In a Florida private sale, the seller fills in the “Transfer of Title by Seller” section on the front of the title, and the buyer submits it with form HSMV 82040 at a tax collector office within 30 days. The title transfer fee is $75.25 (plus $2.50 if a paper title is printed). FLHSMV encourages both of you to complete the sale at a motor vehicle service center.
What you need
- The Florida title, with the seller’s section completed and both odometer acknowledgments
- HSMV 82040, Application for Certificate of Title, completed by the buyer
- HSMV 82042, VIN and Odometer Verification, if the vehicle wasn’t previously titled in Florida
- No outstanding lien: a vehicle with a lien can’t be legally sold privately until the lien is satisfied
- Payment: title fee, any registration fees and sales tax
Seller: step by step
- Pay off any loan first. Once the lender reports the lien satisfied, the title can be transferred.
- Lost paper title? Apply for a duplicate (HSMV 82101) before the sale. See replacing a lost Florida title.
- Electronic title? You and the buyer must both go to a motor vehicle service center with photo ID to complete a secure reassignment and odometer disclosure.
- Fill in “Transfer of Title by Seller” on the front of the title: the buyer’s name and address, the odometer reading, the selling price and the date sold.
- File a Notice of Sale (HSMV 82050). Florida law requires it, and it protects you from liability for the car after the sale. See Florida Notice of Sale.
- Remove your plate. In Florida, plates stay with the seller, not the car. Transfer it to your next vehicle, or surrender it at a service center if you’re moving out of state or cancelling the insurance tied to it.
Buyer: step by step
- Fill in HSMV 82040. It’s a fillable PDF from FLHSMV. Attach it to the signed title.
- Get a VIN verification (HSMV 82042) if the car wasn’t titled in Florida before. A FLHSMV compliance examiner, a licensed Florida dealer, a Florida notary or a law enforcement officer can verify it.
- Submit within 30 calendar days at a tax collector office or license plate agency, with the fees.
Fees
FLHSMV’s fee table (electronic titles):
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Title transfer or duplicate | $75.25 |
| Paper title printed | add $2.50 |
| Lien recording, if financed | add $2 |
| Fast title (expedited, where offered) | $10 |
| Late title fee | $20 |
Registration fees and sales tax are on top of these.
Don’t skip
- The 30-day deadline. After that, a late fee applies.
- The odometer. Florida titles have space for it; buyer and seller both acknowledge the reading.
- Curbstoning rules. Florida bans parking a car on public right-of-way or someone else’s property to sell it without permission, and anyone selling three or more vehicles in 12 months is presumed to be a dealer.