Idaho handles titles through county assessor motor vehicle offices, the same offices that do registration. Driver licensing sits with county sheriffs, so make sure you’re going to the right one.
Just moved to Idaho? A vehicle coming from another state needs a VIN inspection before it can be titled here. Start with transferring your license to Idaho.
The short version
- Buyer: 30 days, or a $20 late-filing penalty. Seller: 5 days to file the release of liability.
- No notarization required for a standard private sale — one older guide still says the bill of sale must be notarized. It doesn’t.
- Listing the wrong sale price is a felony in Idaho. Not a fine — a felony.
Idaho Title Transfer Deadlines: 30 Days and 5 Days
| Deadline | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days from transfer | Buyer | File with a county assessor’s office |
| 5 days from delivery | Seller | File the Release of Liability |
Miss the buyer’s window and ITD adds a $20 late-filing penalty.
The seller’s release of liability is the one worth doing properly. File it online at dmvonline.itd.idaho.gov and it’s free and processed immediately. Submit Form ITD 3858 by post or at a counter instead and you’ll pay $3.50 and wait.
Same document, same outcome — the online route just costs nothing and takes effect straight away. Until it’s filed, the vehicle is still associated with you.
Does an Idaho Title Need to Be Notarized?
No, not for a standard private-party sale. Neither the title signatures nor the bill of sale require a notary.
Worth stating plainly because at least one national guide still instructs Idaho buyers that “the bill of sale must be notarized.” That’s out of date, and it sends people to pay for something the state doesn’t ask for.
Three situations do call for notarization:
- Power of Attorney (Form ITD 3368), if someone signs on another’s behalf
- Deceased owner transfers
- A duplicate title application submitted by mail — though if you take it in person, a deputy assessor can witness it instead of a notary
How to Transfer an Idaho Car Title Step by Step
Step 1: What the Seller Does
- Complete the seller’s section of the title, including the odometer reading, sale date and sale price.
- Enter the sale price in the dedicated space on the title if there is one — that removes the need for a separate bill of sale.
- Keep your license plates. In Idaho plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle.
- File the Release of Liability within 5 days — online, free, immediate.
Deal with the plates properly. You can transfer them to another vehicle with credit for the remaining registration, or destroy them. Don’t leave them on the car.
Step 2: What the Buyer Brings
- The original title, properly released by the previous owner and any lienholder
- A bill of sale, unless the sale price is recorded on the title
- Odometer disclosure, for vehicles newer than 2010 under 16,000 lbs — entered on the title itself
- A VIN inspection (Form ITD 3403) if the vehicle is coming from another state or has never been titled in Idaho
- Proof of Idaho insurance
- Photo ID and payment
A VIN inspection can be completed by a law enforcement officer, a DMV employee, a military police officer, or an Idaho licensed vehicle dealer — you don’t have to go to a specific facility.
Step 3: File at a County Assessor’s Office
Take everything to any county assessor’s motor vehicle office. Our guide to Idaho DMV offices explains the assessor-versus-sheriff split.
Check your county’s cutoff times. Some — Bingham County among them — stop doing VIN inspections and title work at 4:00 p.m., earlier than the office closes.
Mail submission is possible in some cases, but contact your county office first to confirm you’re eligible, and note a mailed application needs a Power of Attorney form.
If there’s a lien being financed, your lender may prepare and file the title application for you.
You’ll register at the same visit. If you can’t complete registration immediately, a temporary permit keeps you legal.
Do You Need a Bill of Sale in Idaho?
Only if the sale price isn’t on the title.
ITD needs the purchase price to calculate sales tax, and there are two ways to provide it. If the seller entered the price in the dedicated space on the title, that’s sufficient and no separate bill of sale is required. If they didn’t, you need one.
Idaho publishes Form ITD 3738, and a generic document is accepted provided it includes the vehicle description, sale price, buyer’s full legal name, the seller’s original signature and the date.
No notarization. And write one even when the title covers it — it’s a clean record for both parties, and it costs nothing.
One serious warning. Listing the wrong selling price on the title or bill of sale is a felony in Idaho. Understating the price to reduce the 6% tax isn’t a grey area here — don’t do it, and don’t let a seller talk you into it.
Idaho Title Transfer Fees and Sales Tax
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title transfer fee | $14.00 |
| Sales or use tax | 6% of the purchase price |
| VIN inspection, if required | About $5.00 |
| County administrative fee | $5.00 – $9.00 |
| Release of liability, online | Free |
| Release of liability, by mail or counter | $3.50 |
| Late-filing penalty (after 30 days) | $20.00 |
| Duplicate title | $14.00 |
The $14 title fee is among the lowest in the country. The 6% sales tax is the real cost, and Idaho applies it as a flat statewide rate with no local add-ons — so unlike Colorado or Washington, your address doesn’t change it.
Under Idaho Code 63-3623, a title or registration can’t be issued until the sales or use tax has been paid. If tax was already paid on the vehicle in Idaho, bring proof.
Registration is handled at the same visit, and our guide to Idaho registration renewal covers the age-based fees you’ll pay annually afterwards.
Idaho Car Title Transfer FAQs
No. Idaho plates belong to the seller, who can move them to another vehicle — receiving credit for the remaining registration — or destroy them. The buyer gets new plates at registration.
No. Idaho repealed its emissions program in July 2023, so Ada and Canyon County transfers no longer require a certificate. Some guides still list one.
They apply for a duplicate using Form ITD 3367 for $14. There’s also Form ITD 3369, a Duplicate Idaho Title Application with Transfer of Ownership, which lets the owner of record transfer to a new owner in a single step.
Eligible family transfers can be exempt from the 6% sales tax with a Sales Tax Exemption Certificate. The $14 title fee and the 30-day deadline still apply.
No. Unless you hold a dealer license, buying and reselling a vehicle without first titling it in your name is illegal in Idaho.
Two things account for most Idaho title problems: sellers who skip the free five-day release of liability, and buyers who assume a notary is needed when the state has never asked for one.
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