How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Arizona?

No fixed title-transfer fee amount stated on the pages opened. eTitle pages state: sellers pay no fee to use eTitle Transfer; buyers pay 'standard title and registration fees.' A separate official estimate for an out-of-state dealer sale lists Title Fee: $4.00 (plus $8.00 registration, $1.50 air quality research fee; 2026 total $13.50), that $4.00 figure is stated only in that dealer-sale estimate context.

What is the deadline to transfer a car title in Arizona?

Arizona law requires the buyer to apply for a title within 15 days of purchase (Buying a Vehicle page). Separately, an eTitle transfer once started must be completed within 24 hours or it will expire, and the Transfer Code is valid for 48 hours (in-state eTitle page).

Does Arizona require an odometer disclosure when transferring a title?

Seller enters the odometer reading in eTitle Transfer; 'Record your odometer reading carefully. Accurate recording is required by law.' Out-of-state eTitle: seller enters odometer reading and agreed purchase price before releasing ownership; 'once you release ownership, it can't be reversed.' Out-of-state dealer sales require a Secure Odometer Disclosure (Form 96-0165) or Power of Attorney with Odometer Disclosure (Form 48-7104).

What happens to a lien when transferring a car title in Arizona?

eTitle Transfer requires the vehicle to have no liens. In-person process: bring a lien release if applicable.

How to Transfer a Car Title in Arizona

The Arizona transfer in one table

Step	Arizona rule
Title transfer fee	No fixed title-transfer fee amount stated on the pages opened. eTitle pages state: sellers pay no fee to use eTitle Transfer; buyers pay 'standard title and registration fees.' A separate official estimate for an out-of-state dealer sale lists Title Fee: $4.00 (plus $8.00 registration, $1.50 air quality research fee; 2026 total $13.50), that $4.00 figure is stated only in that dealer-sale estimate context.
Deadline and late penalty	Arizona law requires the buyer to apply for a title within 15 days of purchase (Buying a Vehicle page). Separately, an eTitle transfer once started must be completed within 24 hours or it will expire, and the Transfer Code is valid for 48 hours (in-state eTitle page).
Application form	Title and Registration Application (in-person process; form number not stated on the Buying a Vehicle page); Title Transfer Bill of Sale, form #38-1306 (Arizona-titled vehicles only, in-person alternative to the signed title); Title and Registration Application, Form 96-0236 (out-of-state dealer sales); Secure Odometer Disclosure, Form 96-0165, or Power of Attorney with Odometer Disclosure, Form 48-7104 (out-of-state dealer sales)
Odometer	Seller enters the odometer reading in eTitle Transfer; 'Record your odometer reading carefully. Accurate recording is required by law.' Out-of-state eTitle: seller enters odometer reading and agreed purchase price before releasing ownership; 'once you release ownership, it can't be reversed.' Out-of-state dealer sales require a Secure Odometer Disclosure (Form 96-0165) or Power of Attorney with Odometer Disclosure (Form 48-7104).
Lien	eTitle Transfer requires the vehicle to have no liens. In-person process: bring a lien release if applicable.

What makes Arizona different

The in-state and out-of-state eTitle pages state different code windows because they describe different processes. For an in-state transfer, the transfer code is valid for 48 hours and a started transfer must be completed within 24 hours or it expires. For an out-of-state transfer, the code must be used within 24 hours and both parties have five calendar days to complete the transaction. This guide keeps the two processes separate.

The transfer, step by step

Buyer steps:

Both parties sign in to AZ MVD Now and complete Enhanced Authentication.
Generate an eTitle Buyer Code and share it with the seller.
Review the vehicle information and continue with the transfer.
Complete the title and registration; pay standard title and registration fees before completing the transaction.
If the vehicle does not qualify for eTitle Transfer: visit an MVD office or Third Party location with the completed, signed Title and Registration Application, the current title signed by the seller OR Title Transfer Bill of Sale (Arizona-titled vehicles only), payment for applicable fees, lien release if applicable, and emissions test if applicable.

Seller steps:

In-state eTitle: sign in to AZ MVD Now and complete Enhanced Authentication.
Select the vehicle, enter the odometer reading and the buyer's eTitle Buyer Code.
Release ownership (if two sellers, both must release ownership).
In-person alternative: sign the current title; the buyer brings the signed title OR a Title Transfer Bill of Sale (#38-1306) for Arizona-titled vehicles.

Check the requirements before you go

Run your state through the Title Transfer Requirements Checker: pick your state and see the fee, the deadline, the forms, and the odometer rule as the official pages state them. Then compare how the other states do it in the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Coming from another state

Out-of-state eTitle Transfer: if the vehicle is titled in another state or the buyer/seller lives outside Arizona, use the out-of-state eTitle process; the Arizona person completes their part through AZ MVD Now while the out-of-state person uses their own state's system; not every state supports it (eligible states shown in AZ MVD Now). Out-of-state buyer titling in Arizona: enter Transfer Code, VIN and state of origin, review/confirm, wait for seller release, then complete emissions testing if applicable and visit an MVD office to register (cannot be done through AZ MVD Now). Out-of-state dealer sale to an Arizona resident: dealer must submit Form 96-0236, out-of-state title or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (including dealer reassignment), purchase order/invoice, and odometer disclosure as listed in forms.

Renewing is not transferring

If the owner is staying the same and only the registration needs renewing, see Vehicle Registration Renewal in Arizona for deadlines, grace periods, and late fees.

Transferring a title somewhere else

See Transferring a title in Wisconsin.

See Transferring a title in California.

For all states side by side, see the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Source

Facts verified 2026-10-29.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency.