Selling or junking a car in Arizona

How do I sign over a car title in Arizona?

The seller can transfer electronically with eTitle Transfer if eligible. Otherwise the seller signs the back of the title and gives it to the buyer, who completes the transfer at MVD or an authorized third-party office. When there is more than one owner, how the owners are listed on the title decides whose signatures are needed. Under federal rules, model-year 2011 and newer vehicles need an odometer disclosure until they are 20 model years old.

Can I sell or junk a car without a title in Arizona?

Under A.R.S. 28-2098, a registered scrap metal dealer or licensed automotive recycler can buy a vehicle without a title only if all of these are true: the vehicle is at least 12 model years old, the price is $1,200 or less, it has no lien, and the owner never got a title, lost it, or returned it to MVD. The owner signs a statement that the vehicle will be scrapped and not retitled. The buyer photographs the owner, vehicle and VIN, pays by check, reports the purchase to NMVTIS, and holds the vehicle at least 3 business days before crushing it. Otherwise, the owner should get a replacement title first.

How do I get a duplicate title in Arizona?

The fee is $4. The owner of record can apply online at AZMVDNow.gov ('Title Replacement'), or mail a Title and Registration Application (form 96-0236) with the Duplicate Title box checked to MVD, PO Box 2100, MD 555M, Phoenix, AZ 85001; mail takes up to six weeks. Only one owner's signature is needed.

Do I need to file a release of liability in Arizona?

Submit a Sold Notice as soon as you sell, online at AZMVDNow.gov or by mail on form 46-8502. It protects you from abandoned-vehicle fees and other liability after the sale. You still have to sign over the title separately.

What do I do with the plates after selling a car in Arizona?

Plates stay with the seller: remove the plate before the new owner takes the vehicle. To declare a plate lost, destroyed or stolen, or to release your interest in it, file a Plate Release (form 48-3302).

What happens to the title when a car is junked or salvaged in Arizona?

Under A.R.S. 28-2094, a buyer of a vehicle for scrap or dismantling (or an owner who plans to dismantle it) applies for a dismantle certificate. They submit the application, the assigned title or title transfer form, the registration card, any plate, and a $4 fee. MVD then issues a dismantle certificate and will not issue a title for that vehicle again. Licensed recyclers have short waiting periods before dismantling, and owners holding a nonrepairable certificate don't need a dismantle certificate.

What can I do about an abandoned vehicle on my property in Arizona?

Anyone who removes a vehicle from private property needs the property owner's or lessee's written authorization on an MVD form, and the vehicle must be inspected (A.R.S. 28-4834). A tow without the vehicle owner's consent must be reported to police by phone within one hour (A.R.S. 28-4836). When someone in possession of an abandoned vehicle applies for ownership, MVD notifies the owner and lienholders, who have 30 days to claim it before ownership can transfer (A.R.S. 28-4841).

Official sources

1. ADOT MVD: Selling Your Vehicle
2. ADOT MVD Sold Notice form 46-8502
3. ADOT blog: Avoid abandoned vehicle fees after selling your car
4. ADOT MVD: Applying for a Title Replacement
5. ADOT MVD Title and Registration Application 96-0236
6. ADOT MVD Plate Release 48-3302
7. ADOT MVD Abandoned Vehicle Application 46-4402
8. A.R.S. 28-2098 Vehicle sales; no certificate of title
9. A.R.S. 28-2094 Dismantling motor vehicle; certificate of title
10. A.R.S. 28-4834 Vehicle removal
11. A.R.S. 28-4836 Towed vehicles; notification
12. A.R.S. 28-4841 Abandoned vehicle; notice of intent to transfer vehicle
13. NHTSA Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements

This guide summarizes public rules and is not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD) before you sell.