How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Pennsylvania in 2026

A family vehicle transfer in Pennsylvania is handled through the title system administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Private transfers are not self-filed directly with PennDOT by most vehicle owners; the title work is completed through an authorized PennDOT agent, such as a notary, tag service, or participating motor vehicle dealer, using the state title and registration forms required for the transaction in Buying or Selling a Vehicle.

Pennsylvania treats a family transfer as either a gift or a sale based on the facts of the transaction. In either case, the transferee must apply for title within 20 days after the sale or transfer under 75 Pa.C.S. Chapter 11.

What Does Transferring a Car Title to a Family Member in Pennsylvania Mean?

In Pennsylvania, transferring a car title to a family member means changing the legal owner shown on the state’s certificate of title. PennDOT treats the title as the proof-of-ownership document used to transfer the vehicle from one party to another, and a Pennsylvania title transfer is completed only after the assigned ownership document and the state application are processed through the authorized title system.

Ownership does not shift simply because the vehicle has been handed over or because family members have agreed to the transfer. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1111, the owner must execute the assignment and warranty of title before a notary public or other authorized officer and deliver the assigned title to the transferee.

Eligible Family Members for Title Transfers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania does not use a special family-only title transfer process for ordinary vehicle transfers. The title work for a spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, in-law, or another relative is still handled as a standard PennDOT title transaction.

The tax treatment is different from the title process. A genuine gift may qualify for the Pennsylvania gift exemption through Form MV-13ST, and the form itself is not limited to a closed list of relatives. By contrast, a family sale remains taxable, and the Department of Revenue may review low-price transfers between relatives and assess tax on fair market value if the reported amount is substantially understated in the Motor Vehicle Understated Value Program.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Gift to a Family Member in Pennsylvania

Step 1 — Confirm That the Title Is Transferable
The current owner should confirm that the Pennsylvania title is available and that any lien has been satisfied or properly released before the transfer is submitted.

Step 2 — Complete the Title Assignment Before an Authorized PennDOT Agent
For a Pennsylvania title, the legal transfer occurs when the transferor and transferee sign the title before a notary public. PennDOT states that private title work is completed through an authorized agent, tag service, or motor vehicle dealer rather than as a direct self-service filing.

Step 3 — Record the Odometer Disclosure
The seller must enter the vehicle mileage on the ownership document when mileage disclosure is required. PennDOT also directs the parties to disclose mileage at the time of transfer for vehicles that are subject to odometer reporting.

Step 4 — Attach the Gift Affidavit
A gift transfer claiming Pennsylvania sales and use tax exemption must include Form MV-13ST. If the donor acquired the vehicle out of state, the form instructions require additional proof that sales tax was paid in a reciprocal state.

Step 5 — Remove the Registration Plate
After the title is transferred, the seller must remove the plate from the vehicle. The plate should not be handed to the recipient unless a separate registration plate transfer is allowed and processed as part of the PennDOT transaction.

Step 6 — Submit the Title and Registration Paperwork
For a Pennsylvania-titled used vehicle, the transaction is completed with the Pennsylvania title and Form MV-4ST through the authorized agent. If registration is to be issued, proof of Pennsylvania insurance is also required.

Step 7 — File Within 20 Days
The purchaser or transferee must submit the title transfer documents to PennDOT within 20 days of notarization, as stated in the PennDOT motor vehicle miscellaneous FAQs.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Sale to a Family Member in Pennsylvania

Step 1 — Meet at an Authorized PennDOT Agent
A private family sale of a Pennsylvania-titled vehicle is processed through an authorized PennDOT agent, notary, tag service, or participating dealer so that the title assignment and application can be completed correctly.

Step 2 — Sign and Notarize the Title Assignment
Pennsylvania requires the seller and buyer to sign the Pennsylvania title in front of a notary public. That notarized title assignment is the legal act that transfers ownership.

Step 3 — Disclose the Purchase Price and Mileage
At the time of transfer, the transaction must include purchase price information and mileage disclosure, excluding trailers. For Pennsylvania-titled vehicles, this information is handled through the title and Form MV-4ST process.

Step 4 — Address Any Lien
If a lien is still recorded on the title, the lienholder’s interest must be released before a clear title can be issued to the family-member buyer.

Step 5 — Remove the Seller’s Plate
PennDOT instructs the seller to remove the registration plate once the title has been transferred. The seller may return the plate to PennDOT or transfer it to another eligible vehicle if the plate remains valid.

Step 6 — Submit the Application and Registration Work
For vehicles already titled in Pennsylvania, the title is submitted with the MV-4ST fact sheet, which provides guidance used by authorized agents. The form covers the title transfer, tax reporting, and registration request for Pennsylvania-titled vehicles.

Step 7 — Pay Tax and Fees
A family sale is subject to Pennsylvania sales tax unless another exemption applies. PennDOT’s MV-4ST instructions provide for 6% tax statewide, 7% for Allegheny County residents, and 8% for Philadelphia residents.

Step 8 — Be Prepared for Fair-Market-Value Review
If the stated price is substantially below market value, the Department of Revenue may review the transaction and assess tax based on fair market value rather than the reported family-sale price in the Motor Vehicle Understated Value Program.

What Documents Are Needed To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Pennsylvania

Required for All Transfers

• Pennsylvania Certificate of Title — The existing title is the proof of ownership document used to transfer the vehicle. For private Pennsylvania transfers, the assignment on the title must be signed by the parties before a notary or authorized officer under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1111.
• Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration (Form MV-4ST) — This form is used for vehicles already titled in Pennsylvania. The public MV-4ST fact sheet explains that it covers title transfer, registration, taxes, fees, and the supporting title assignment.
• Proof of identity — PennDOT requires the parties to provide acceptable identification to the authorized agent handling the transfer.
• Proof of Pennsylvania insurance — If registration is being issued, the application must include valid Pennsylvania insurance documentation.
• Odometer disclosure — PennDOT requires mileage disclosure at transfer for vehicles that must report mileage; the seller must indicate mileage on the ownership document, excluding trailers, according to the motor vehicle miscellaneous FAQs.

Additional Documents for Sale Transfers

• Purchase price information — A taxable family sale must include the actual price information used for sales tax reporting on the title application.
• Lien release — If the title shows a lien, the prior lienholder’s release must accompany the application before a clear title can issue.

Documents Required in Specific Circumstances

• Affidavit of Gift (Form MV-13ST) — A transfer claiming gift exemption must include Form MV-13ST with the title application.
• Application for Certificate of Title (Form MV-1) — PennDOT uses MV-1 for vehicles not currently titled in Pennsylvania, including many out-of-state title transfers. PennDOT states that MV-1 is available only from authorized agents in Buying or Selling a Vehicle.
• VIN verification — PennDOT requires VIN verification for out-of-state vehicles.
• Out-of-state gift tax proof — If the donor bought the vehicle out of state and is now transferring it as a gift, MV-13ST requires proof that tax was paid in a reciprocal state.
• Notarization — For a Pennsylvania title, the seller and purchaser sign the title before a notary public as part of the legal transfer.

How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member Online in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania does not offer a fully self-service online title transfer for a routine private family gift or family sale. The standard transfer still requires the title assignment, notarization, and submission of PennDOT title documents through an authorized agent.

PennDOT authorizes certain agents to work through an online connection with the department. Some of those businesses can process title and registration transactions and hand registration products to the customer immediately, but the transaction remains agent-handled under the authorized agents and messengers system.

What's the Cost To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Pennsylvania?

PennDOT’s 2026 MV-70S fee schedule lists the standard state fees for title and passenger registration transactions.

Pennsylvania sales tax on a taxable vehicle sale is calculated as follows for MV-4ST transactions:

A genuine gift documented with MV-13ST is not subject to sales tax. A family sale, however, remains taxable, and a low stated price can be reviewed by the Department of Revenue and adjusted to fair market value for tax purposes.

PennDOT also advises that authorized agents may charge separate market-driven service or delivery fees in addition to PennDOT’s statutory charges. Pennsylvania law requires the title application within 20 days after the transfer, but the public MV-70S schedule reviewed here does not list a separate ordinary late title-transfer fee for this type of transaction.

Contact Information

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
1101 South Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104
Phone: (717) 412-5300
Official Website: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation