How to Title a Private Car Sale in Ohio
Last verified: October 2026 against Ohio BMV and Ohio Department of Taxation sources
In Ohio, titles are issued by county clerk of courts title offices, not the BMV. You pay the sales tax there when the title is transferred, then register at a deputy registrar.
Here is the order to do it in, what it costs, and what to bring.
Step by step
- 1
Get the title with a notarized signature
The seller signs the title over to you, and the seller’s signature must be notarized.
- 2
Transfer the title within 30 days
Take the title to a county clerk of courts title office within 30 days of the sale. A late application costs $5 more.
- 3
Pay the sales tax at the title office
A private sale is taxed on the price paid, at the rate for the county where you live: 5.75% state tax plus county tax, 6.50% to 8.25% in total.
The title fee is $18 ($23 in counties that add $5), and it includes noting a lien.
- 4
Register at a deputy registrar
With your Ohio title, register at a deputy registrar license agency. Registration is $36 a year ($30 for motorcycles), plus an $8 deputy registrar fee and any local permissive tax of up to $30.
Electric vehicles pay $200 a year more, plug-in hybrids $150, and hybrids $100.
- 5
Check for E-Check
Some counties require an E-Check emissions certificate before you can register.
How Ohio sales tax works on a private sale
- Private (casual) sales of motor vehicles are taxable in Ohio.
- The tax is on the full amount paid, including between family members.
- An even trade of vehicles is taxed on each vehicle’s fair market value.
- If you take over the seller’s loan, the tax is on the loan balance you assume.
What to bring
- The title, signed by the seller with the signature notarized
- Payment for sales tax at your county’s rate
- Payment for the $18 title fee (or $23)
- Proof of identity
- An E-Check certificate, if your county requires one
- Payment for registration and the deputy registrar fee