Iowa Department of Transportation –
Buying and Selling a Vehicle: www.iowadot.gov
Information You Need If You Sell Your Car
Before you sell your car, you need to know how to transfer the title and fill out the odometer statement.
- Knowing how to transfer title to your vehicle, whether to a dealer or a private party, is important.
- The rules for transferring the title are different if the buyer is a person or a dealership.
If you sell your vehicle to a dealer you’ll need to give the dealer the title with the top section on the back completed.
- The dealer will need to know in which county the vehicle was registered last and the date the license plates expire.
- If the vehicle is nine years old or newer you’ll have to complete an odometer statement showing the vehicle’s mileage.
- If the vehicle is seven years old or newer you must also complete a damage disclosure statement.
- If you’re buying a new vehicle from the dealer you should give the dealer the registration for the vehicle you’re trading in.
- Keep the receipt if you’re not buying another vehicle from the dealer.
If you’re buying another vehicle within 30 days of selling your car you can put the old license plates on the new car as long as you’ve paid the licensing fees on the new car.
- If you’re not buying another vehicle within 30 days of selling your car you should return the license plates to the county treasurer.
If you sell your vehicle to another resident of Iowa you need to give the buyer these documents and information:
- a completed odometer statement,
- the title,
- a bill of sale,
- a damage disclosure statement,
- the name of the county where the vehicle was last registered
- the date the license plates will expire.
If the buyer can’t register a vehicle, the county treasure is allowed to let the transfer go through, but then immediately suspend the registration. The vehicle is allowed to get out of your name.
If you sell your vehicle to a junkyard and it will never be driven again:
- give the buyer the title with the top section on the back completed.
- get a receipt from the buyer.
- Or you can take the title and the registration to the county treasurer to get a junking certificate.
- This certificate can then be given to the buyer.
ALWAYS REMOVE AND KEEP THE LICENSE PLATES before selling a vehicle.
- The only time you can transfer the license plates and fees along with the vehicle is when you’re selling to a spouse, parent or child.
- The spouse, parent or child still has to apply for a transfer of the title within 30 days of buying the vehicle.