Selling or junking a car in Ohio

How do I sign over a car title in Ohio?

Paper title: the seller completes the 'assignment of ownership' on the back and has the signature notarized. Electronic title: the seller completes page 1 of BMV 3770 and has it notarized; the buyer completes page 2 and has it notarized too. The buyer must transfer the title at a Clerk of Courts title office within 30 days of the sale or pay a late fee. Odometer: BMV lists the Odometer Disclosure Statement (BMV 3724) 'if applicable'.

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

Under ORC 4505.04, a buyer gets no ownership rights in a vehicle until a title is issued to them or assigned to them, so you need the title (or BMV 3770 for an electronic title) to sell. A scrap metal dealer is treated as having valid title when it buys in the ordinary course of business and gets an endorsed, notarized title from the seller (ORC 4505.191). If you lost the title, get a duplicate at any county Clerk of Courts title office first.

How do I get a duplicate title in Ohio?

Apply at any Ohio County Clerk of Courts title office with a valid photo ID and the title fee; the title is printed while you wait. By mail, send a notarized BMV 3774 marked 'Duplicate', the title fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the county title office. The title fee is $18, or $23 in counties that add a local charge. If a lien was ever recorded and the BMV record shows no cancel date, include the lien release.

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

Plates stay with the seller. Under ORC 4503.12, when a vehicle changes hands the registration expires and the original owner must remove the plates right away. The owner may move the plates and registration to a replacement vehicle they buy, within 30 days.

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

Under ORC 4505.11(A), when a vehicle is dismantled, destroyed or changed so it is no longer the described vehicle, the owner surrenders the title to a county Clerk of Courts, who cancels it. A licensed salvage dealer that dismantles or destroys a vehicle can avoid titling it in its own name. It writes its salvage license number on the title, marks it 'FOR DESTRUCTION' and surrenders it to the clerk. Insurers may assign titles marked 'FOR DESTRUCTION' to a salvage dealer or scrap metal processor. Vehicles with titles marked 'FOR DESTRUCTION' may be used only for parts and scrap metal. Insurers needing a salvage certificate apply to the clerk, with a $4 processing fee.

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

Under ORC 4513.60, if a vehicle is left on private residential or agricultural property for at least 4 hours without permission, the sheriff or police chief may order it towed to storage when someone affected complains. If the owner doesn't claim it within 30 days, the disposal procedures of ORC 4513.61 and 4513.62 apply. Private tow-away zones follow ORC 4513.601 instead.

Official sources

1. Ohio BMV - Vehicle Titles
2. Ohio BMV - Documents & Fees
3. Ohio BMV Form BMV 3770
4. ORC 4503.12 Transfer of registration and plates
5. ORC 4505.04 Certificate of title as evidence of ownership
6. ORC 4505.11 Surrender and cancellation of certificate of title
7. ORC 4505.191 Scrap metal dealer title validity
8. ORC 4513.60 Removal of vehicles left on private property

This guide summarizes public rules and is not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), Ohio Department of Public Safety; titles are issued by county Clerk of Courts title offices before you sell.