Florida Private Car Sale Checklist

Selling or buying a car privately in Florida means signing the Certificate of Title, completing a bill of sale (FLHSMV publishes the combined Form HSMV 82050 — Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle), and the buyer filing Form HSMV 82040 at a county tax collector office. Florida is unusual in that the title transfer signatures must be witnessed by two persons OR notarized.

Seller checklist (Florida)

• Gather vehicle details: VIN, year, make, model, plate, odometer.
• Take a photo of the odometer at sale time (federal odometer disclosure applies to vehicles less than 20 model years old).
• Verify the Certificate of Title is in your name and free of liens. If a lien is recorded, contact the lienholder to release it before sale.
• Sign the back of the title as the seller — Florida requires two witnesses OR a notary to acknowledge the seller's signature (and the buyer's signature on the new owner section).
• Complete the odometer disclosure section on the back of the title.
• Sign Form HSMV 82050 (Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale) with the buyer — keep one copy and give one to the buyer.
• Remove your license plate from the vehicle — Florida plates stay with the SELLER, not the car.
• File Form HSMV 82050 (the Notice of Sale section) with FLHSMV within 30 days — online via flhsmv.gov MyDMV portal — to release liability.
• Cancel your insurance policy AFTER filing the notice of sale (not before — you want continuous coverage until ownership transfers).
• Keep copies of the signed bill of sale and the front and back of the title.

Buyer checklist (Florida)

• Verify the VIN on the dashboard and door jamb matches the title.
• Inspect the vehicle and record the exact odometer reading.
• Sign Form HSMV 82050 together with the seller and keep your copy.
• Sign the new owner section on the back of the title — with two witnesses OR a notary.
• Obtain Florida auto insurance (PIP + PDL minimum) before driving the vehicle.
• Within 30 days of the sale, visit your local county tax collector office with: signed title, Form HSMV 82040, the bill of sale, photo ID, proof of insurance and payment.
• Pay 6% Florida sales tax plus your county's discretionary sales surtax (0.5%–1.5%, capped on the first $5,000).
• Pay title transfer fee ($75.25 for an electronic title, $77.25 for paper) and registration / plate fees.
• If the vehicle was previously titled out of state, FLHSMV requires a VIN verification on Form HSMV 82042 (Section D) before transfer.
• Receive a temporary registration and license plate the day of the visit; the title is mailed within 2-3 weeks.