The procedures and approach for selling a car online vary by state. Discover how to sell your used car or truck in Utah confidentially.
You've come to the perfect location if you want to sell your automobile and reside around Salt Lake City, Provo, St. George, Logan, Ogden, or Cedar City. With an estimated 2.3 million registered trucks and vehicles in Utah, it's no surprise that thousands of individual car owners in the Beehive State have used cashforcarsinc.com to sell their vehicles. We've described the five processes and forms needed to sell an automobile in the state of Utah below.
Remember that most states in the United States regard the car title as a legal document; therefore, use the legal names (no nicknames) of both parties involved, as well as legible handwriting in black or blue ink. Mistakes, errors, and the use of white out may render the document null and void, so fill it out carefully and slowly. Keep in mind that under Utah law, a "car dealer" is defined as anybody who sells, shows for sale, or offers for sale three or more automobiles in any 12-month period.
Step 1: Allow the buyer to have a third party assess the vehicle
Most private automobile buyers pay for a pre-purchase vehicle check performed by a skilled and certified auto mechanic of their choice. Although the buyer pays for the inspection, the seller and buyer must agree on the date and location of the inspection. If the inspection reveals any problems with the vehicle, you should save the report for your records as the seller.
Step 2: Organize and collect all vehicle papers
Find all maintenance records, the owner's manual, your current Utah registration certificate, and other vehicle papers. You must deliver the registration certificate to the buyer as the seller. If you can offer the buyer extensive and thorough maintenance documents, it will give the buyer confidence that the automobile has been properly and regularly maintained.
The state of Utah eliminated the safety inspection requirement for most cars as a prerequisite for registration in January 2018. Some vehicles, however, still require a safety assessment. Vehicles less than six years old must undergo an emission inspection every two years in the five counties of Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, and Cache, with even-numbered model years tested in even-numbered years and odd-numbered model years tested in odd-numbered years. Provide the buyer with the Utah emissions certificate if it is current and valid.
When a car is financed, the financial institution, which is generally a bank, is recorded as a lienholder and keeps the original title. When a lien on a paper title is fulfilled, the lienholder can issue a lien release by signing off on the front of the title or by writing a letter on lending institution letterhead. Provide the buyer with the lien release documents, if appropriate. Paperwork Required Before Selling Your Car: Everything You Need to Know About
Step 3: Create a Bill of Sale
Although not legally necessary, the Utah DMV recommends and offers a bill of sale (Form TC-843) to private sellers to use when selling their automobiles on their own. The bill of sale serves as evidence that the seller has legally transferred ownership of the car to the buyer. The bill of sale details the vehicle's price for sales tax reasons for the buyer. A bill of sale can be handwritten or typed or printed, but it must be done in ink, never pencil. The following information should be included on the bill of sale:
Printed legal name and address of the buyer(s)
Printed legal name, address and signature of the seller
Year, Make and Model of the vehicle
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Sale Price
All private car sales are subject to a Sales and Use Tax depending on the bill of the sale price. When selling a car, private sellers are not obligated to collect sales tax. Unlike in other jurisdictions, vehicle purchases between immediate family members (mother, father, spouse, children, and siblings) are not excluded from this tax. If the car is being given as a gift, the seller should write "GIFT / $0" on the Bill of Sale. Gifted automobiles are exempt from sales tax.
Step 4: Change the title and reveal the odometer reading
If the vehicle's title is lost, stolen, or severely damaged, you can apply for a new title by completing Form TC-123, Application for Duplicate Utah Title, and paying the applicable costs. If you sell the car to a Utah citizen who will title and/or register the vehicle in Utah, you will not be required to get a new title. If yes, sign sections 1 and 2 of the form and provide the whole form to the buyer in place of your lost Utah title. The buyer will take the Application for Duplicate Utah Title and the bill of sale to a DMV location to register the car.
In the event that the car is exceedingly old or was custom built and there is no title, Utah law requires that a process known as "Insufficient Evidence of Ownership" be followed. You will also require a number of associated documents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA of Utah) odometer disclosure standards, which affect some private car purchases in Utah, were revised in December 2020. Any vehicle of model year 2011 or newer (2012, 2013, etc.) will require an odometer declaration, form TC-891, for a vehicle transfer occurring between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2030. Beginning January 1, 2031, every vehicle less than 20 model years old will be required to have an odometer disclosure. Previously, the NHTSA only mandated disclosure for the first ten years. Cars manufactured before 2010 are exempt from odometer disclosures. This odometer disclosure form (TC-891) is available on the Utah DMV's website.
If there are two owners of the car being sold and their names are separated by "or" on the title, just one of the owners must sign in order for the title to be transferred to the buyer. If the owner's names are separated by "and" on the car title, both owners must sign to transfer the title. If you have a clear title, the seller must fill out and sign the Certificate of Title and present it to the buyer along with a signed Bill of Sale. It is suggested that the seller retain a copy of the completed Title as well as the Bill of Sale. Although Utah law gives the seller up to 48 hours to furnish the buyer with the car title, most sellers provide the title immediately.
Step 5: Take your license plates off, cancel your insurance, and record the transaction
Before passing over the car to the buyer, the seller must remove their license plates. If you do not, you may be held accountable for any infractions that occur after the buyer takes ownership of the car. By showing the signed title, evidence of insurance, and picture ID, the buyer may apply for a temporary permit.
Report the vehicle sold to the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles using the online form, by phone at 1-800-DMV-UTAH, or by mail or fax. If you select the latter, the written notification must include the Year, Make, and Model, the plate number, and the seller's signature and be sent to the following address:
Division of Motor Vehicles
MVCC
P.O. Box 30412
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
FAX: 801-297-3570
For more information, visit the Utah Driver and Motor Vehicles website.
The Easier Way to Sell Your Car
Now that you've learned everything there is to know about selling a car, it's time to figure out where you're going to list it. Cashforcarsinc.com makes it simple to sell your car. With ready-to-sign state documentation, encrypted chat, and more, our platform provides all the tools and recommendations you need to make the transaction a breeze.
