Table of Contents
- What Are the Basics?
- How Do I Sign the Title?
- What If I’ve Lost the Title?
- What Information is Included in the Bill of Sale?
- Why Do I Need to Include the Odometer Reading?
- Why Do I Need A Bill of Sale?
- May I Transfer Plates?
- What If I Don’t Transfer Plates to a New Vehicle?
- What If I Am Giving The Car to Someone Rather Than Selling It?
- How Do I, As Executor, Transfer the Car to An Heir?
What Are The Basics?
When you sell a car in Wyoming, you must comply with certain legal requirements to ensure the sale is properly documented and to avoid penalties. You must remove the license plates and sign the title.
How Do I Sign the Title?
You sign your name in the seller’s section of the reverse side of the title and give it to the buyer, along with an odometer disclosure form and a notarized bill of sale. You will also provide a copy of the lien release, if applicable.
What if I’ve Lost the Title?
You cannot sell a vehicle without a title. If you’ve lost it, you’ll need to obtain a duplicate title from the county in which you reside. An 11-day waiting period is required from the time your duplicate title application is received until a new title can be issued.
What Information is Included in the Bill of Sale?
- The names of the buyer and seller
- Date of sale;
- Serial number;
- Make and model; and
- Sale price.
Why do I need to Record the Odometer Reading?
Wyoming laws require you to provide an accurate odometer reading at the time of sale to show whether the vehicle has passed its mechanical limitations and is on a second or third cycle.
Why do I Need a Bill of Sale?
A bill of sale records the information the buyer will need to title and register the vehicle in their own name. It also protects you from liability should the vehicle later be involved in an accident. The bill of sale also can settle legal disputes between you and the buyer should they arise later.
May I Transfer Plates?
License plates cannot be transferred to a new owner. However, you may transfer them to another vehicle that you own as long as the names on the registration are the same. You have 45 days to do the transfer.
What if I Don’t Transfer Plates to a New Vehicle?
You return the plates to your county clerk’s office.
What if I Am Giving the Car to Someone Rather than Selling It?
You will still need to sign the title and bill of sale, but write “gift” for the purchase price.
How Do I, As Executor, Transfer a Car to an Heir?
If you are an executor of a deceased person’s will, and you are transferring the car to the heir, you will still sign the title and remove the license plates. You note, however, that the car was inherited rather than purchased.