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How to protect yourself when buying and selling a vehicle.
Your car and its title share at least one thing in common: they both require
maintenance. If you neglect to properly handle the necessary paperwork when you
buy or sell a vehicle, you may find yourself fined or penalized for someone
else’s mistake.
State Law
Whenever a vehicle is sold in Texas, state law requires it to be titled in the
buyer’s name within 20 business days. Not all purchasers comply with this
requirement, however, and as a result, thousands of vehicles remain titled in
the name of the previous owner.
Late Fees
When you buy a vehicle, it’s your responsibility to
apply for a new title. If you don’t
apply for one within 20 business days of the sale,
you’ll be fined [pdf, 1 page,
18kb]
a $25 late fee and will continue to be fined $25 a month until the vehicle is
correctly titled in your name.
What can I do to protect myself?
Know and follow the rules for vehicle title transfers. Review the
seller’s
checklist [PDF, 2 pages, 355kb] and step-by-step
instructions when selling a vehicle or the
buyer’s checklist [PDF, 2 pages,
1mb]
and step-by-step instructions when purchasing
one.
For more information on titling, visit the vehicle titles
home page or download our
“Protect Your Title, Texas”
brochure [PDF, 2
pages]
and the
“You're En-titled” document [pdf, 2 pages, 609kb].
Instructional Audio
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Protect Your Title, Texas Audio Tips |
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Protect Your Title, Texas (Audio - English) |
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Protect Your Title, Texas (Audio - Spanish) |
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