Sell your car in New Jersey — no notary, no runaround
New Jersey makes selling a car simpler than its reputation suggests: the title itself is the transfer document, no notary is involved, and the buyer — not you — owes the sales tax. Get an instant cash offer, or call and talk it through with someone who has read the MVC's fine print so you don't have to.
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Every New Jersey market sells differently — a Newark sale and a Toms River sale barely share a species. Pick your city below for the local read, or use the form and we'll come to you anywhere in the state.
What New Jersey requires when you sell
| Notary | None required. The MVC's transfer instructions ask only that you sign the seller's section on the back of the title and hand the buyer a bill of sale. The lone notarization on the Universal Title Application (Form OS/SS-UTA) is for powers of attorney and business letters of authorization — an owner signing for themselves never needs one. |
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| The title form | There isn't a separate one — the title itself is the transfer document. You sign the seller's section; the buyer signs theirs, adds a driver license number, and pays the $60 title fee ($85 if financed). Your bill of sale should list the buyer's name and address, date of sale, odometer reading, and price. Federal law requires that odometer statement — and a buyer who sits on the paperwork past 10 working days owes a $25 penalty. |
| Lost your title? | File Form OS/SS-UTA with a $60 fee — in person at an MVC Vehicle Center by appointment, or by mail, where the MVC quotes 8–12 weeks. Book the appointment. If the car is or was financed, you also need a statement from the lienholder that they don't hold the original. Duplicate Title Unit: 609-633-8275. |
| Protect yourself after the sale | New Jersey has no release-of-liability filing — there is no post-sale form to send the state. Your protection is the completed title assignment, your copy of the bill of sale, and pulling the plates before the car leaves the curb. |
| License plates | They stay with you, never the car. Remove them and surrender them at a motor vehicle agency, or transfer them to another vehicle you own. Plates cannot follow the car to a new owner. |
| Sales tax | The buyer's bill, not yours: on a private ("casual") sale the purchaser owes New Jersey's 6.625% sales tax when they title the car. Genuine gifts and inherited vehicles are exempt — a gift must be marked as such on the title paperwork. |
| Inspections | Selling triggers nothing. Passenger cars get a biennial emissions-only (OBD2) test tied to the registration and windshield sticker, not the transfer. Fully exempt: pre-1996 gasoline cars, 100% electric vehicles, motorcycles, low-mileage collector cars, and historic vehicles 25 years or older. |
Fees and rules above are current as of August 2026 — confirm the details on the NJMVC's official transfer page before you sign anything.
Asked by New Jersey sellers
Do I need a notary to sell my car in New Jersey?
No. You sign the seller's section on the back of the title, write a bill of sale, and you're done. The only notarization the MVC's paperwork ever calls for involves powers of attorney and business authorizations — a regular owner selling their own car skips it entirely.
Who pays the sales tax when I sell my car privately in NJ?
The buyer. On a casual sale the purchaser owes 6.625% when they title the vehicle at the MVC — you collect your price and owe the state nothing. Gifts and inherited vehicles are exempt, but a gift has to be marked as one on the title paperwork.
What do I do with my license plates after the sale?
Take them off before the car leaves — plates belong to you, not the vehicle. Surrender them at a motor vehicle agency or move them to another car you own. Handing plates to the buyer is the one mistake New Jersey sellers genuinely regret, since the car keeps driving around on your registration.
I lost the title. Can I still sell the car?
Yes, once you replace it. File the Universal Title Application (OS/SS-UTA) with $60 — by appointment at an MVC Vehicle Center, or by mail if you can wait the quoted 8–12 weeks. Financed or formerly financed cars also need a lienholder statement. Start this before you list; nothing kills a deal like a title that's in the mail.