Don’t
forget theseimportanttips!

1

Get a National Motor Vehicle Title
Information System (NMVTIS) vehicle
history report before you buy. Protect
yourself from internet sales andindividuals selling vehicles without tellingyou it has been salvaged, flood damaged
or junk. Vehicles with these brands canbe worth much less than their listed sales
price and worse can yet, can be unsafe.
Get this report at dmv.idaho.gov

VehicleTitlesContact Us!
Idaho Transportation Department
Division of Motor Vehicles
Phone: 208-584-4343
Website: dmv.idaho.gov

Correspondence
Idaho Transportation Department
Attn: Titles
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707-1129

2

After acquiring a vehicle, you must apply
for title within 30 days. You must title inyour name before reselling.

3

File a release of liability form to protect
yourself after the sale. The form is
attached to the bottom of the title oravailable at dmv.idaho.gov

4

Keep your license plates when sellingyour vehicle (see exceptions below).
The plates belong to you and you may
transfer them to another vehicle.
(Exceptions include vehicles such as ATVs orUTVs with black on white “restricted plates.”)Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, andthe Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ITD does notdiscriminate
discriminate
onon
thethe
basis
basis
of of
race,
race,color,color,
national
nationalorigin,origin,age,age, sex,sex,disability,disability,economic
economicstatus
statusororLimited
LimitedEnglish
EnglishProficiency.
Proficiency.

5The bill of sale or properly assigned anddated title may be used as a 72-hour
permit prior to registering the vehicle
at your county Assessor’s DMV office(excluding weekends and holidays).

Persons that require a reasonable accommodation basedon language or disability should contact ITD Civil Rights
Office at civilrights@itd.idaho.gov. Requests should bemade as early as possible to ensure the state has anopportunity to address the accommodation.

6

Check for vehicle recalls at dmv.idaho.gov
and schedule any necessary repairs. Check
before buying any used vehicle.

4/24019676435

dmv.idaho.gov

A guide for titling vehicles
and how to protect yourself
when buying or selling a vehicle.

What is Idaho’s titling law?
Idaho law requires you to title a vehicle within 30
days after the purchase date. If you do not apply
for a title within that time, you may be charged apenalty. A title demonstrates the legal ownershipof a vehicle or boat.

What vehicles must be titled?
All vehicles operated or pulled on public
highways must be titled. This includes cars, trucks,
motorcycles, travel trailers, transport trailers andboat or utility trailers that have an unladen weightof 2,000 pounds or more along with:• Slide-in truck campers.
• All-terrain vehicles, utility type vehicles, off-road
motorcycles and snowmobiles with engines 50cc
or larger.
• Manufactured homes that have not beenformally declared real property.
• Most boats manufactured after 2000 with apermanently attached mode of propulsion
such as inboard/outboard motors, personal
water crafts and sailboats and outboard
motorboats over 12 feet in length. Similar
vessels manufactured or acquired prior to2000 must be titled if they are being financed.

208-584-4343

If I buy a car, what do I need to do about
the title?
• If you buy a vehicle from an Idaho-licensed
dealer, the dealer will complete and process
the title application.
• If you borrow money to buy a vehicle froma private party or out-of-state dealer, yourlending institution may complete theapplication for title on your behalf.
• If you buy a vehicle from a private party or
out-of-state dealer and do not finance it,
you must apply for title at a local DMV officewithin 30 days to avoid a penalty. For a firsttime Idaho title, you must bring the vehicle
to your county Assessor’s DMV office for avehicle identification number inspection.

Do not buy a vehicle without a title!
Require the seller to provide the title to thevehicle, and then make sure the seller:• Is the owner shown on the title or is thelegally appointed agent shown on a powerof attorney form provided to you. No one
else can sell the vehicle unless he or she is alicensed car dealer conducting the sale at theplace of business.

dmv.idaho.gov• Does the signed title list all sale information
including the selling price and odometerreading? It is a felony to list a false selling
price on a bill of sale or title. A county
Assessor’s DMV office and Idaho State Tax
Commission can look up your vehicle’s fairmarket value and compare it to thesale price.
• Do not plan on receiving a “lost title” later.
Have it in your hand before you finish buying
the vehicle to avoid problems later.

Without a title, you could be burned!
Without a properly signed title:• You will not be able to register and title thevehicle in your name.
• The vehicle may be towed by a repossession
agent if there is an unpaid lien.
• The vehicle may be reported as stolen andlaw enforcement may impound it.
• The vehicle may carry a “rebuilt salvage” title
or other brand and be worth thousands lessthan what you paid for it.

Did you know that ALL vehicles operated
or pulled on public highways must be
titled?