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

$15 titling fee, plus Sales and Use Tax (4.15% of sale price, $75 minimum, per DMV 140 Step 2). $15 substitute title fee if a lien existed or a paper title was previously printed (no fee for a one-time paper title if no lien ever existed and no paper title was previously issued).

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

Title the vehicle within 30 days of moving to Virginia (DMV 140: 'Title your vehicle in Virginia (do this within 30 days of moving to Virginia)' and 'you must first title your vehicle within 30 days of moving to Virginia'). No deadline for an in-state private-party transfer was stated on the pages opened.

Does Virginia require an odometer disclosure when transferring a title?

When a vehicle is sold or transferred, the seller must record the odometer reading in the 'assignment' section of the title, and the buyer must record the odometer reading on the Application for Title and Registration. If an out-of-state title has no assignment section, the seller may record mileage on an Odometer Disclosure Statement.

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

Liens are applied to a vehicle title when first purchased unless paid in full with the buyer's own funds; a lien may also be placed on refinancing. Once titled in Virginia, DMV forwards the title with the lien recorded to the lender (lienholder).

How to Transfer a Car Title in Virginia

The Virginia transfer in one table

Step	Virginia rule
Title transfer fee	$15 titling fee, plus Sales and Use Tax (4.15% of sale price, $75 minimum, per DMV 140 Step 2). $15 substitute title fee if a lien existed or a paper title was previously printed (no fee for a one-time paper title if no lien ever existed and no paper title was previously issued).
Deadline and late penalty	Title the vehicle within 30 days of moving to Virginia (DMV 140: 'Title your vehicle in Virginia (do this within 30 days of moving to Virginia)' and 'you must first title your vehicle within 30 days of moving to Virginia'). No deadline for an in-state private-party transfer was stated on the pages opened.
Application form	Application for Certificate of Title and Registration, form VSA 17A (also cited as Application for Title and Registration); Odometer Disclosure Statement (if an out-of-state title has no assignment section); Purchaser's Statement of Tax Exemption (if claiming sales/use tax exemption); Application for Registration, form VSA 14 (registration step after titling, per DMV 140)
Odometer	When a vehicle is sold or transferred, the seller must record the odometer reading in the 'assignment' section of the title, and the buyer must record the odometer reading on the Application for Title and Registration. If an out-of-state title has no assignment section, the seller may record mileage on an Odometer Disclosure Statement. If the reading is not actual, the seller must inform the buyer by checking the appropriate box ('exceeds actual limits' / 'odometer reading is not the actual mileage'). If an out-of-state title shows the vehicle was exempt from odometer disclosure (and, per DMV 140, the model year is at least 10 years older than the current calendar year), no odometer disclosure is required, present the out-of-state title showing the exemption.
Lien	Liens are applied to a vehicle title when first purchased unless paid in full with the buyer's own funds; a lien may also be placed on refinancing. Once titled in Virginia, DMV forwards the title with the lien recorded to the lender (lienholder). E-titling requires no liens present on the title. After payoff: the lender has 10 days to notify the buyer and must send the title showing the lien as satisfied; most lenders release electronically, triggering DMV to mail a clean title stating 'no liens'; non-electronic lenders sign/date the lien release section on the title and mail it to the owner, who must visit a DMV customer service center to apply for a substitute title and have the lien removed from DMV records.

What makes Virginia different

Step numbering on the Title page as rendered begins at 'Step 2' (Step 1 content did not render); the Step 1 document list is taken from the opened DMV 140 brochure, which states the same VSA 17A + proof of address + prior title requirements. The DMV 140 brochure's odometer Step 3 wording and the Title page's Step 3 wording agree, including the out-of-state exemption sentence.

The transfer, step by step

Buyer steps:

Present a completed Application for Title and Registration (form VSA 17A), proof of address, the previous owner's title signed over to the buyer if the vehicle is used (or the manufacturer's statement/certificate of origin if new), and Social Security number if applicable (DMV 140, Step 1).
If titling from out of state: bring the title from the previous state of residence (name must appear as owner), or have the previous owner of the out-of-state title assign it to the buyer.
Record the odometer reading on the Application for Title and Registration (VSA 17A).
Pay the $15 titling fee and 4.15% sales and use tax (minimum $75), unless exempt (bring proof of exemption or complete the Purchaser's Statement of Tax Exemption). First-time Virginia titling with an assignable title/registration from another state/U.S. Armed Forces branch: no sales/use tax unless the vehicle was purchased within the preceding 12 months, in which case proof of tax paid elsewhere is required for exemption.
Choose paper or electronic title on the application; electronic titling is available for a Virginia-titled private sale (both parties Virginia residents with MyDMV accounts in the e-titling program description).

Seller steps:

Record the odometer reading (mileage) in the 'assignment' section of the title.
Sign the title over to the buyer (the previous owner's title signed over to the buyer is the ownership document presented at titling).
If the odometer reading is not actual, inform the buyer by checking the appropriate odometer brand code/box and provide the vehicle's actual mileage (DMV 140 Step 3).
If selling/trading/disposing of the vehicle: notify DMV if transferring license plates to another insured vehicle; otherwise return plates to a DMV customer service center or mail them to DMV before canceling insurance (DMV 140).

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

Bring the title from the previous state of residence (buyer's name must appear as owner), or have the previous owner assign the out-of-state title to the buyer. If the previous state did not issue a title, present a bill of sale and the current registration issued in the buyer's name. Title within 30 days of moving to Virginia. Odometer rules for out-of-state titles are as stated in the odometer field, including the Odometer Disclosure Statement fallback and the exemption presentation rule.

Renewing is not transferring

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

Transferring a title somewhere else

See Transferring a title in Texas.

See Transferring a title in Washington.

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 in-state private-sale deadline, none stated on pages opened; the 30-day rule found is expressly for persons moving to Virginia.