Vehicle Title Transfer Guide

Summary

To transfer a vehicle title in Washington, obtain a bill of sale from the seller, submit the signed title from both the seller and previous owner, fill out the Vehicle Title Application form, and pay the necessary fees and taxes. A handwritten note can serve as a bill of sale if it includes full names and addresses of both parties, vehicle details, sale price, date, and signatures.

Full Conversation

Ariel
Hi Ariel! What legal issue are you currently facing?
Ok so i bought a vehicle off of "Gary". Gary never put the vehicle in his name when he bought it from the previous owner however Gary did give me the title which was signed by both Gary and the previous owner that he'd bought the van from. So what do I need to do to get the vehicle legally put in my name?
To get the vehicle legally put in your name, you'll generally need to:
- Obtain a bill of sale from Gary.
- Provide the signed title from both Gary and the previous owner.
- Complete a title transfer form from your local DMV.
- Pay any applicable fees and taxes.
Which state are you in? Different states may have slightly different requirements.
Washington
In Washington, here are the steps you need to follow to transfer the vehicle title to your name:
- Obtain a bill of sale from Gary.
- Submit the signed title from both Gary and the previous owner.
- Fill out the Vehicle Title Application form (Form TD-*-*).
- Pay the title transfer fee and any applicable taxes.
Do you have any other questions or need further clarification on any of these steps?
All I have for a bill of sale is a note that Gary wrote by hand on a piece of paper that says "sold to Ariel Thompson * Honda Odyssey vin********* for $* on */*/*
That handwritten note can serve as a bill of sale in Washington. Ensure the note includes:
- Full names and addresses of both buyer and seller
- Vehicle make, model, year, and VIN
- Sale price and date of sale
- Signatures of both parties
Do you need help with any other aspect of this process?