City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a car in Houston, Texas. It documents the transfer and helps you complete DMV title paperwork.
Create a compliant bill of sale and download the signed PDF immediately.
DMV / Title Office
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector – Downtown
Address
1001 Preston St, Houston, TX 77002
Phone
(713) 274-8000
Office Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Title Transfer Fee
$28.00
Sales Tax Rate
8.25%
Base Registration Fee
$51.75
Texas state rate 6.25% + Houston/Harris County local rate 2.00%
Texas does not require notarization for a private-party vehicle sale. A signed bill of sale and completed Form 130-U are sufficient.
County Clerk / Recorder
Harris County Clerk
Phone
(713) 274-8600
The most common car makes in private-party sales are Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan. Average private-party car prices range from $5,000–$25,000. The average NCAP safety rating for recent car models is 4.2 out of 5 stars. Cars average 3.1 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Airbags (Takata), Power Train, Fuel System.
Before completing a car bill of sale in Texas, verify these safety items:
Liability insurance required in 49 states (New Hampshire is the exception). Average annual premium: $1,600–$2,200. Cars lose approximately 20% of value in the first year and 60% over five years. Japanese brands retain value best. Peak season for private car sales is spring (march–may) when tax refunds boost demand, with an average of 21 days on market.
Cars are classified as "Passenger vehicle" for registration purposes. Standard passenger cars weigh 2,500–4,500 lbs; no special weight-class registration required. Federal odometer disclosure is required for cars under 20 years old.
Houston residents completing a car bill of sale should be aware of local requirements in addition to Texas state rules. The state sales tax rate is 6.25%, flat 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax statewide. The most popular car makes in Texas include Toyota, Honda, Ford.
BillOfSaleNow has generated 10,842 bill of sale documents for Texas transactions, with 292 generated this month alone. The most popular vehicle type is car.
45% faster sale
Vehicles whose listings include a history report spend ~45% less time on site before selling, and report-viewers are 5x more likely to become a lead.
Source: Experian / AutoCheck
$4,000 avg loss
NHTSA estimates 450,000+ vehicles per year are sold with rolled-back odometers — the average victim loses about $4,000 in downstream repair costs.
Source: NHTSA
17.5M private sales/yr
About 17.5 million private-party vehicle transactions happen in the U.S. each year — roughly 47% of the used market.
Source: Cox Automotive 2024
1 in 3 buyers
Roughly 1 in 3 used-car buyers say they suspect private sellers are hiding mechanical problems — documentation closes that trust gap.
Source: JW Surety Bonds (n=3,000)
Houston is in Harris County. Title transfers are handled by the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector – Downtown at 1001 Preston St, Houston, TX 77002. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Phone: (713) 274-8000.
The combined rate is 8.25%. Texas state rate 6.25% + Houston/Harris County local rate 2.00%.
No. Texas does not require notarization for a private-party vehicle sale. A signed bill of sale and completed Form 130-U are sufficient.
Title transfer fee: $28.00. Base registration fee: $51.75. Sales tax at 8.25% is collected at the time of title transfer.