What you sign, what you keep, what it costs, and when a trade-in saves sales tax in Ohio. Last checked 2026-10-29.
Short answer: to sell a car privately in Ohio, sign the back of the title in front of a notary (or a deputy clerk at a title office), writing in the actual purchase price and the odometer reading, and take your license plates off the car. The buyer has 30 days to title it at a county Clerk of Courts title office: the title fee is $18 (up to $23 in some counties), plus $5 if they're late, plus sales tax on what they paid. If you trade in at a dealer instead, the dealer handles the title, you keep your plates, and Ohio takes your trade-in off the taxable price only when the car you're buying is new: on a $10,000 trade-in that's about $575 in state tax. Buying a used car, a trade-in saves no tax in Ohio.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Sign in front of a notary | Complete the assignment of ownership on the back of the title, including the purchase price, and sign it exactly as your name appears on the title. Your signature must be notarized (a notary or a deputy clerk witnesses it) (Franklin County Clerk, Montgomery County Clerk). Don't sign ahead of time and hand over a signed, blank title. |
| Write the real price and mileage | As the seller you state the actual purchase price and the odometer reading. Ohio law penalizes a false price statement (Ohio Department of Taxation, citing R.C. 2921.13). |
| Clear any loan first | The lien has to be off the title before it can transfer. If your lender is in Ohio's electronic lien and title program, it releases the lien electronically, and you then get a paper title from a county Clerk of Courts title office for the title fee (Ohio BMV). Otherwise the lender marks the title discharged and sends it to you. |
| Take your plates off | When the car changes hands, its registration ends and the seller "immediately shall remove the license plates" (R.C. 4503.12). |
| Keep a copy | Keep a copy of the signed title and a written bill of sale with the date, price, mileage and the buyer's name. (Our suggestion; Ohio doesn't require a separate bill of sale.) |
Ohio titles are issued by the county Clerk of Courts title offices, not the BMV (Ohio BMV). For a private sale with no loan on the car, the BMV's online Ohio Title Portal can also transfer the title from one person to another.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certificate of title | $18, or $23 in counties that have adopted the higher fee (since January 1, 2026) |
| Late fee if the title isn't applied for within 30 days | $5 more |
| Sales tax | Ohio's 5.75% state rate plus the county rate, on the purchase price, paid at the title office |
| Plates | Their own: a new registration, or $1 plus a service fee to move plates they already have |
Sources: title and late fees, R.C. 4505.09 (effective January 1, 2026; some county pages still show the old $15); sales tax, Ohio Department of Taxation: a private sale of a car is taxed, and the tax "must be paid to the clerk of courts at the time of title transfer"; plate transfer, R.C. 4503.12. Notaries may charge a small fee too (Franklin County's title office charges $1 per notarization).
Federal law requires a written mileage disclosure when ownership changes. Cars from model year 2011 on stay covered until they're 20 years old; model year 2010 and older are exempt (49 CFR 580.17). In Ohio the seller writes the reading on the title in front of the notary or deputy clerk, so bring the actual number from the odometer the day you sell.
Ohio subtracts your trade-in from the taxable price only when the car you're buying is new. "A trade-in allowance does not reduce the price when" the car you're buying is used, so on a used car you pay tax on the full price, trade-in or not (Ohio Department of Taxation). At the 5.75% state rate (your county adds a little more):
| Trade-in value | Tax saved buying new | Tax saved buying used |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $288 | $0 |
| $10,000 | $575 | $0 |
| $15,000 | $862 | $0 |
| $20,000 | $1,150 | $0 |
That changes the trade-in-or-sell math. Buying new, the tax saving is part of what a private sale has to beat. Buying used, there's no tax saving to give up, so the gap between a private sale and a trade-in offer is all yours to weigh against the time and hassle. Trade in or sell it yourself? · Trade-in tax in other states
Does the seller's signature on an Ohio title have to be notarized? Yes. The seller completes the assignment on the back of the title, including the purchase price and odometer reading, and signs it in front of a notary public or a deputy clerk at a county title office, signing exactly as the name appears on the title.
Do I keep my license plates when I sell my car in Ohio? Yes. When the car changes hands, Ohio law says the seller immediately removes the license plates. You can move them to another car you buy within 30 days by paying a $1 transfer fee plus a service fee. The same goes for a trade-in: take the plates off the car you trade.
How long does the buyer have to title the car in Ohio? 30 days. After that the county Clerk of Courts adds a $5 late fee. The certificate of title costs $18, or $23 in counties that adopted the higher fee, and the buyer pays sales tax on the purchase price at the title office.
Does a trade-in lower the sales tax in Ohio? Only when the car you buy is new. Ohio then taxes the price minus your trade-in, which at the 5.75% state rate saves $575 on a $10,000 trade-in, plus your county's share. Buying a used car, you pay tax on the full price even if you trade one in.
Do private car sales in Ohio pay sales tax? Yes. Ohio excludes cars from its casual-sale exemption, so the buyer pays sales tax on the price they paid when they title the car at the Clerk of Courts.
Can I sell my car in Ohio if I still owe money on it? The lien has to be released first. Pay off the lender; if it's in Ohio's electronic lien and title program it releases the lien electronically and you get a paper title from a county title office. At a dealer, paying off your loan is normally part of the deal, and if you owe more than the car is worth, you still pay the difference.
General information from Ohio and federal sources, not legal or tax advice. Fees vary a little by county; check your county Clerk of Courts title office before you sell. How we estimate your trade-in value · Selling in Michigan · Selling in Indiana · Selling in Wisconsin
How we calculate it · Trade-in tax by state · What dealers make · Trade in or sell? · What dealers check · Owe more than it's worth? · When to sell · Selling a car by state · Stop calls & texts