Selling a car in Texas: the paperwork
| Texas seller rules at a glance | What applies |
|---|---|
| Notarized title signature | Not required |
| License plates | Seller's choice: leave them or keep them |
| Report the sale | Vehicle Transfer Notification, within 30 days, online |
| Duplicate title | VTR-34 Application for a Certified Copy of Title; $2 by mail, $5.45 in person |
| Junk without a title | Allowed in some cases (Form VTR-71-2, Application for Authority to Dispose of a Motor Vehicle to a Demolisher) |
Title questions, duplicate titles and release of liability forms are handled by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). Compare these rules with other states on our seller rules by state page. After the sale, cancel your insurance once the car is gone. Our after-sale checklist covers each step.
No obligation.
Where we pick up in Texas
We buy cars in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso, and in every other town in Texas a tow truck can reach. Pickup is free wherever the car is, from a city driveway to a farm lot, and you're paid before it's loaded.
How it works in Texas
Get your offer
Tell us the year, make, model and condition, or start with your VIN. Your cash offer is good for 7 days.
Pick a pickup time
Choose when and where. Towing is free anywhere in Texas, and pickup is usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Get paid on the spot
The driver checks the car and pays you. Then you sign the title, hand over the keys and the car is loaded.
Cities we serve in Texas
Local pickup details for these cities are below. We buy everywhere else in Texas too, from the suburbs to the smallest towns.
- Cash for cars in Houston
- Cash for cars in San Antonio
- Cash for cars in Dallas
- Cash for cars in Austin
- Cash for cars in Fort Worth
- Cash for cars in El Paso
- Cash for cars in Abilene
Texas car selling questions
Do I need a title to sell my car in Texas?
For a titled vehicle, yes: the title is how ownership passes to the buyer. To replace a lost Texas title, apply to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) with VTR-34 Application for a Certified Copy of Title. The fee is $2 by mail, $5.45 in person.
Can I junk a car without a title in Texas?
Sometimes. Owners get a TxDMV Certificate of Authority via Form VTR-71-2 ($2); demolishers must accept it in lieu of a title (Transp. Code 683.054). A lost Texas title is unnecessary if TxDMV verifies ownership. Otherwise you'll need the title or a duplicate. To replace a lost Texas title, apply to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) with VTR-34 Application for a Certified Copy of Title. The fee is $2 by mail, $5.45 in person.
Does the title need to be notarized in Texas?
No. Texas doesn't require the seller's signature on the title to be notarized. Sign the seller section exactly as your name appears on the front of the title, and add the odometer reading and sale date where the title asks for them.
Do I keep my license plates when I sell a car in Texas?
In Texas, you choose: leave the plates on the car for the buyer, or take them off and keep them. If you take them off, you can reuse them on a vehicle of the same class; plates you remove and don't reuse must be defaced.
How do I tell the Texas DMV that I sold my car?
File the Vehicle Transfer Notification with the state within 30 days of the sale, and you can file it online. It records that the car is no longer yours. Filing it protects you from tickets, tolls and liability for anything that happens after the car leaves.
Is pickup really free everywhere in Texas?
Yes. Towing is free anywhere in Texas a tow truck can reach, and nothing is deducted from your offer for it.
Sources
- TxDMV: Buying or Selling a Vehicle
- TxDMV: Get a Copy of Your Title
- Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683, Sections 683.051 to 683.054 (Texas Legislature)
- TxDMV Abandoned Vehicles page, Certificate of Authority to Demolish
- TxDMV Form VTR-71-2, Application for Authority to Dispose of a Motor Vehicle to a Demolisher
- TxDMV Motor Vehicle Title Manual (August 2026), Section 11.10 Notarized Documents and Forms
Checked against these sources on November 6, 2026.
Last updated November 6, 2026.