Can you go to jail for selling a car without a title

While it is illegal to sell a vehicle without a title through private sale, sellers can legally sell their car, truck or SUV to a licensed vehicle buyer in Florida.

Each and every vehicle has to be registered with the State of Florida whether it is running or not. When the original person purchased the vehicle from a dealership, a title certificate was issued for it. This registration number remains with the vehicle through it’s entire lifespan.

When a vehicle is sold, the title must be changed over to the new owners name and the state will transfer ownership from the seller to the buyer. After the sale, a copy must be filed with the state along with the amount the vehicle was sold for. There has to be a continuous paper-trail to show each time it exchanged ownership, this is why title jumping is illegal in Florida.

Can You Sell a Vehicle Without a Title?

To sell your vehicle in Florida, you better have a copy of your title if you are doing a private sale. You can go online to order a copy of your vehicle’s title or you can go to your local clerk’s office to get a copy. If your vehicle is old, damaged or not running and you want to scrap it, there is no need to have the original title, you’ll need to file for a Derelict Motor Vehicle Certificate. This deems the vehicle as salvage and you’ll be able to part it out and sell them or you can scrap the car completely.

Don’t call a dealership… they will rarely take a vehicle without a title especially if you are doing a trade-in. A title is mandatory for financing. Instead, you’ll want to find a used car or a junk car buyer in your area. These companies are licensed in the state to buy, resell and salvage used vehicles. Even if you don’t have a copy of the title, junk car buyers can verify ownership and take care of the necessary paperwork. No title, no problem, is a common slogan used by junk car removal companies.

Can You Go To Jail For Selling a Vehicle With a Title?

Florida allows up to 30 days for you to file a title transfer.  If you do not do it in within this time period, there is a penalty fee added to the registration fee.

If you decide to sell a vehicle without a title, the act is called “title jumping”, which is a felony offense in all 50 states. This means there is no record in Florida showing the sale of the vehicle. Title jumping is when the new owners name is not registered as the owner of the vehicle after the sale. If caught, you may not end up in jail but you will have some legal issues to deal with along with court fees and fines.


Do it the right way, and try to have a copy of your title before you sell your vehicle. It makes it easier for everyone involved in the sales process. If you choose to not get a new copy of your title or file for a salvage certificate, don’t risk getting in trouble by selling it on your own. Just Google “no title no problem car buyers” to get rid of your vehicle the same day, without hassle or legal worries.

As we explained in our guide Can I Scrap a Car on HP? it is illegal to knowingly sell a vehicle that has an outstanding finance agreement. This means that if you have a car on finance and you wish to sell it, you need to ensure that the finance is settled first.

Although it is illegal to sell a vehicle that you know is subject to a finance agreement, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can go to prison for it.

Avoid committing fraud

The only reason you could go to prison for selling a car that is on a finance agreement, is if it can be proved that it was your intention to defraud the insurance company. Unless this is the case, then selling a car that has outstanding finance is a civil matter.

This means that it would be dealt with in court should the finance company decide to sue you for the outstanding balance due on the car. The chances are that you will be ordered to pay the finance company back via installments, perhaps with an added fine on top. You will not however face a custodial sentence.

There are many instances whereby a person has bought a car with outstanding finance that they were not aware of, only to sell it to someone else who has then been pursued for the outstanding finance on the car. In this instance you would be highly likely to receive a visit from the police, but if you could prove that you sold the car in good faith without knowing that there was money owed to the finance company, then you probably won’t receive any form of punishment.

This is because the initial crime has been committed by the previous owner of the car, who knowingly sold it with an unsettled finance agreement still in place.

HPI Checks are a must

Although not a legal requirement when purchasing a used car, it is highly recommended to perform an HPI check on any car that you wish to purchase.

An HPI check will determine whether there is any outstanding finance on the car, so you are aware before purchasing it. If the car does in fact have outstanding finance, then you can either walk away from the deal or request that the seller settles the finance on the car prior to selling it to you.

If you are ever contacted about a car that you have sold with outstanding finance that you were not aware of, then the first thing to do is make a few phone calls to your insurer, the finance company and the DVLA.

Often there is a communication breakdown between these parties which means that the finance could have been settled but the correct party not informed.

In either case the fact that there is outstanding finance on a car that you bought and were not aware of isn’t really your problem as it’s the problem of the person who sold the car to you. It is however your responsibility to ensure that the ownership of the vehicle has been transferred correctly.

Can you sell a car without a title in Indiana?

In addition to granting authority to sell the car, the title is used to determine who is legally responsible for it. This means that if you sell a car without transferring the title, you are still responsible for everything that happens after the car leaves your possession.
Can I Sell A Car In Arkansas Without A Title? The Arkansas DFA requires a title for vehicle sales. If your title is lost, duplicate titles can be obtained from the Arkansas DFA.

Can you sell a car without a title in Kentucky?

Selling a car in Kentucky is a fairly straightforward process and only requires the following documents: Vehicle certificate of title. Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration (Form TC96-182) may be required for older titles prior to 2000.

Can I sell my car without a title in Oregon?

Can I Sell a Car in Oregon Without a Title? Oregon requires a title to sell a vehicle. If your title is lost, a duplicate title can be obtained from the DMV.