DMV Release of Liability and Notice of Sale by State
Several of the states we cover have a notice that tells the state a vehicle was sold, under names such as a notice of sale, a report of sale or a release of liability. Many people call it the DMV release of liability, but the agency that receives the notice is not called the DMV everywhere, and the rows below name it as that state's page does. For the states we cover so far, the table below says who is notified, on which form and within how many days, where we could confirm them in the states' own government sources.
Each row is the notice of sale line from that state's page on this site, with its sources and the date we last checked them. The state pages are written for selling a car, truck or van.
Updated October 1, 2026
Notice of sale rules by state
Where a row does not name a form or give a deadline, we could not confirm it in a primary source, and that does not mean there is none. Some rows say the notice is required, and others say only that the agency has one or that it can be used, and no row goes further than its source. Where a row says only that the agency has a notice, we could not confirm in a primary source whether it is required, and that does not mean it is optional.
| State | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | The Office of Motor Vehicle can be notified of the sale on the Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Motor Vehicle. | dfa.arkansas.gov: NoticeofTransferOwnership (PDF) (opens in a new tab) Checked September 29, 2026 |
| California | Sellers must notify the California Department of Motor Vehicles of the sale on form REG 138 (Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability) within 5 days. The notice can also be filed online, and the DMV says submitting it does not count as a transfer of ownership. | dmv.ca.gov: notice-of-transfer-and-release-of-liability-nrl (opens in a new tab) dmv.ca.gov: title-transfers-and-changes (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Colorado | The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles has a notice of sale for sellers. The Division's buying and selling page describes it as the Report Release of Liability, made online through myDMV or at a county motor vehicle office within 5 days of the sale, and says it removes the seller from liability for the buyer's actions involving the vehicle after the sale. | dmv.colorado.gov: buying-and-selling (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Delaware | The Department or an authorized representative thereof must be notified of the sale. Delaware law (21 Del. C. § 2502) says, “An owner, upon transferring a registered vehicle, shall endorse the name and address of the transferee and the date of transfer upon the registration card issued for such vehicle and shall immediately give or send such card to the Department or an authorized representative thereof, except as otherwise provided by law in the case of transfers to dealers.”Delaware law (21 Del. C. § 101) defines “Department”as “the Department of Transportation of this State acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents.” | delcode.delaware.gov: c025 (opens in a new tab) delcode.delaware.gov: c001 (opens in a new tab) Checked October 1, 2026 |
| Florida | The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must be notified of the sale within 30 days. | leg.state.fl.us: 0319.22 (opens in a new tab) leg.state.fl.us: 0319.001 (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Idaho | The Idaho Transportation Department has a notice of sale for sellers. The Idaho Transportation Department lists a Release of Liability form, ITD 3858, with a $3.50 filing fee. | itd.idaho.gov: vehicle-titles (opens in a new tab) Checked September 29, 2026 |
| Iowa | Sellers can notify any county treasurer of the sale. Iowa Code section 321.46(5) says, “The seller or transferor may file an affidavit on forms prescribed and provided by the department with any county treasurer certifying the sale or transfer of ownership of the vehicle and the assignment and delivery of the certificate of title for the vehicle.” | legis.iowa.gov: 321.46 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) legis.iowa.gov: 321.1 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) Checked October 1, 2026 |
| Louisiana | Sellers must notify the commissioner of the sale within 15 days. Louisiana law, R.S. 47:510, says a person who transfers a motor vehicle shall give written notice of the transfer to the commissioner within fifteen days, on a form provided by the commissioner. R.S. 47:451 defines the commissioner as the secretary of the Department of Public Safety. | legis.la.gov: 102308 (opens in a new tab) legis.la.gov: 102136 (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Missouri | Sellers must notify the Missouri Department of Revenue of the sale on form 5049 (Notice of Sale) or 1957 (Bill of Sale) within 30 days. | dor.mo.gov: notice-of-sale (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Nevada | The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has a notice of sale. The Nevada DMV's vehicle resale notification page says, “Use this web page to report when you recently sold your motor vehicle. The information should be submitted within five days after the sale.” | dmvapp.nv.gov: VehicleResaleNotificationDefault (opens in a new tab) Checked September 29, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Service Oklahoma can be notified of the sale on form 773 (Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle). | oklahoma.gov: 773 Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle R01-2023 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) oklegislature.gov: os47 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Oregon | Sellers must notify the Oregon DMV of the sale within 10 days. | oregon.gov: 501fill (PDF) (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| South Dakota | Sellers must notify the South Dakota Department of Revenue of the sale. South Dakota law (SDCL 32-5-2.10) says, “At the time of sale of a vehicle, the seller shall file a report of sale with the department indicating the purchaser's name and address.” | sdlegislature.gov: 32-5-2.10 (opens in a new tab) sdlegislature.gov: 32-3-1 (opens in a new tab) Checked September 30, 2026 |
| Texas | The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has a notice of sale on form VTR-346 (Texas Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification), which says to submit it within 30 days. | txdmv.gov: VTR-346 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) Checked September 20, 2026 |
| Virginia | Sellers must notify the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles of the sale. Code of Virginia § 46.2-604 says, “Whenever a Virginia-registered motor vehicle is sold or its ownership otherwise transferred, the seller or transferor shall notify the Department of the sale or transfer by completing the appropriate portion of the registration card.” | law.lis.virginia.gov: 46.2-604 (opens in a new tab) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| Washington | The Washington State Department of Licensing must be notified of the sale. RCW 46.12.650 sets the time as “within five business days after a vehicle is or has been”sold. DOL's form TD-420-062, the Vehicle Report of Sale, says, “Use this form to notify Department of Licensing (DOL) that you have sold, traded, or given up ownership of a car, truck, motorcycle, trailer, or other registered vehicle.” | app.leg.wa.gov: 46.12.650 (opens in a new tab) dol.wa.gov: 420062 (opens in a new tab) app.leg.wa.gov: 46.04.162 (opens in a new tab) app.leg.wa.gov: 46.04.163 (opens in a new tab) Checked October 1, 2026 |
| West Virginia | The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles has a notice of sale on form DMV-1-S. The DMV's forms page says, “Sold vehicle notice. Can be used by a customer to change the status of their vehicle to 'SOLD' in DMV records.” | dmv.wv.gov: forms (opens in a new tab) Checked September 30, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has a notice of sale for sellers. The Wisconsin DMV's seller notification page says, “Anyone who sells a motor vehicle from one individual to another individual, including transferring a junk vehicle by bill of sale, must submit notification to the DMV that a sale has occurred.”The page also says, “Within 30 days of a sale the seller needs to report to WisDOT the:”and lists “Vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle,” “Identity of the individual buyer,” “Sale price”and “Date of sale.” | wisconsindot.gov: seller-notify (opens in a new tab) Checked September 30, 2026 |
We have pages for these states but could not confirm a notice of sale for them in a primary source, and that does not mean there is none: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, North Dakota and Vermont.
Not covered yet: Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming.
For a state we don't cover yet, USA.gov has a list of state motor vehicle agencies: State motor vehicle services (opens in a new tab) (external site).
What the table covers
Each row covers the notice that tells the state a vehicle was sold, as that state's page on this site states it. Title transfer is on the car title transfer by state page, and sales tax and license plates are on the state's own page, where we could confirm them, linked from its name on this page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a release of liability?
It is one of the names used for the notice that tells the state a vehicle was sold. In the table, California's form REG 138 is the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, and the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles' buying and selling page describes its notice as the Report Release of Liability. A row says what the notice does only where its source says it.
Is a notice of sale required?
It depends on the state. Where a row says the notice is required, its source says so. Where a row says only that the agency has a notice, we could not confirm in a primary source whether it is required, and that does not mean it is optional. Where a row says the notice can be used, it goes no further than its source.
Is there a deadline for the notice?
Where we could confirm one, the row gives the number of days its source states. Where a row gives no deadline, we could not confirm one in a primary source, and that does not mean there is none.
Where are the title transfer rules?
On the car title transfer by state page, which sets out who handles a car title transfer, the fee and the deadline in the states we cover, where we could confirm them.
Related templates
These are blank bill of sale templates: the record the buyer and the seller write themselves. This site offers no notice of sale form.