How To Sell a Car in Idaho

Selling a motor vehicle in Idaho requires compliance with state rules governing title transfer, ownership documentation, odometer disclosure, taxes, registration, and post-sale filings. A private sale is completed through the title and registration system administered by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and county motor vehicle offices. Under Idaho Code Section 49-503, a purchaser does not acquire title rights in the vehicle until a certificate of title has been issued in the purchaser’s name.

What You Need To Know Before Selling a Car in Idaho

Title Law And Ownership Requirements

A valid certificate of title is required for the sale of an Idaho-titled motor vehicle. In a used private-party transaction, the transfer filing must include the existing title with proper signatures releasing interest from the previous owner or lienholder.

When more than one owner appears on the title, the ownership designation controls the required signatures. The Application for Certificate of Idaho Title (Form ITD 3337) provides that an “OR” designation allows any listed owner to transfer title, while an “AND” designation requires the signatures of all listed owners.

Vehicles Exempt From Title Requirements

Idaho generally requires title and registration for vehicles operated on public roads, including passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, recreational trailers, and utility or boat trailers weighing 2,000 pounds or more.

Idaho’s ordinary private-sale rules do not create an age-based title exemption for passenger cars. Vehicles outside the public-road motor-vehicle category are treated differently. Idaho excludes snowmobiles, boats, truck campers, all-terrain vehicles, utility-type vehicles, specialty off-road vehicles, and off-road motorcyclesfrom the motor-vehicle category used for these transactions.

Satisfying An Existing Lien

A recorded lien must be released before a clear private transfer can be completed. Idaho’s title law requires liens to be filed and noted on the title or the department’s electronic title record under Idaho Code Section 49-510.

If the vehicle is subject to Idaho’s electronic lien and title system, the title remains paperless until the lien has been paid and the lienholder requests issuance of a paper title. After payoff, the lienholder may request a paper title, and the department will print and mail it.

Inspection, VIN Verification, Or Emissions Requirements

Idaho does not require an annual safety inspection for ordinary passenger vehicles. However, a VIN inspection is required in certain title situations.

Idaho requires a VIN inspection when a vehicle is coming from another state or has never been titled in Idaho. The required inspection is completed on the Vehicle Identification Number Inspection Certification (Form ITD 3403).

Idaho’s statewide emissions program ended in 2023.

Other State-Specific Pre-Sale Requirements

A seller may protect against later liability by filing a release of liability within five days after delivery of the vehicle. Under Idaho Code Section 49-526, the former owner must forward the separate release-of-liability statement to the department within five days of delivery.

The license plates do not pass to the buyer. Under Idaho Code Section 49-431, the registration card and license plate remain with the transferor.

Documents Required To Sell a Car in Idaho

Certificate Of Title

The certificate of title is the primary ownership document in an Idaho private sale. The seller must deliver the existing title with the required release signatures so the buyer can apply for transfer through a county motor vehicle office.

If the title has been lost, mutilated, or become illegible, a substitute title must be obtained before transfer unless the transaction qualifies for a specific duplicate-transfer procedure. Idaho provides the Duplicate Idaho Title Application (Form ITD 3367), the Duplicate Idaho Title Application with Transfer of Ownership (Form ITD 3369), and the Affidavit of Lost Title and Application for Title (Form ITD 3371). The duplicate-with-transfer process is limited to odometer-exempt vehicles.

Bill Of Sale

A bill of sale is standard in an Idaho private sale and is important for both title and tax processing. The Bill of Sale (Form ITD 3738) includes the VIN, title number, year, make, model, vehicle description, brand information, odometer reading, seller and buyer identifying information, true selling price, sale date, and lienholder information.

The form contains a seller signature line and a buyer signature line. It also includes the seller’s certification regarding odometer accuracy and known brands, and it states that the buyer must apply for title within 30 days to avoid a penalty.

Odometer Disclosure Statement

Idaho requires odometer disclosure for vehicles newer than model year 2010 and weighing under 16,000 pounds in the ordinary private-sale process described on the state title page. Idaho lists odometer disclosure for vehicles newer than 2010 and weighing under 16,000 pounds as part of the required private-party title filing.

The Bill of Sale (Form ITD 3738) includes an odometer section with status options for actual mileage, exempt mileage, non-actual mileage, no odometer, and mileage exceeding mechanical limits. Following Form ITD 3337, vehicles older than 10 years as exempt in the odometer-status field.

Brand Disclosure

Idaho does not use a separate general damage-disclosure form for an ordinary used private-party sale. Instead, the Bill of Sale (Form ITD 3738) includes brand fields and requires the seller to certify that all known brands associated with the vehicle have been disclosed to the buyer.

If the vehicle is salvage or rebuilt salvage, the transfer remains subject to Idaho’s salvage and branded-title procedures.

Lien Release

If a lien appears on the title record, the lienholder’s interest must be released before transfer of a clear title. Supporting paperwork may include the Release of Interest (Form ITD 3777) or other title documents showing lien release.

For electronic lien titles, payoff is followed by issuance of a paper title through the electronic lien and title process.

VIN Inspection Certification

A VIN inspection is required when the vehicle comes from another state or has not previously been titled in Idaho. The inspection is completed on the Vehicle Identification Number Inspection Certification (Form ITD 3403), which states that it must be completed by a law enforcement officer or an authorized agent of the Idaho Transportation Department.

Release Of Liability

After delivery of the vehicle, the seller may file the Notice of Release of Liability (Form ITD 3858). The form requires the VIN, vehicle description, title number, seller information, purchaser information, odometer reading, selling price, delivery date, and seller signature.

The filing deadline is five days after delivery. Idaho also permits filing through the online Release of Liability service.

Notarization Requirements

Idaho’s standard private-sale documents require signatures, but the ordinary Bill of Sale (Form ITD 3738) and the standard title-transfer process do not use a notarization block in the ordinary private-party transaction materials described on the state title page. By contrast, Idaho expressly requires notarization or witnessed signatures for certain substitute-title documents, including the Duplicate Idaho Title Application (Form ITD 3367) and the Affidavit of Lost Title and Application for Title (Form ITD 3371).

How To Transfer a Car Title in Idaho

Step 1: Review the Title Before the Sale

Before the vehicle is offered for sale, the seller should confirm that the title is available, that the seller’s name appears on the title, and that any co-owner signatures required by the title designation can be obtained. If the title has been lost, mutilated, or has become illegible, a duplicate title process must be completed first.

If the title record shows a lien, the lien must be released before the sale can be completed as a clear private transfer. For a paperless lien title, the payoff must be followed by the issuance of a paper title.

Step 2: Complete the Title Assignment

At the time of sale, the title must be signed by the owner (s) whose signatures are required for the transfer. An “OR” title allows one listed owner to sign. An “AND” title requires the signatures of all listed owners, as mentioned in Form ITD 3337.

The title delivered to the buyer must show proper release of interest by the seller and any lienholder whose interest appears on the title record.

Step 3: Prepare the Bill of Sale and Disclosure Paperwork

The parties should complete a bill of sale showing the true selling price, sale date, vehicle identification information, odometer disclosure, and brand disclosure. Idaho uses a Bill of Sale (Form ITD 3738) for this purpose.

If the vehicle is coming from another state or has never been titled in Idaho, a VIN inspection must also be completed on Form ITD 3403. If the buyer will claim a tax exemption, the exemption form required by the Idaho State Tax Commission should be prepared for filing with the title application.

Step 4: Deliver the Documents to the Buyer

At delivery, the seller should provide the assigned title, the completed bill of sale, and any lien-release or VIN-inspection documents needed for the title transfer. If the vehicle has a salvage or rebuilt-salvage history, the seller should also provide the title documents reflecting that branding.

The seller should retain copies of the assigned title, bill of sale, and release-of-liability filing for recordkeeping.

Step 5: Buyer Submits the Title Application Through a County Office

The buyer must file the title-transfer documents with the county assessor's motor vehicle office within 30 days after the transfer to avoid a late penalty. Under Idaho Code Section 49-504A, a $20 penalty is assessed when presentation for transfer occurs more than 30 days after the vehicle was transferred.

Step 6: Seller Files the Release of Liability and Removes the Plates

Within five days after delivery, the seller may file the Notice of Release of Liability (Form ITD 3858) or use Idaho’s online Release of Liability service. Under Idaho Code Section 49-526, a timely filing protects the former owner against later liability for motor vehicle infractions, towing, storage, repair, service charges, and certain other post-delivery claims.

The seller must remove the license plates from the vehicle at the time of transfer. The license plates are the owner’s property and do not go with the vehicle.

Title Transfer Fee Schedule in Idaho

Idaho’s current title-related fees include the following:

County title administration fees are added to the state title fee and vary by county. Electronic release-of-liability filings are not subject to the filing fee under Idaho Code Section 49-202.

Sales Tax on Private Vehicle Sales

Idaho imposes a 6% state sales or use tax on taxable private motor-vehicle sales. This is paid when the vehicle is titled and registered through the county assessor’s office.

The buyer pays the tax when applying for the Idaho title. For private-party motor vehicles, sales tax is due on the total sales price of a motor vehicle bought from an individual unless an exemption applies. Trade-in allowances are not used in a private-party motor-vehicle sale for tax purposes.

Idaho does not apply a local city or county surtax to the motor-vehicle title transaction. Even though some Idaho resort cities impose local option sales taxes, local city and county sales taxes do not apply to vehicle sales that are titled and registered.

What To Do After Selling Your Car in Idaho

The seller must remove the license plate from the vehicle at the time of sale. Idaho law leaves the registration card and license plate with the transferor under Idaho Code Section 49-431, and the Notice of Release of Liability (Form ITD 3858) also instructs the seller to remove the plates upon sale or transfer.

A release of liability should be filed within five days after delivery. Filing Form ITD 3858 records the transfer information and may protect the former owner from later liability for injury, property damage, motor vehicle infractions, towing, storage, repair, and service charges arising after delivery under Idaho Code Section 49-526.

Insurance should not be allowed to lapse on a vehicle that remains registered in the seller’s name. Idaho’s vehicle insurance requirements require registered owners to maintain liability coverage, and registration may be suspended after two consecutive months without insurance.

Copies of the assigned title, bill of sale, VIN inspection, lien-release paperwork, and release-of-liability filing should be retained. Those records establish the date of transfer, the buyer's identity, the reported sale price, and the end of the seller’s responsibility for the vehicle.

Contact Information

Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles
11331 W. Chinden Blvd., Building 8, Boise, ID 83714
Phone: (208) 584-4343
Official Website: Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles