List a car FOR PENNSYLVANIA PRIVATE CAR SELLERS
Set your own asking price, show buyers the real condition and handle the Pennsylvania paperwork with confidence. Here is what PennDOT expects from a private seller.
Free until sold. No automatic renewal. CarTruvo is a marketplace: you and your buyer arrange inspection, payment and transfer directly.
BEFORE THE KEYS CHANGE HANDS
Meet the buyer at a notary, tag service or authorized PennDOT agent or dealer, since the title transfer must be completed by one of them. In front of the agent, the seller lists the buyer's name and address, signs and hand-prints their own name, and discloses the odometer reading on the title. The seller's signature must be notarized or verified. If the car has more than one owner, all owners must sign.
Official source ↗PennDOT's seller steps do not list a bill of sale as a requirement, and a bill of sale cannot replace the title. PennDOT's registration page does tell buyers to hold on to the bill of sale, so a signed bill of sale with price, date, VIN and both names is a good record. PennDOT does not publish a standard bill of sale form for ordinary sales that we could confirm.
Official source ↗Plates stay with the seller, not the car. After the title is transferred, remove the plate and never give it to the buyer. Return it to PennDOT (Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Return Tag Unit) unless you plan to move it to another vehicle.
Official source ↗The seller does not have to provide an inspection. Pennsylvania requires used vehicles to be inspected within 10 days of sale unless a valid inspection sticker is displayed, and PennDOT says the buyer is responsible for having it done (plus an emissions test in participating areas).
Official source ↗If the title is held electronically by a lender, the seller must get a paper title before ownership can be transferred. Pay off the loan first so the lienholder releases the lien and the title can be signed over.
Official source ↗The seller must record the mileage on the back of the Pennsylvania title (or the out-of-state title). Vehicles model year 2010 or older are exempt once they are 10 years old, and model year 2011 and newer can be exempt once 20 years old, at the seller's option. If the odometer has rolled past its limit or the true mileage is unknown, check the matching box on the title.
Official source ↗Official sources checked October 30, 2026. This is a planning guide for an ordinary private sale, not legal advice or an official form. Follow the current instructions from PennDOT for your vehicle, especially for lost titles, several owners, out-of-state buyers or a car that is not fully paid off.
City guides add local details such as emissions testing and safe places to meet a buyer.
START WITH THREE DETAILS
Start with your year, make and model. We’ll carry these details into your listing after you create an account or sign in.
Save a draft and finish when you’re ready. Free publication, photos, messages and offers. See features & pricing.
A private sale lets you choose the asking price and the buyer, but you handle questions, viewings and paperwork. An outright offer from a dealer or online buyer is usually quicker but often lower. Compare a real written offer with what you would keep from a private sale before deciding.
Meet the buyer at a notary, tag service or authorized PennDOT agent or dealer, since the title transfer must be completed by one of them. In front of the agent, the seller lists the buyer's name and address, signs and hand-prints their own name, and discloses the odometer reading on the title. The seller's signature must be notarized or verified. If the car has more than one owner, all owners must sign.
Plates stay with the seller, not the car. After the title is transferred, remove the plate and never give it to the buyer. Return it to PennDOT (Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Return Tag Unit) unless you plan to move it to another vehicle.
PennDOT's seller steps do not list a bill of sale as a requirement, and a bill of sale cannot replace the title. PennDOT's registration page does tell buyers to hold on to the bill of sale, so a signed bill of sale with price, date, VIN and both names is a good record. PennDOT does not publish a standard bill of sale form for ordinary sales that we could confirm.
The seller does not have to provide an inspection. Pennsylvania requires used vehicles to be inspected within 10 days of sale unless a valid inspection sticker is displayed, and PennDOT says the buyer is responsible for having it done (plus an emissions test in participating areas).