Selling your used car

What do you need to sell a used car? 

1.  The title to the car, signed by you.  Usually on the front when you receive it and on the back when you get ready to sell the car.  On it you will also add the date and odometer reading on the car.  Be super careful and accurate.  Mistakes cause raised eyebrows at the tax office.

2. An application for Texas title.  Form 130-U.  This will suffice as the bill of sale and has the information the state (or rather the county) needs to transfer the title.  This is also signed by the seller and buyer.  Again, be careful as mistakes will cause problems at the tax office.

3. In the event you are not completing the transfer at the tax office, which is allowed, you can notify the state of the sale by filing  a form VTR-346.  This serves as notice to the state that you have sold the vehicle and should relieve you from further liability on the vehicle.  To be effective, it should be submitted to the DMV at TxDMV Vehicle Titles and Registration Division, PO Box 26417, Austin, TX 78755-0417 or www.TxDMV.gov within 30 days of  the  sale.

Pretty simple really, as long as you have the correct documents.  If you do not have the title, you can file a form VTR-34 (available on line at www.txdmv.gov and submit it in person at a Regional Service Center listed on the form or send to the Wichita Falls Regional Service Center at 1601-A Southwest Parkway  Wichita Falls, TX 76302-4 1601-A Southwest Parkway  Wichita Falls, TX 76302-4906.

Please be aware that there are people that troll Craigslist and Ebay as well as other sales outlets and will try to scam you.   For that reason, you want to do transactions face to face.  There are also people who will call you with offers to “help you” sell your car.  Again, likely a scam and not anything you want to get into anyway. 

Don’t do any funny payment methods or deal with people that will not come and look at the car.  If they are not willing to look at the car, how can they buy it?  If they are not willing to come and look at the car, they most likely are trying to scam you. 

A car transaction should be an easy thing to do.  Negotiate for the price, fill out the title, the title application, maybe the notification of sale (see above) and trade the car for the money.  Done.  Anyone trying to do anything else, is just that.  Someone trying to do something else besides buy your car.