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

$18 title fee statewide; $23 in some counties if local officials approve an additional charge (Documents & Fees page). Sales and use tax on the purchase price is additional.

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

Title transfers must take place within 30 days of the date of sale, otherwise a late fee will be assessed.

Does Ohio require an odometer disclosure when transferring a title?

none stated for a standard title transfer on the pages opened. The only mileage wording on the opened pages is 'Applicant affidavit to establish mileage (if applicable)' for repossessed-vehicle titles.

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

If you have a lien holder, it must be noted on the assignment portion of the title. If the lienholder has the title, complete a transfer request form and send it to the lienholder (obtain the form from a County Clerk of Courts Title Office).

How to Transfer a Car Title in Ohio

The Ohio transfer in one table

Step	Ohio rule
Title transfer fee	$18 title fee statewide; $23 in some counties if local officials approve an additional charge (Documents & Fees page). Sales and use tax on the purchase price is additional. No separate lien-notation fee amount was stated on the pages opened.
Deadline and late penalty	Title transfers must take place within 30 days of the date of sale, otherwise a late fee will be assessed.
Application form	Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale, form BMV 3770 (electronic titles only; serves the same purpose as the back of a physical title); Power of Attorney for Certificate of Title, form BMV 3771 (original required if power of attorney is used); Minor Consent Form, form BMV 3751 (if the seller is a minor); Application(s) for Certificate of Title to a Motor Vehicle, form BMV 3774 (duplicate/replacement and other title applications)
Odometer	none stated for a standard title transfer on the pages opened. The only mileage wording on the opened pages is 'Applicant affidavit to establish mileage (if applicable)' for repossessed-vehicle titles.
Lien	If you have a lien holder, it must be noted on the assignment portion of the title. If the lienholder has the title, complete a transfer request form and send it to the lienholder (obtain the form from a County Clerk of Courts Title Office). Payment for title fees includes a lienholder notation if applicable. Lien release verification: the VIN search tool can verify lien release via the 'Lien 1 Cancel Date' field; if blank, a lien release letter must also be sent to the county title office (duplicate/replacement title instructions).

What makes Ohio different

The opened Titles page covers electronic-title transfers (BMV 3770) in the section that rendered in full; a physical-title assignment procedure was not rendered as a separate section on the page opened, so no physical-title seller/buyer step list is claimed beyond the BMV 3770 process and the general rules (30 days, notarization, SSNs, no photocopies). No conflict between the opened pages on the $18/$23 fee. Odometer: no standard-transfer odometer requirement was stated on the pages opened (see odometer field).

The transfer, step by step

Buyer steps:

Electronic title: complete page 2 of form BMV 3770 in its entirety and have signature(s) notarized; all owners must complete the assignment.
Take the completed BMV 3770 (both pages, given by the seller) to a Clerk of Courts title office to have the title transferred into the buyer's name.
Pay sales and use tax on the purchase price.
Out-of-state title conversion: bring the out-of-state title certificate, bill of sale if purchased from an out-of-state dealer, acceptable identification and payment for title fees, and an out-of-state VIN inspection (from a deputy registrar agency, participating Clerk of Courts title office, or participating Ohio licensed dealer); pay title fees and sales tax on the purchase price.
If the lienholder holds the title, complete a transfer request form and send it to the lienholder (obtain the form from a County Clerk of Courts Title Office).

Seller steps:

Electronic title: complete page 1 of form BMV 3770 in its entirety and have signature(s) notarized; all owners must complete the assignment.
Give both pages of the completed BMV 3770 to the buyer to have the title transferred at a Clerk of Courts title office.
If power of attorney is used, the original BMV 3771 is required; if the seller is a minor, form BMV 3751 is required.
General rules stated on the page: dual ownership requires both parties present unless a notarized power of attorney is provided; Social Security numbers for all parties are required; photocopies of title are not accepted.

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

To register a vehicle and obtain Ohio plates, an out-of-state title must be converted to an Ohio title. Bring: out-of-state title certificate; bill of sale if purchased from an out-of-state dealer; acceptable identification and payment for title fees; an out-of-state VIN inspection (deputy registrar license agency, participating Clerk of Courts title office, or participating Ohio licensed dealer). For lease transactions only: two original powers of attorney from the lessor. For out-of-state leasing dealers: a leasing permit number and a valid Ohio use tax account number are required.

Renewing is not transferring

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

Transferring a title somewhere else

See Transferring a title in North Carolina.

See Transferring a title in Oregon.

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. Not carried on this page: Any title-transfer fee other than $18/$23, none carried.