How to Transfer a Car Title in Indiana

The Indiana transfer in one table

The transfer, step by step

1. Get the signed title. For an electronic title, print it first: a private sale needs a paper title to sign over. Check the lienholder release, the odometer field, and the names before paying, using the checks guide.
2. Complete State Form 205. The Application for Certificate of Title carries the buyer, seller, vehicle, lienholder, and odometer information. Add the bill of sale (Form 44237) and the odometer disclosure (Form 43230) where the title lacks a mileage field.
3. Inspect the VIN for an out-of-state vehicle. Form 39530, completed at a BMV branch or by law enforcement. An officer may charge up to $5 for the inspection.
4. File within 45 days and pay the tax. The 7% sales tax is calculated on the purchase price. Gift transfers claim the exemption on Form 48841/ST-108E rather than paying tax on a price that was never paid.
5. Take the printed title. Electronic titling does not end the paper trail for private sales: the buyer needs the printed title for any later sale, and the seller should keep a copy of the signed assignment.

The fee figure not carried

A $15 title fee circulates in secondary sources for Indiana. No BMV fee-chart page was opened in this run to verify it, so this guide states no title-fee figure. The BMV fee chart is the authority; confirm the current title fee there before filing. The $30 administrative penalty and the 7% tax rate are carried because the statute and form guidance state them, and the penalty figure is tied to the 45-day rule in IC 9-17-3-2.

For title transfers in other states, see the Car Title Transfer by State directory. For what to verify before paying, see Title Transfer Checks Before Buying a Used Car.

Source

Sources: Indiana title-transfer procedure (45-day deadline and $30 penalty under IC 9-17-3-2, Forms 205, 44237, 43230, 7% sales tax, gift exemption Form 48841/ST-108E, VIN inspection Form 39530, electronic titles since July 1, 2025) as stated in secondary summaries of BMV and Indiana Code guidance, read 2026-11-01. Facts verified 2026-11-01 as secondary-sourced. Open flags: no BMV primary page was opened in this run — the form numbers, deadline, penalty, tax rate, and electronic-title date are secondary-sourced and are flagged for primary re-verification against the BMV site; the $15 title fee is unverified and is not carried.

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 or court.