Car title notarization by state

Know your state already? The selling a car checklist takes the state and whether you're buying or selling and lists every step, with the notary rule, the forms and the deadline.

Car title rules in all 50 states and DC

Select a column heading to sort. "Required" means the state's page says the signature is notarized; "Not in the steps" means the agency's private-sale steps leave a notary out without saying so; "Not confirmed" means no page we opened addressed it.

What a notary does in a title transfer

Where a state requires it, the notary checks the seller's photo ID, watches the seller sign the assignment on the back of the title, and adds a seal and signature. The notary doesn't check the price, the lien or the car. Don't sign ahead of time: a signature made before you reach the notary can't be notarized, and a title with crossed-out or corrected entries is often rejected and has to be replaced.

In New Jersey, the MVC's own steps don't include a notary for an in-state sale; when an out-of-state title or an affidavit does need one, our vehicle title notary handles it. In other states, a local notary, bank or tag office is the practical choice.

Gifts, estates, boats and lost titles

These follow different paperwork from a sale. See gifting or inheriting a car, boat, trailer and motorcycle titles and the lost title affidavit.

General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Checked November 2026 against each state's motor vehicle agency or statute site, linked in the table. Forms, fees and deadlines change, a county office can add its own steps, and gifts, estates, liens and out-of-state titles follow other rules; the agency or an attorney can tell you how a rule applies to your sale. MCC Solutions is not affiliated with any motor vehicle agency.

Common questions

Related: Private-sale title transfer, step by step · Gifting or inheriting a car · Boat, trailer and motorcycle titles · Bill of sale · Lost title affidavit · New Jersey vehicle title notary