Selling a Used Car in Florida

How to Sell a Car Privately in Florida

Why is a private vehicle sale in Florida better?
What are the steps to sell my used car in Florida?
What paperwork do I need to sell my car in Florida?
What shall I do with my license plates when I sell a car in Florida?
How can PrivateAuto help me sell my used car in Florida?

Do you want to sell your used vehicle online but are unsure where to start? Each state has different documentation requirements for used car transactions. But don’t worry: we have all the info you need to successfully sell your car in Florida.

Whether you’re in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, the Florida Panhandle, or anywhere else in the state, PrivateAuto is the place to sell your used vehicle.

There are around 15 million registered vehicles in the Golden State. If you are looking to sell one of them, read on for how to do it.

Why is a Private Car Sale in Florida a Better Choice?

The main benefit of selling your own vehicle to an individual buyer is that you have full control at every moment. You decide the pricing and how the negotiations will go. Private sellers often get a better price for their used cars, since Florida dealerships need to buy low and sell high.

In almost all cases, you’re likely to get more money for your vehicle if you sell it yourself versus trading it in to a car dealership.

Worried about the amount of time and effort it might take? That’s what PrivateAuto’s self-service app is for! We have everything you need in one place to close the deal safely and securely—and get paid instantly.

Steps for Selling Your Used Car in Florida

Private sellers in Florida love how PrivateAuto makes selling your used vehicle hassle-free.

The selling process consists of the following steps:

1. Gather the necessary paperwork

You’ll need your vehicle title and other documentation (see the documentation section below). Keep everything in one place and avoid the last-minute scramble.

2. Register on PrivateAuto and get verified

To make PrivateAuto a safe place for everyone, we require email, phone, and driver’s license verification, including facial recognition.

3. List your car

Easily create your PrivateAuto listing with our step-by-step guide. Bonus: we include a window brochure with QR code scannable to your listing.

4. Set your terms

It’s your car, so you drive the deal! You can control when, where, and who you meet. Decide whether to accept only ID-verified buyers, or buyers with verified funds. Don’t waste your time with buyers who aren’t verified to your preference.

5. Manage all offers in one place

Manage offers in one place with the ability to accept, reject, or counter offers within the app. Listing on multiple sites? Filter all communications through PrivateAuto by sharing your listing link on all platforms. Your personal info is protected: no more giving out your phone number or email address. It all happens in our app.

6. Choose a buyer

When you find an offer you like, accept it and proceed to the next step with that buyer.

7. Schedule a test drive

The buyer will want to test drive your car. No more back and forth texts. You never have to give out your phone number. Rather, use our handy scheduling feature to coordinate a time and place for a test drive. (Oh, and you’ll be able to finalize the transaction instantly at the test drive location, FYI.)

8. E-sign documents

After the buyer is satisfied with your car and the two of you have agreed on a purchase price, you can easily e-sign the Bill of Sale within our app, from your phone. With our shared documents feature you can easily locate the paperwork needed after the sale.

9. Get paid, instantaneously

Before PrivateAuto, receiving funds was the most stressful part of the entire selling process, especially for any used car sale over $5,000. There just aren’t a lot of good ways to move large amounts of money conveniently and quickly. Those days are over! Verify and receive funds instantly with PrivateAuto Pay, our innovative banking integration. Guaranteed funds for transactions large and small.

10. Transfer title

Both you and the seller will fill out the necessary information on the back of the car title document.

11. Cancel Insurance

You don’t want to pay for insurance on a car you no longer own, so be sure to remove the sold vehicle from your insurance plan.

Selling your Car on PrivateAuto: the Process

Here’s how the PrivateAuto selling process works: 1. You register on PrivateAuto and we verify you 2. You list your car model with our easy step-by-step guided process 3. You set your terms and screen would-be buyers 4. You vet incoming offers and choose a buyer 5. You and the buyer e-sign documents from your PrivateAuto phone app 6. You get paid, instantaneously So easy. Are you interested in buying a car in Delaware instead? Look through our used cars for sale.

What Paperwork Do I Need to Sell My Car in Florida?

If you are selling your used vehicle in Florida to a private party, here is your seller’s checklist for documentation you will need:

Title, normally in paper document form
If your Florida title is held electronically, you and the buyer will need to complete a transfer of title or title reassignment form (file form HSMV 82994 or HSMV 82092)
If the original title is lost, you will need to complete a title replacement form (file form HSMV 82101)
Your car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
Odometer Verification (file form HSMV 82042)
Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration (form HSMV 82040)
A Bill of Sale, form HSMV 82050—done electronically via the PrivateAuto mobile app
Odometer Disclosure

Vehicle Title

You will need your vehicle title to sell your used car in Florida. If you don’t have the original title, you’ll need to obtain a replacement title by completing an Application for Duplicate Title form (Form 82101). This document needs to be signed by both buyer and seller. The vehicle title needs to have the following information:

The buyer’s legal name and address
The signatures of both buyer and seller
The date of the sale
The car’s odometer reading
The purchase price

When Two Owners are On the Vehicle Title

If you have two owners on your used vehicle title in Florida, it is possible that you will both be required to sign. Pay attention to whether the names of the two owners are joined by “and,” “or,” or “and/or.”

And: both owners need to sign the vehicle title.
Or: only one owner is required to sign.
And/or: only one owner is required to sign.

How to Replace a Lost Vehicle Title in Florida

The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is the governing body for car titles. If your car title is lost, you need to fill out the Application for Duplicate Title form (Form 82101). Also, you need to pay a duplicate title fee when filing this form. You can either visit an FLHSMV office in person or mail in your application.

Valid Smog Certificate

Most cars in Florida require a smog certification that can be obtained from a licensed Florida smog testing station. The buyer is responsible for covering a smog transfer fee.

When the ownership of a gas-powered vehicle is transferred and the vehicle is four years old or less, you don’t have to get a smog certificate.

The seller needs to obtain smog certification if the vehicle is older than four years or if it is a diesel-powered vehicle from 1998 or newer.

Vehicles that do not have to get smog tested include:

Electric cars
Natural-gas powered cars
Motorcycles
1975 and older gas-powered vehicles
1998 and older diesel-powered vehicles

Signed Odometer Disclosure Statement in Florida

Florida law requires an odometer disclosure statement when selling your car in the state. The odometer disclosure statement should contain the following information: Vehicle description, including make, body, type, VIN, year, and model. The date of sale. Both buyer’s and seller’s printed names, current addresses, and signatures. The odometer mileage reading.

Federal and state law requires sellers to state the correct and accurate vehicle mileage. Providing false information can result in high fines or even imprisonment.

Florida odometer disclosure statements are unique since they contain a perjury statement that is not required on another state or government surplus auction (GSA) form.

Tampering with an odometer is illegal in Florida

Bill of Sale

A Bill of Sale is required in the state of Florida.

It is important to remember that if the seller does not fill out form HSMV 82050 and the buyer does not file for registration and title, the seller can be held liable for actions with the vehicle. It can happen even if you sold your car. Both parties need to have their own copy of the Bill of Sale.

Basic info on Bill of Sale includes:

Seller’s full name and notarized signature
Buyer’s full name and notarized signature
The negotiated price of the car sale
Vehicle information including make, type, and year
Detailed vehicle description
A warranty disclaimer stating the vehicle is being sold as-is
Date of the sale

PrivateAuto makes the Bill of Sale easy with our in-app e-sign process.

What Shall I Do With My License Plates When I Sell A Car In Florida?

As the vehicle seller, you are required to remove your license plates from the vehicle at the time of sale. Make sure to remove the license plate from the back of the vehicle AND the one from the front. The state of Florida gives you two choices with your license plates: 1. Remove the plates and put them on a different vehicle that you own 2. Remove the plates and turn them in to the FLHSMV By removing the license plates, you protect yourself from liability for the buyer’s actions with the vehicle after they drive it away.

PrivateAuto Makes Selling Your Car Easy

PrivateAuto offers a guided, end-to-end self-serve experience for selling your vehicle. From listing your vehicle for sale to communicating with potential buyers, negotiating prices, and money transfers, we got you covered. PrivateAuto guides you through every aspect of the transaction, all within our incredibly easy-to-use app. Here are the steps in the PrivateAuto process: 1. Register on PrivateAuto and get verified 2. Add your car listing 3. Manage incoming offers 4. Choose your ideal buyer 5. Schedule a test drive 6. E-sign all important documents 7. Get paid, instantaneously Interested in purchasing a vehicle on PrivateAuto? Feel free to check our listings of used vehicles for sale.

FAQ on Selling a Car in Florida

What is the best way to sell a used car in Florida?

PrivateAuto offers the most secure, safe, and fast way to sell your Florida car and get paid.

What paperwork do I need to sell my car in Florida?

If you are selling Florida car, you will need to get these documents:

– Title reassignment form (either HSMV form 82994 or HSMV form 82092)
– Title replacement form ( form HSMV 82101), if you misplaced the original document
– Your vehicle identification number and odometer verification form (HSMV 82042)
– Application for Certificate of Title With/Without Registration (form HSMV 82040)
– A Bill of Sale, form HSMV 82050
– Odometer Disclosure

When you sell your used vehicle on PrivateAuto, we will guide you through each step of the process.

Do you need a bill of sale to transfer title in Florida?

The bill of sale does not transfer ownership or transfer the title of a car in a private vehicle transaction. Still, the bill of sale is important to protect both buyer and seller from fraud or mistakes. It provides proof of the transaction.

Note that PrivateAuto makes the bill of sale easy with our in-app walkthrough of the entire transaction, including buyer and seller electronically signing within our mobile app.

How do I sell a car to an individual in Florida?

PrivateAuto can help you get the most out of the private vehicle sale. For the best and most convenient sales process follow our easy steps:

– Create a PrivateAuto account
– Add your vehicle listing
– Add location preferences
– Answer potential buyers through our in-app messaging
– Schedule the test drive on the in-app scheduler
– Sell and get paid instantly through PrivateAuto Pay

Who pays sales tax when selling a car privately in Florida?

The buyer pays a 6% sales tax when they purchase a vehicle—whether new or used—in the state of Florida.

When you sell a car in Florida do you keep the plates?

In Florida, license plates stay with the seller. Before the buyer gets into possession of your vehicle, you need to remove your plates and transfer them to your vehicle.

How do you transfer a car title in Florida?

The process for transferring a vehicle title in Florida is fairly simple and consists of a few steps: checking for a clear title, completing the application of transfer, including additional documents (bill of sale, proof of insurance, or Florida Insurance Affidavit, lien satisfaction document, State of Florida Notice of Sale) applying for a new title, and paying fees.

PrivateAuto walks you through the title transfer process in our app.

How do I notify the Florida DMV that I sold my car?

After you sell your car in Florida, you need to notify the Florida DMV. You need to fill out a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL), and this notifies the DMV that the vehicle has a new owner.

Is selling a car in Florida without a title possible?

It is illegal to sell a vehicle without title through a private sale. After a car is purchased, the buyer must file for ownership with the state and provide evidence of the amount they paid for the vehicle. There must be evidence of every transaction along with a continuous paper trail; this is why title jumping is illegal in Florida.

What’s the process of selling a car in Florida with a lien?

In Florida, a vehicle can not be sold in a private sale if there is an existing lien. The title can be transferred only if the lienholder reports that the lien is satisfied with FLHSMV.

Is a bill of sale required in Florida?

Yes, it is required. Florida states that private sellers must have a Bill of Sale form filed for the vehicle. If the buyer does not file for title and registration or if the seller doesn’t file a Bill of Sale form, then they can be held liable, even if they don’t own the vehicle anymore.