Tips for selling a vehicle

Get tips for selling your vehicle in Washington.

Remove license plates

Sellers are legally obligated to remove the license plates. This protects you from being held liable for towing charges, parking tickets, speed camera tickets, and toll bills.
Plates may be transferred to a different (like-kind) vehicle you own, or you can surrender them at a vehicle licensing office. In any case, the buyer can’t use them.

Agreeing to an inspection by a mechanic, typically at the buyer’s expense, may build trust in the sales relationship and help ensure the vehicle is safe to operate. Both buyer and seller should keep a copy for their records.

Vehicles must have a valid title before they can be sold.
If you can’t find your title, obtain a replacement title. This can take four to eight weeks. If you need it sooner, a quick title may be an option — but it does cost more. An Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest or Affidavit in Lieu of Title is also acceptable. Contact a vehicle licensing office to go over your options.

Before the buyer can apply for a new title and pay fees or taxes on the vehicle, you’ll both need to sign a Bill of Sale, unless the sale price and date are included on the title.
Not to be confused with a Report of Sale, the Bill of Sale includes information about the vehicle, as well as the buyer and seller. Each party should keep a copy.

We recommend both parties meet at a vehicle licensing office to collect payment and sign over the title. You may want to collect payment from the buyer before signing over the title.
If a vehicle licensing office isn't an option, meet in a well-lit public area or ask a trusted third party to be there.
If you are not meeting the buyer at a vehicle licensing office, and they will be driving the car without a license plate, the buyer should purchase a trip permit so they can legally drive the vehicle.

Protect your privacy and remove anything that might have your name, address, photo, or other personal information. This could include your registration or proof of insurance, for example.

Filing a Report of Sale may release the seller from liability related to the vehicle.
The seller is legally obligated to submit a Report of Sale within five days of the sale date. If you are completing the sale and vehicle transfer in a vehicle licensing office, this may not be necessary.