How to buy a used car from a private seller

Quick answer

Before you pay, check that the seller is the owner named on the title and that the title's VIN matches the car. Run a title-history check for brands such as salvage or flood.

Pay only when the signed title and any lien release are handed over, never with gift cards or by wire transfer: the FTC calls that a scam every time. Have the seller sign the title over with the mileage on it, then file it on time: 10 to 30 days in the 10 states in our table.

See the table
Steps before you buy
Questions buyers ask

At a glance

Key facts, with sources
Item	Detail	Source
California: buyer's deadline	10 days to report the change of ownership to the DMV; the seller files a release of liability within five days	[12]
New Jersey: buyer's deadline	10 working days from the date of sale, or a $25 penalty	[17]
Arizona: buyer's deadline	15 days after the transfer; the seller transfers or surrenders the plates within 30 days	[23]
Michigan: buyer's deadline	15 days after the date of sale; $15 late fee after that	[22]
Washington: buyer's deadline	15 calendar days from delivery, then a late penalty; a misdemeanor after 45 days; the seller reports the sale within five business days	[15]
Pennsylvania: buyer's deadline	20 days from the notarized signing of the title	[18]
Florida: buyer's deadline	30 days after delivery; $20 late fee; the seller notifies the state within 30 days	[14]
Georgia: buyer's deadline	30 days from the purchase or transfer date, for a car that requires a Georgia title; $10 title penalty if late	[19]
Ohio: buyer's deadline	30 days from assignment of the title; $5 late fee (rule from Ohio's BMV form 3770, used for electronic titles)	[21]
Virginia: buyer's deadline	30 days to send the title and application to the state's motor vehicle department	[24]
Federal dealer test (16 CFR 455.1)	Sold or offered 5 or more used vehicles in the previous 12 months	[1]
Federal odometer fraud remedy (49 U.S.C. 32710)	3 times actual damages or $10,000, whichever is greater; sue within 2 years	[11]

Title-transfer deadlines in 10 states

The At a glance table gives the buyer's deadline in 10 states, each taken from the state's own motor vehicle agency page or statute on Oct. 12, 2026. The shortest is 10 days, in California and New Jersey, where New Jersey counts working days. The longest is 30 days, in Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Virginia.

The clock starts at different moments. Florida and Washington count from delivery of the car, Michigan and New Jersey from the date of sale, and Pennsylvania from the day buyer and seller sign the title in front of a notary.

Where a page names a flat late fee, it runs from $5 in Ohio to $25 in New Jersey. Washington's penalty grows: $50 on the 16th day after delivery plus $2 for each day after that, up to $125, and failing to apply within 45 days is a misdemeanor.

Sellers have deadlines too. California sellers file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability within five days, Washington sellers report the sale within five business days, and Florida sellers notify the state within 30 days. Even so, California's DMV says only the buyer's application, made with the signed title, removes the seller's name from the vehicle record.

For any other state, check its motor vehicle agency's own page before you buy.

Buyer's title-transfer deadline in 10 states, in days

From each state's motor vehicle agency page or statute, read Oct. 12, 2026. New Jersey counts working days. Chart: AutoMotor News. Data: source 28.

Show the data

Buyer's title-transfer deadline in 10 states, in days: data
State	Buyer deadline (days)
California	10
New Jersey	10
Arizona	15
Michigan	15
Washington	15
Pennsylvania	20
Florida	30
Georgia	30
Ohio	30
Virginia	30

How to tell a private seller from an unlicensed dealer

The FTC's Used Car Rule defines a dealer as any person or business that sells or offers for sale a used vehicle after selling or offering five or more in the previous 12 months. Dealers have to display a Buyers Guide in every used car they offer for sale, and it tells you whether the car has a warranty or is sold as is. The FTC says the rule applies in all states except Maine and Wisconsin.

So a seller who calls the sale private but has sold or offered five or more used cars in the past year is a dealer under the rule and owes you a Buyers Guide. Ask how many cars they have sold or listed in the past 12 months.

The title is the other test, and several states set rules on whose name must be on it. In a Florida private sale, no title is accepted for transfer unless the seller's name is shown as owner on its face, except for transfers by a surviving spouse. Georgia requires every owner other than a licensed dealer to get a title in their own name before transferring a car that requires a Georgia title. In Virginia, selling a car without first securing a title for it, or legally holding the owner's title, is a Class 3 misdemeanor, with exceptions set out in Virginia law.

Georgia also makes it a misdemeanor to give or accept a title assigned in blank, meaning signed by the seller with the buyer's name left empty. A title signed by someone other than the person selling you the car, or left blank for you, is a reason to walk away.

Fake listings and payment scams

The FTC describes criminals posting cheap used cars they don't own on online auction and sales sites. Some have sent fake invoices that appear to come from eBay Motors and demanded payment in eBay gift cards.

Hand over the money only in exchange for the signed title and any lien release. New York's DMV says to examine all documents carefully before you pay. In a 2024 warning about online private sales, it also advised buyers to pay with a cashier's check made out to the seller instead of cash where possible.

Report a fake listing or payment scam to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. If the seller turns out to be a dishonest dealer, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

The FTC's warning signs:

You find bad reviews when you search the seller's name, phone number and email address with words like review, complaint or scam.
The seller rushes you. Scammers use high-pressure tactics to get you to buy without thinking things through.
They can't or won't meet in person or let you inspect the car, and may offer an excuse such as a job transfer, military deployment or divorce.
They want gift cards or a wire transfer. If anyone tells you to pay that way, the FTC says, it's a scam every time.
They demand more money after the sale for shipping or transportation.
The VIN doesn't match the VIN for the car you're interested in.

Check the car before you pay

Start at vehiclehistory.gov, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) site. The FTC says it gives free information about a car's title, most recent odometer reading and condition, and it lists the NMVTIS-approved providers that sell fuller history reports for a fee. NMVTIS also shows a car's brand history. Brands are state labels for a current or past condition such as junk, salvage or flood, and our salvage title guide explains what a salvage brand means for a buyer.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau's website lets you enter a VIN and see whether the car was flood damaged, stolen but not recovered, or otherwise declared salvage.

The FTC also points to NHTSA's free listings of open safety recalls, meaning recalls whose repairs are not yet done; our guide to checking a car for recalls walks through the VIN search. Before you buy, get an independent inspection to make sure the car has no hidden damage; our used-car inspection checklist covers what the mechanic should look at.

What to sign and keep

The title, signed over to you. In New Jersey the seller signs the seller's section on the back of the title and the buyer signs the buyer's section. In Pennsylvania, ownership legally transfers when both sign the title in front of a notary.
The mileage, on the title. Federal rules require the seller to disclose the mileage to the buyer on the title, and the buyer then signs the disclosure and gives the seller a copy. Older cars are exempt by age; our odometer guide explains the cutoffs.
A complete, unaltered title. New York's DMV will not accept a title if the odometer or damage disclosure is not completed, or if anything on it is altered, erased or crossed out, including a name or signature.
Proof any loan is paid. Check the front of the title for a lienholder. If one is listed, New York's DMV says to get proof the lien has been paid, usually an official lien release from the lender; without it, the lienholder could repossess the car from you.
A bill of sale, where your state asks for one. New Jersey sellers give the buyer one with the buyer's name and address, the date of sale, the odometer reading and the price. In New York, a private sale can use the state's bill of sale form, MV-912. An acceptable bill of sale there includes the year and make, VIN, date of sale, price and both parties' names and signatures. Buyer and seller can keep photocopies.
Sales or use tax paperwork. In New York, the new owner pays sales tax or shows proof of an exemption. The seller's section of form DTF-802 certifies the price. If it is left blank, tax is charged on the car's current fair market value.

Steps

Ask for the VIN and a photo of the front of the title before you go; the seller's name should be on it as owner.
Start at vehiclehistory.gov for free title, odometer and condition information or a paid report from an approved provider, run the VIN through the NICB lookup, and check NHTSA for open recalls.
Meet in person, see the car and have an independent mechanic inspect it.
Compare the VIN on the title with the VIN on the car, and look for a lienholder on the front of the title.
If there is a lien, get the lender's lien release from the seller.
Pay only when the signed title and any lien release are handed over to you, by cashier's check made out to the seller if you can. Never pay with gift cards or by wire transfer, and refuse any extra charge for shipping after the sale.
Sign the title with the seller, check the mileage they write against the odometer, and get a bill of sale and any sales tax form your state asks for.
If you drive the car home, carry the signed title and proof of insurance. In New Jersey and Michigan the seller's plates do not come with the car, and Michigan lets you drive directly home without a plate within three days of the date of sale, only with both.
File the title at your state's motor vehicle office (in Georgia, the County Tag Office) by your state's deadline in the At a glance table, and pay any sales or use tax due.

How we built the deadline table

We read each state's motor vehicle agency page or statute on Oct. 12, 2026, saved the text, and kept a state only when the buyer's deadline appeared there. Each row of the table names its source and quotes the rule word for word, and our script checks every quote against the saved text before it writes the table. Where a page says nothing about a late penalty, the table says so instead of filling the gap.

The table covers private-party sales under each state's own rule for a car titled in that state, as the rules read on Oct. 12, 2026. It does not cover out-of-state titles, dealer sales or later rule changes. The full table, with each state's source link and quoted rule, downloads as title_deadlines.csv.

Ohio's row comes from the BMV's casual-sale form, BMV 3770, which is used when the title is electronic and neither buyer nor seller is a licensed Ohio dealer.

We left out Illinois, New York, North Carolina and Texas because we could not save a buyer's deadline from an official page for them on Oct. 12, 2026. For Texas, the state's motor vehicle department and legislature websites did not respond to our requests that day.

Frequently asked questions

Does a private seller have to give me a Buyers Guide?

No, unless they meet the rule's five-sales test and so count as a dealer. The rule's definition also leaves out banks and financial institutions, a business selling a used car to its own employee, and a lessor selling a leased car to the lessee or the lessee's employee. In Maine and Wisconsin, dealers display their own version of the Buyers Guide.

What if the seller lied about the mileage?

Federal law lets you sue a person who violated the odometer rules with intent to defraud for three times your actual damages or $10,000, whichever is greater. The case has to be filed within two years after the claim accrues; if you win, the court adds costs and a reasonable attorney's fee. For how the mileage statement works and which cars are exempt, see our odometer disclosure guide.

How long do I have to transfer the title?

In the 10 states in our table, 10 to 30 days; the At a glance table gives yours. File late and states that set a flat fee charge from $5 in Ohio to $25 in New Jersey. Washington charges $50 on the 16th day after delivery, rising to as much as $125, and not applying within 45 days is a misdemeanor.

Can I return a car I bought from a private seller?

New York's DMV warns that a private seller rarely offers a warranty: with a complaint, you are on your own to resolve it with the seller or by legal action. You cannot file a complaint with the DMV or other consumer assistance agencies over a defective car bought in a private sale.

Massachusetts is an exception:

Private sellers there must tell buyers about all known defects that impair the car's safety or substantially impair its use. If you can prove the seller knew about such a defect and didn't disclose it, you may cancel the sale within 30 days and get back what you paid, less 15 cents a mile.
You may also be entitled to a refund if the car fails the Massachusetts inspection within seven days of purchase and the estimated repairs exceed 10 percent of the price.

Last updated October 19, 2026.

This story was prepared with AI assistance and fact-checked by our AI review process against its sources, then reviewed by Paul Grice before publication. Our AI policy.

Sources

All accessed 2026-10-12.

16 CFR 455.1, Used Car Rule: general duties of a used vehicle dealer; definitions (eCFR) (primary source).
FTC, Dealer's Guide to the Used Car Rule (primary source).
FTC Consumer Advice, Buying a Used Car From a Dealer (primary source).
FTC Consumer Advice, Used Cars (primary source).
FTC consumer alert, Put the brakes on phony online car sales (July 5, 2022) (primary source).
FTC consumer alert, What to know when buying a used car online (July 2, 2024) (primary source).
NMVTIS: For Consumers (U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance) (primary source).
49 CFR 580.5, Disclosure of odometer information (eCFR) (primary source).
49 CFR 580.17, Exemptions (eCFR) (primary source).
49 CFR 580.3, Definitions (eCFR) (primary source).
49 U.S.C. 32710, Civil actions by private persons (Cornell Legal Information Institute) (primary source).
California DMV, Title Transfers and Changes (primary source).
California DMV, Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) (primary source).
Florida Statutes chapter 319, including 319.22 and 319.23 (Florida Legislature) (primary source).
RCW 46.12.650, Transfer of ownership (Washington State Legislature) (primary source).
RCW 46.17.140, Late transfer of title penalty (Washington State Legislature) (primary source).
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Transferring Vehicle Ownership (primary source).
PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services, Motor Vehicle Miscellaneous FAQs (primary source).
Georgia Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicles Fees, Fines, and Penalties (primary source).
Georgia Department of Revenue, Transfer Vehicle Titled in Georgia (primary source).
Ohio BMV form 3770, Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale (primary source).
Michigan Department of State, Title transfer and vehicle registration (primary source).
Arizona Revised Statutes 28-2058, Transfer of title; odometer mileage disclosure statement (primary source).
Code of Virginia 46.2-630, Transfer and application for certificate of title forwarded to Department (primary source).
New York DMV, Buy, Sell, or Transfer Vehicle Ownership (primary source).
New York DMV, Let the Buyer Be Aware (primary source).
Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, Private Party Car Sales (primary source).
AutoMotor News data: private-sale title-transfer deadlines in 10 states, compiled from each state's own page or statute (title_deadlines.csv) (our analysis of source 12, source 14, source 15, source 16, source 17, source 18, source 19, source 20, source 21, source 22, source 23 and source 24).
AutoMotor News data: summary of the 10-state deadline table (title_deadlines_summary.csv) (our analysis of source 12, source 14, source 15, source 17, source 18, source 19, source 21, source 22, source 23 and source 24).
Code of Virginia 46.2-617, Sale of vehicle without certificate of title (primary source).
New York DMV press release, DMV Warns Consumers of Surge in Car Sales Scams (Oct. 22, 2024) (primary source).