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How To Sell A Car in Arizona and Follow All Guidelines for Successful Sale!

How To Sell A Car in Arizona and Follow All Guidelines for Paperwork!

Selling a car in Arizona requires knowledge of the procedures. As these regulations for car selling, are put in place for your protection.  As a seller, it’s important to know them and follow them.

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Check out our resource guide here that helps you with detailed instructions. And for additional questions you have about your Arizona car title as well as how to sell a car in Arizona, visit your Arizona Department (ADOT) website today!

How to Sell Your Car in Arizona – What Must Be Done as a Seller

Once a vehicle sells or is transferred, you as a vehicle seller must:

  1. Fill out a sold notice.
  2. Sign off on the back of the vehicle and get that signature notarized.
  3. Then, take off the license plate from the vehicle.
  4. Transfer the license plate to another vehicle you own or return it to the MVD office. You can also destroy the license plate.
  5. Provide the vehicle buyer any lien release if applicable to the sale.
  6. Transfer the plate credit to another vehicle that you own. You can also request a plate refund. These matters must be taken car of within 30 days.

Understanding Auto Title Transfers

There are a number of possible issues that may surface, during a vehicle title transfer. This tends to be the case when there are multiple sellers involved, or there is question about the vehicle’s ownership.

For example, if an auto seller is selling a car on behalf of the vehicle’s owner, then the seller is required to provide proof of property rights for the owner’s property. A court order or proof of power of attorney for the vehicle owner should suffices as suitable proof.


For an auto sale that involves multiple owners on a vehicle title, each owner is required to sign the title, and get each of those signatures notarized.

You can’t forget that to have a complete title transfer, you have to have the vehicle title. So, you as the seller cannot sell a vehicle unless there is a car title. If the original title has been lost, damaged or destroyed, a duplicate car title is a must!

What are the Steps I Need to Take to Transfer the Title in Arizona?

To ensure that you have a successful vehicle title transfer here in Arizona, you have to do several things. They involve:

STEP ONE: Signing the title

The first step is the seller signing the title. Here in Arizona, that title must also be notarized. If there is more than one owner or more than one name on the title, both owners need to sign the title and have it notarized. If there is a lien on the car, the owner must provide a signature for each lien release and have a notary for each as well.

An additional step that goes with the first item of business, is having the seller take off all license plates because they cannot be given to the buyer. As the seller, you can check to see if there is a license plate credit or refund is possible.

Finally, within this first step, the seller has to fill out a notice of sale within ten days. The notice of sale is on the back of the vehicle registration.

Some Common Errors to Watch

Some Common Errors to Watch

During the signing of the title, there are some common mistakes that are made and worth mentioning. They include:

  1. People named on the title, not sign on the transfer of the title. Each person listed on the title HAS to sign for the transfer!
  2. Not getting the title notarized. Per Arizona law, car titles have to be notarized!
  3. Not having a lien release witness the signatures and signed for each lien on the car. Remember: for every lien on a car, you have to sign and get it a notary to witness the signature!

STEP TWO: Fill out forms and visit the DMV

For a successful car title transfer here in Arizona, the car buyer has to fill out the Title and Registration Application.

The buyer also has to register in his or her own name during the title transfer. That buyer also has to pay any fees and taxes that are applicable. The amount owed will depend on the make and model of the car.

Additionally, the buyer has to submit the form, sign it and get it notarial witness on it. That buyer has 15 days of the sale to accomplish these tasks, or risk delays or penalties.

STEP THREE: Pay all fees.

Here in Arizona, a car seller has to pay fees for a car title transfer. With the transfer fee itself being only $4.00, you have to pay an additional $8.00 fee for registration.

Then, there is an additional $1.50 fee for air quality research.

Does Arizona Require a Bill of Sale for a Vehicle?

According to the Arizona DOT, a bill of sale is not required for a vehicle, only a vehicle title.

How to Sell A Vehicle in Arizona – Notifying MVD of Sale

When you sell, you must let MVD know immediate and then fill out a Sold Notice. AS a free service the sold notice helps protect you from liability if the car was:

  • used during a crime
  • involved in a crash
  • has ticket
  • was abandoned which is a $500 fee

Applying for a Duplicate Car Title in Arizona

For an Arizona title that is mutilated, illegible or lost, you have to apply for a duplicate title.

You can fill out  a Title and Registration Application . Be sure to check the appropriate box at the top of the form for duplicate title.

Once you fill out the application, you can take it to any MVD-authorized third-party office. You can also mail it to:

Motor Vehicle Division
4005 N. 51st Avenue
MD 555M
Phoenix, AZ 85031

There is a fee of $4. For walk-in customers needing a duplicate car title, you will need your photo ID.

Additionally, you must bring that damaged, illegible or mutilated car title with you once you come to fill out the application, when available. Arizona does not require that the owner sign-off the back of the title. Click here for more information from the Arizona DOT.

Using eTitle in Arizona

The eTitle here in Arizona allows qualified vehicle sellers and buyer to perform a vehicle transfer electronically.

As a secure online system, customers can utilize eTitle without having to stand inline at an Arizona MVD office. Click here to learn more about eTitle!

How to Sell a Car on Craigslist

How to Sell a Car on Craigslist

Once you have the proper paperwork and documentation for the sale of your car, it’s time to get that car sold!

One of the most popular ways to sell a car is through the Arizona Craigslist website. A Craigslist ad has two major components that help to make it stand out: pictures and a detailed description.

  1. Your Craigslist ad should have at least ten to 15 pictures of your car. Those pics should be focused, sharp and clear to each perspective Arizona car buyer. If you’re not a good picture taker, ask someone to help. Then you need to upload those photos to your craigslist ad and make sure that potential buyers can access all of them.
  2. The second component of any Craigslist car ad, is a description of the car. Your description should tell the perspective buyer all about your car. What works on the car? If your car is a used car, are there new components or elements on the car? Does your car have a new starter? It’s important to let buyers know why they should buy your car!

Finally, you want to make sure that you add an email or a phone number, so that you can have people call you about your car.

You also want to make sure that you answer each email and phone call about your car, once your contact information is out there.

How to Sell Your Car Privately in Arizona – Dealing with Buyers

Check out some tips we think are important to keep in mind in dealing with buyers!

  1. Always remain pleasant with buyers. This can be difficult to do, once you have had 30 people call or email you about your car. This is why a description about your car is so important.
  2. Remain honest about your car. If the starter is old, or the transmission has been giving you some problems, let buyers know this. Just because a car gives you difficulties, doesn’t mean that no one will buy your car. Lots of Arizona residents fix cars for a hobby as well as a living!
  3. Have boundaries. If you are firm about the price of your car, then be firm. But if there is room for negotiation on the price of your car, you can feel free to negotiate the price of your car. No perspective car buyer should ever threaten you in any way.

For additional information or for questions about selling your car, visit the Arizona DOT website!

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