Signing Over A Car
Fla. Stat. 319.22 — no marketable title without a certificate, and the seller's notice within 30 days
Title passes with the certificate. A person acquiring a motor vehicle from its owner does not acquire marketable title until a certificate of title is issued to that person, and no court recognizes an interest in a vehicle sold unless evidenced by a certificate of title issued to that person.
The seller's 30 days. An owner who makes a bona fide sale and delivers possession notifies the department within 30 days after the sale, on its form, including the vehicle identification number and the buyer's full name and identification. This does not apply to a sale to or by a licensed dealer.
What it ends. An owner who has made a bona fide sale and delivered possession is not deemed the owner for civil liability for the vehicle's later operation once the owner has properly endorsed and delivered the certificate of title, or delivered or mailed to the department the endorsed title or the notice.
And or or. A vehicle titled to co-owners joined by "or" may be transferred on any one owner's signature; one titled with "and" requires every co-owner's signature.
Fees, taxes, odometer statements and the dealer rules are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular sale left the seller liable is a question for a licensed Florida attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Fla. Stat. 319.22 — Transfer of title, and the seller notice within 30 days
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.