Transferring a Car Title in Kentucky

When a vehicle is sold between Kentucky residents, the title must be transferred to the new owner within 15 days. The seller signs the back of the title in the presence of a notary. The buyer takes the signed title, proof of Kentucky insurance (dated within 45 days), proof of identity, and money for fees and taxes to the county clerk; titles issued before 2000 may also need Form TC96-182. If the vehicle is not transferred within 15 days, Form TC96-3 (Affidavit of Incomplete Transfer) is used. When a vehicle is sold to an out-of-state resident, the seller returns the Kentucky plate to the county clerk. For a deceased owner, the documents needed depend on whether the title reads "or" or "and" and whether the survivor is a spouse (death certificate, court or probate documents); all wills must be probated. Out-of-state vehicles need a passed sheriff's inspection.

New residents must get a Kentucky driver's license within 30 days of establishing residency; holders of a valid out-of-state license (or one expired less than a year) need no testing, while those expired more than a year need a driver history record, the written knowledge test and a vision screening. Vehicles must be insured with a company authorized in Kentucky before being driven, and must be titled and registered with the county clerk in the county of residence within 10 days of establishing residency (the same page's insurance section gives 15 days to apply for registration). The out-of-state title is converted to a Kentucky title, and vehicles brought from another state need a sheriff's inspection.