Lost, damaged, or never received your Texas title? You still have legal ways to sell. Here's how it works in 2026, based on official Texas rules — plus the fastest way to just get a cash offer.
Texas calls the replacement a 'certified copy of title,' and it has a well-defined bonded-title path if you bought a car with no title. Here's how to sell.
Complete Form VTR-34 (Application for a Certified Copy of Title) — $2 by mail or $5.45 in person at a TxDMV Regional Service Center. All recorded owners must sign and show photo ID. Mail requests take about 15 days; if a lien is on record you'll need a signed lien release. The certified copy works exactly like the original for selling.
If you bought the vehicle without a proper title, file the Bonded Title Application / Statement of Fact (Form VTR-130-SOF) with a $15 fee at a TxDMV Regional Service Center. If approved, you get a Notice of Determination (VTR-130-ND) with a bond amount equal to 1.5× the vehicle's value (based on Standard Presumptive Value); you buy the surety bond, then title at your county tax office. A court order is an alternative.
Within 30 days of selling, file a Vehicle Transfer Notification with TxDMV so you're not held responsible for tickets, tolls, or anything the buyer does before they title it in their name.
Tell us the year and condition — we'll tell you exactly what's needed and make a real cash offer, with free towing at pickup.
Get My Free Offer →The quick reference for signing your car over the right way in Texas.
Three things worth confirming before you hand over the keys.
Running or not, title or no title — get a real cash offer in about two minutes, with free towing.
Get My Free Offer →This guide is general information based on Texas rules current as of 2026, not legal advice. Requirements can change and situations vary — confirm details with the official state source (official Texas DMV page) before acting.