tax office. Ask for a copy of the filed application or a receipt.
Afterward: if you paid cash, the title arrives by mail. If you financed, the lender holds the title, or an electronic record, until the loan is paid off. Your windshield sticker shows when registration expires. Texas uses one sticker for registration and inspection, the “Two Steps, One Sticker” system, so renew on time.
Sale day in a private sale
Do these checks before any money changes hands:
- Run the VIN through NMVTIS, the federal title database TxDMV recommends. It reveals salvage and total-loss history. Paid vehicle history reports add owner and accident history; see what a clean title does and doesn’t tell you.
- Compare the seller’s ID with the name on the title.
- Look for a lienholder. If a lender is listed, get a lien release.
- Read the title brand. “Salvage” or “Rebuilt” on the title changes what the car is worth.
Then complete the paperwork together:
- The title. The seller signs it over to you, and you both fill in the sale date and the odometer reading where required. Don’t accept a title with blanks or cross-outs.
- Form 130-U, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration. Buyer and seller both sign it, and the sales price goes on it. Keep your own note of the seller’s name and address, the date and the VIN.
- Insurance. TxDMV requires proof of liability insurance to title and register, so set up coverage before you drive.
Days 1–30: the county tax office
Emissions first, if your county requires it. Texas ended safety inspections for most vehicles in 2025, but 17 counties still require emissions testing, including Galveston and Harris. Our Texas inspection rules explainer lists what changed.
Bring:
- The signed title
- The signed Form 130-U
- Your photo ID
- Proof of insurance
- Payment for tax and fees
For edge cases (a co-buyer, a trade, an out-of-state title), use our used-car paperwork checklist.
Sales tax. The rate is 6.25%, per the Texas Comptroller. In a private sale the tax base is whichever is larger: what you actually paid, or 80% of the vehicle’s standard presumptive value (SPV). If you paid less than 80% of SPV because of the car’s condition, the Comptroller lets you use a certified appraisal on Form 14-128 instead. It has to be done by a licensed dealer or insurance adjuster after an in-person inspection, and submitted within 30 calendar days. Worked examples are in our Texas used-car sales tax guide.
Registration. In a private sale, the plates and registration stay with the car (Texas Transportation Code §502.491). TxDMV’s Form 130-U instructions list a $2.50 fee to move the current registration into your name. If the registration has expired, you pay the full yearly fees instead.
The seller’s side
Sellers should file a Vehicle Transfer Notification with TxDMV. If it’s filed within 30 days of the sale, TxDMV says the seller can’t be held responsible for parking tickets and tolls the buyer runs up. Skip it, and the seller could be on the hook for tickets, tolls or worse.
2026 fees in one place
These are state and county figures checked for 2026, not Testarossa fees.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title application fee, Galveston, Harris and other emissions counties | $33 |
| Title application fee, other Texas counties | $28 |
| Motor vehicle sales tax | 6.25% (private sale: price paid or 80% of SPV, whichever is more) |
| Dealer metal plate fee | $10 |
| Transfer of current registration, private sale | $2.50 |
| Yearly registration in Galveston County (passenger car or truck of 6,000 lb or less) | $76.75 |
Our registration cost breakdown itemizes the county add-ons.
Day 31 and later: penalties
- Late title fee: $25 once you pass the 30-day deadline (Texas Transportation Code §501.146). After day 60, another $25 is added for each additional 30-day period, up to $250.
- Late tax penalty: the Comptroller adds 5% of the tax if you’re 1 to 30 days late, and 10% after that.
Just moved to Texas?
TxDMV gives new residents 30 days to register a vehicle they brought with them. A vehicle already registered in your name in another state may pay a $90 new-resident tax instead of sales tax. You also need a Texas driver license within 90 days of moving.
Title transfer questions
What’s the deadline?
Thirty days from the sale, per TxDMV. The late title fee starts after that.
How is tax figured on a private sale?
At 6.25%, applied to the purchase price or 80% of SPV, whichever is more. A certified appraisal on Form 14-128 can lower that if the car’s condition justified a lower price.
Do the plates come with the car?
In a private sale, yes. The registration stays with the vehicle. In a dealer sale, the dealer puts a metal plate on the car.
Can I file the transfer online?
For a private sale, check your county tax office’s website for its options. A dealer files it for you.
Testarossa Motors is an independent used-car dealer in League City, and as a licensed dealer we file the title and registration paperwork for our buyers. Look through the current inventory, then map out a visit or ring us at (281) 332-6568.
Sources
- TxDMV, title transfer and the 30-day rule; dealer metal plates and the $10 fee; Vehicle Transfer Notification: https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle
- Texas Comptroller, private-party purchases and standard presumptive values (80% of SPV, Form 14-128 appraisal): https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/motor-vehicle/private-party-spv.php
- Texas Comptroller, Motor Vehicle Tax Guide, SPV section: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/96-254/spv.php
- Texas Transportation Code §501.146 (late title fee) and §502.491 (registration stays with the vehicle)
- TxDMV, Form 130-U and its instructions ($2.50 registration transfer)