Where do I transfer a car title in Texas?

File with the county tax assessor-collector's office in the buyer's county of residence — Texas titles are filed with the county, not a state DMV office.

How much is the title transfer fee in Texas?

$28 title fee — or $33 if the buyer's county is a Clean Air Act nonattainment or affected county.

What is the deadline to transfer a title in Texas?

Within 30 calendar days of purchase (60 days for active-duty military). The motor vehicle tax penalty is 5% if 1–30 days late and 10% beyond that; a separate title late penalty adds $25, plus $25 per additional 30 days, capped at $250.

What tax do I pay on a private-party car purchase in Texas?

6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on whichever is greater: the sales price minus any trade-in, or 80% of the vehicle's Standard Presumptive Value (SPV). If you genuinely bought far below SPV, a certified appraisal on Form 14-128 within 30 days can replace the SPV figure.

How to Transfer a Car Title in Texas

The Texas transfer in one table

Step	Texas rule
Where to file	the county tax assessor-collector's office in the buyer's county of residence — Texas titles are filed with the county, not a state DMV office
Application form	Form 130-U, Application for Texas Title and/or Registration, signed by buyer and seller
Title transfer fee	$28 title fee — or $33 if the buyer's county is a Clean Air Act nonattainment or affected county
Deadline & late penalty	Within 30 calendar days of purchase (60 days for active-duty military). The motor vehicle tax penalty is 5% if 1–30 days late and 10% beyond that; a separate title late penalty adds $25, plus $25 per additional 30 days, capped at $250
Sales/use tax	6.
Inspection	Texas eliminated the state safety inspection for noncommercial vehicles on January 1, 2025.

What makes Texas different

Texas is where the 'SPV trap' lives: pay too little for a car and the state taxes you on 80% of what its guidebook says the car is worth, not what you paid. A $2,000 beater with a $6,000 presumptive value is taxed on $4,800. The appraisal escape hatch exists, but only inside the same 30-day window as the title filing itself.

The transfer, step by step

Get the signed title from the seller. The seller assigns the title to you at the sale — names spelled exactly as on your ID, odometer reading recorded, no blank fields. A title with errors or a missing signature is the number one reason transfers bounce.
Complete the state application: Form 130-U. Bring the assigned title, your ID, and payment.
File at the county tax assessor-collector's office in the buyer's county of residence — Texas titles are filed with the county, not a state DMV office. Filing office matters in Texas — filing at the wrong level of government (state vs. county) is the most common wasted trip.
Pay the fee and the tax. Fee: $28 title fee — or $33 if the buyer's county is a Clean Air Act nonattainment or affected county. Tax: 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on whichever is greater: the sales price minus any trade-in, or 80% of the vehicle's Standard Presumptive Value (SPV). If you genuinely bought far below SPV, a certified appraisal on Form 14-128 within 30 days can replace the SPV figure.
Mind the deadline: Within 30 calendar days of purchase (60 days for active-duty military). The motor vehicle tax penalty is 5% if 1–30 days late and 10% beyond that; a separate title late penalty adds $25, plus $25 per additional 30 days, capped at $250.
Handle inspection if your situation triggers it. Texas eliminated the state safety inspection for noncommercial vehicles on January 1, 2025. Emissions testing is still required before registration in 17 counties (including Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Travis, and El Paso), and every registration now carries a $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee.

What it will actually cost

Run your numbers through the Car Title Transfer Cost Estimator — pick your state, enter the purchase price, and it adds the official fee and the state tax rule to give you the walk-in total before you queue. Then compare how the other seven states do it in the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Moving the car across a state line? The receiving state's rules govern the transfer — the directory links all eight state guides in this set.

Renewing is not transferring

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

If the title itself is lost

If the title itself is lost, stolen, or destroyed, replace it before you transfer or renew. A transfer needs a title to sign over, and a renewal on a lost title stalls at the title number. See How to Replace a Lost Car Title in Texas for the form, the fee, and the lienholder rule.

Transferring a title in another state

Transferring a title in another state? See How to Transfer a Car Title in Florida and How to Transfer a Car Title in New York.

Source

Fees, deadlines, and tax rules on this page are drawn from the official source: Texas Comptroller — Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax. Facts verified 2026-10-23. County-level registration fees and local tax rates vary — your filing office confirms the final figure.

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 a lawyer or your state labor or consumer agency.