What is the proper way to sell a vehicle? (insurance, windshield, purchase)

[Glad2BHere]

What is the proper way to sell a vehicle? Do you remove your registration and inspection, as well as plates? Do you make your buyer sign the title right in front of you? Do you write a bill of sale? What other steps must be taken and when do you remove the vehicle from your insurance? Do you cancel the registration or does that occur when you turn the plates in? Please someone map this out for me.

I read a story recently about someone being held accountable for the same vehicle they sold years back, apparently the new owners never signed the title. So I want to be sure to protect myself when selling.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by Glad2BHere

What is the proper way to sell a vehicle? Do you remove your registration and inspection, as well as plates? Do you make your buyer sign the title right in front of you? Do you write a bill of sale? What other steps must be taken and when do you remove the vehicle from your insurance? Do you cancel the registration or does that occur when you turn the plates in? Please someone map this out for me.

I read a story recently about someone being held accountable for the same vehicle they sold years back, apparently the new owners never signed the title. So I want to be sure to protect myself when selling.

there will be a statute in NY that tells you what you must do to be protected. Its not someone's opinion, there will be a law. When I get a minute I'll look it up for you. Here in Ohio, you have to write their name in the box on the title and take your plates off. But there is an answer.

[Wilson513]

OK, hereis the informal blurb:

Selling Your Car

When it's time to part ways with your vehicle, you can have a dealer sell it, trade it in for another car (either to a dealer or a private party), or simply sell it to a private party.
If you sell it to a private individual, provide the following documents to the new owner:

• Proof of ownership (http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/proove.htm - broken link).

• Odometer and damage disclosure statement (if not on the back of the title, use Form MV-103 (http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/forms/mv103.pdf - broken link)).

• Proof of purchase price or gift (http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/forms/dtf802.pdf - broken link).

• The original document from the lienholder that proves the lien is satisfied, if applicable.

Take the license plates off the car and remove the registration sticker from the windshield so you're not held liable for any parking or traffic tickets the new owner gets.
The new owner is responsible for getting a new title, a new registration, and new plates at the DMV. You are responsible for surrendering your plates to the DMV or transferring them to another vehicle before your insurance lapses, otherwise the DMV may suspend your driver license.


I'll still check for the actual law.

EDIT: NY is a mess. They don't even seem to have a code. Keep copies of the above documents, get good ID on the buyer and make him sign the photocopy of the title as "vehicle received" and put in your files.

[M3 Mitch]

This varies from state to state, BTW. Sometimes the tags go with the car (South and West mostly) and sometimes the tags are personal property of the car's owner and stay with the previous owner, not the car (North and East, mostly).

Wilson is as usual 100% right about matters of law - there is a law in every state that says how this is done, typically the people at the registration office know what you need to do.