How to transfer a car title in Nebraska
For private sellers and buyers in Nebraska. A dealer trade-in follows the dealer's own process.
To transfer a car title in Nebraska, everyone named on the title signs the seller section and the seller fills in the odometer section and gives the buyer a bill of sale. The buyer signs the purchaser section at the sale and gets the title at a County Treasurer within 30 days of the sale, paying the $10 fee.
What do the buyer and seller each do in Nebraska?
Seller
- Everyone named on the title signs in the seller section. Spouses cannot sign for each other.
- Any open lien must be released on the face of the title by the lienholder and a county official first.
- Fill in the odometer section of the title.
- Give the buyer a bill of sale, or a completed Nebraska Department of Revenue Form 6.
- Read the title before you write on it. A signature in the wrong place or any change voids it, and you would need a duplicate title before the sale.
Buyer
- Write your name and address and sign in the purchaser section at the time of the sale. A title left open, with the buyer part blank, is against the law.
- Get the title at a County Treasurer within 30 days, with the Application for Certificate of Title and the $10 fee.
- Everyone whose name goes on the new title signs the application. A married couple can have one sign for the other.
- Sales tax can be paid within 30 days of the purchase.
- If you did not get proper ownership papers, you may be able to get a bonded title.
If you're not sure what you need, check with the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles before you go: dmv.nebraska.gov
How do I sign over a car title in Nebraska?
Step 1 · Seller
Sign the seller section.
Everyone named on the title signs. Spouses cannot sign for each other.
Step 2 · Seller
Clear any lien.
The lienholder and a county official release it on the title.
Step 3 · Seller
Fill in the odometer section.
It is on the title.
Step 4 · Seller
Give the buyer a bill of sale.
Or a completed Department of Revenue Form 6.
The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles asks for a bill of sale when a car is sold. dmv.nebraska.gov checked
Nebraska bill of saleHow do I put a car title in my name in Nebraska?
Step 1 · Buyer
Fill in the purchaser section.
Your name, address and signature, at the time of the sale.
dmv.nebraska.gov checkedStep 2 · Buyer
Go to a County Treasurer within 30 days.
Bring the title and the application, and pay the $10 fee.
Application for Certificate of Titledmv.nebraska.gov checkedStep 3 · Buyer
Pay the sales tax.
It can be paid within 30 days of the purchase.
dmv.nebraska.gov checked
After Nebraska DMV processes your papers, it issues the new title in the new owner's name.
Nebraska guides
How much does a title transfer cost in Nebraska?
| Fee | Amount | Who pays | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title fee | $10 | Buyer | dmv.nebraska.gov Checked |
| Sales tax | Due within 30 days of the purchase | Buyer | dmv.nebraska.gov Checked |
| Total of required fees, before tax | $10 |
Fees can change. Check the official page before you pay. Tax depends on the price and on who is buying. The tax rules are on the site of the Nebraska Department of Revenue.
Special cases
- Giving a car as a giftNot confirmed yet Gift steps for Nebraska are being checked.
- Lost titleUse the Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title.
- The owner diedThe steps depend on the estate and who the title names.
Common questions
Can spouses sign for each other?
Not on the title when selling. Either spouse can sign the title application for the other.
dmv.nebraska.govsource 2 checked
What is an open title?
A title the seller signed with the buyer part left blank. It is against the law.
dmv.nebraska.gov checked
When is the sales tax due?
It can be paid within thirty days of the purchase.
dmv.nebraska.gov checked
What if there is a lien?
The lienholder and a county official release it on the title before the sale.
dmv.nebraska.gov checked
Sources for this page
About this page
This page summarizes official Nebraska sources in plain English. Car Title Steps is not a government website, is not connected to the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, and does not file or prepare forms. Confirm each step with the agency before you sign, pay or mail anything. Found a mistake? Email mr@marcelruettgers.com.