Kentucky car title transfer

At a glance

Seller's signature

Yes. The seller signs the back of the title in front of a notary.

Buyer's signature

Yes. The county clerk asks for the Kentucky title with both the seller and the buyer notarized.

Odometer

Only the seller can disclose the mileage when the title is updated.

Buyer's deadline

The title is transferred to the new owner within 15 days, at the County Clerk's office.

Plates

The plate doesn't stay on the vehicle; the seller keeps it and may move it to another vehicle (KRS 186.190).

Agency

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (County Clerk offices)

Finding a notary: a local notary near the buyer and seller is the simplest route, since everyone usually signs at once. MCC Solutions meets people in person only in New Jersey; for other paperwork in the sale we also offer remote online notarization, where the receiving office accepts it.

If you're selling

1. Find the title and clear any lien. Have the original title in hand. If a lender is listed, get the lien release or the lender's sign-off before the sale; the buyer can't title the car over an open lien.
2. Sign the title over. Yes. The seller signs the back of the title in front of a notary. Don't sign until the buyer is ready, and write in the buyer's name and the sale date exactly.
3. Write down the mileage. Only the seller can disclose the mileage when the title is updated.
4. Deal with the plates. The plate doesn't stay on the vehicle; the seller keeps it and may move it to another vehicle (KRS 186.190).
5. Cancel insurance and keep copies. Once the car is gone and the plates are off, call your insurer. Keep a photo of the signed title, the bill of sale and any sale report.

If you're buying

1. Check the title against the car and the seller. The VIN on the title should match the car, and the seller's ID should match the owner's name on the title. Ask about any lien listed on it.
2. Watch the title get signed. Seller: Yes. The seller signs the back of the title in front of a notary. Buyer: Yes. The county clerk asks for the Kentucky title with both the seller and the buyer notarized.
3. Check the mileage entry. Only the seller can disclose the mileage when the title is updated.
4. Insure the car before you drive it. Most states require insurance to register. Arrange it before driving away.
5. Title it in your name in time. The title is transferred to the new owner within 15 days, at the County Clerk's office.
6. Plates and fees. The plate doesn't stay on the vehicle; the seller keeps it and may move it to another vehicle (KRS 186.190).

Sold on the first of a month? See the due date for a December 1, 2026 sale.

Your own checklist, marked step by step: seller · buyer.

In the agency's words

Seller

"In the sale of a vehicle, the seller must sign the back of the title in the presence of a notary."

Buyer

"Kentucky Certificate or Title (seller and buyer both notarized)"

Deadline

"the title must be transferred to the new owner within 15 days."

Plates

"the registration plate shall not remain upon the motor vehicle, but shall be retained by the seller"

Worth knowing

Selling to someone from another state: the seller returns the Kentucky plate to the County Clerk.

Not stated on the pages we read: a bill of sale rule, the title fee.

Official sources

• Kentucky DRIVE: Vehicle Titling (checked November 2026)
• KRS 186.190: Change of registration upon transfer of ownership (checked November 2026)
• Rowan County Clerk (Kentucky): Auto Transfers (checked November 2026)

General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Checked November 2026 against the official pages listed above. 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

All states: car title notarization by state · Kansas · Michigan