Guides › Last checked Oct 2026

How to Transfer a Car Title in Kentucky

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When you buy a car from another person in Kentucky, the title has to be transferred into your name within 15 days. Here's how that works, based on the state's own titling page.

What the seller does

Signs the back of the title in front of a notary. That's what signs ownership over to you.
Doesn't use white-out or scratch anything out on the title. If something's wrong, the fix is a signed, notarized affidavit.
Keeps the license plate. In Kentucky the plate stays with the seller, not the car.

What you bring to the county clerk

The signed-over Kentucky title, with notarized signatures
Proof of Kentucky insurance with an issue date within the last 45 days
Your Kentucky driver's license, Kentucky ID card, or Social Security card
Money for fees and the 6% usage tax (how the tax works)
Titles printed before 2000 may also need form TC96-182
If the name on your title differs from your ID, an affidavit showing they're the same (a marriage license or divorce decree is a good example)

Which clerk's office?

Go to the clerk in your county of residence. The Pulaski County Clerk notes that since January 2024, the transfer has to happen in the buyer's county of residence (KRS 186A.120).

Fees vary by county

Here are two examples from clerk sites. Pulaski County lists a $17.00 title fee, $21.00 plate fee, $22.00 lien filing fee if there's a loan, and $2.00 if the clerk notarizes. Jefferson County lists a $9 title application fee. Call your own clerk before you go.

If your title hasn't come

Contact your county clerk if it hasn't arrived within 45 days of applying.

Selling instead of buying? Ask for an estimate on your car. A real person looks at it and gets back to you.

Common questions

Does a Kentucky title have to be notarized?

Yes. The state's titling page says the seller signs the back of the title in the presence of a notary.

How long do I have to transfer a title in Kentucky?

15 days from the sale, according to drive.ky.gov.

Where do I transfer a title in Kentucky?

At the county clerk's office. The Pulaski County Clerk notes that since January 2024 the transfer is done in the buyer's county of residence (KRS 186A.120).