How to Sell a Car in Idaho

The steps and process for selling a vehicle online are different in every state. Learn how to sell your used car or truck privately in Idaho.

Whether you live in Northern, Southern, Eastern, or Western Idaho, if you are thinking about privately selling your used car or truck, you’ve come to the right place. With an estimated half-million registered trucks and cars in the state of Idaho, it’s no wonder that thousands of private vehicle sellers from the Gem State have used Autotrader to sell their car. Below, we’ve outlined the five steps and forms required for how to sell a car in the state of Idaho so you can sell your car quickly for the most cash.

Remember, most states consider the vehicle title a legal document, so the legal names (no nicknames) of both parties involved should be used, along with legible handwriting using black or blue ink. Mistakes, errors, and using White-Out may void the document so be careful and take your time filling it out. Starting in October 2021, all vehicle registration letters will include a QR code allowing you to process and pay for your vehicle registration using your mobile phone.

Step 1: Allow the buyer to have the car inspected by a third party
Step 2: Organize and gather all related vehicle documentation
Step 3: Bill of Sale
Step 4: Transfer the title
Step 5: Remove your plates and cancel your insurance

Step 1: Allow the buyer to have the car inspected by a third party

Many vehicle shoppers who buy a car privately pay for a pre-purchase vehicle inspection conducted by a qualified and licensed auto mechanic of their choosing. Although the buyer pays for this inspection, the seller and buyer must agree on when and where the inspection is to be held. If the inspection does find any issues with the car, it is a good idea for you as the seller to keep the report for your records. Even if there are issues, the buyer may want to move forward or ask the seller to make the repairs. Either way, keeping a copy of that report might be a good idea for the buyer too. Idaho does not require this inspection and doesn’t have any forms that need to be filled out, but it’s a good idea for the buyer to have the inspection performed prior to the purchase.

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Step 2: Organize and gather all related vehicle documentation

Find all maintenance records, the owner’s manual and other paperwork related to the vehicle. If you can provide the buyer with extensive and detailed maintenance records, this will help provide the buyer with confidence that you’ve maintained the car in a proper and regular manner. You may even want to consider including a vehicle history report from a service like CarFax or AutoCheck.

The most important document when selling a car is the certificate of title. If there is a lien on the title, the lienholder must release interest in the vehicle before the car is sold. This can be achieved either by the seller paying off the car or by the lienholder providing a letter of lien release. If you can’t pay off the car, then a lien release statement from your lienholder must be submitted to the DMV. Idaho has an official Satisfaction of Lien document which is form ITD 3726.

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Step 3: Bill of Sale

The state of Idaho requires a bill of sale to be completed for private party car sales. Idaho form ITD 3738 is the state’s official bill of sale form and needs to be filled out with the following information:

• Year, Make and Model of the Vehicle
• Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• Sale Price
• Date of Sale
• Legal full name, address and signature of the buyer(s)
• Legal full name, address, Idaho driver’s license number or SSN, and signature of the seller(s)
• Odometer reading (if applicable)
• New lienholder name and address, if applicable

Not only is a bill of sale required by the Gem State, but it also provides legal protections for both the buyer and the seller. Private vehicle transactions in Idaho require a sales tax of 6 percent of the purchase price. It’s very important that the purchase price written on the title and the bill of sale are matching and accurate to ensure the right amount of tax is being paid to the state. The buyer will pay the sales tax to the county assessor (DMV) when they apply for an Idaho title. You can buy a motor vehicle from a family member without paying sales tax only if that family member is your parent or child, grandparent or grandchild or brother or sister and the family member paid sales tax when originally buying the motor vehicle. Sellers and buyers should be aware that entering a false selling price on the bill of sale or title is a felony under Idaho law, section 49-518(5).

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Step 4: Transfer the title

If the vehicle’s title has been lost, stolen or badly damaged, you can get a replacement/duplicate Idaho title by filling out form ITD 3367. With that form filled out plus a $14 fee (plus an extra $7 if you do not have both the VIN and the title number) you can get a duplicate title by mailing your form and fee to the following address:

Ada County Processing Center
PO Box 140019
Garden City, ID 83714

When selling a car privately in Idaho, the buyer and the seller both need to fill out the relevant sections on the back of the title. This information includes the legal name, address, and signature of the buyer and the seller(s) along with the date of the sale, the odometer reading, and the purchase price. When this is filled out accurately and legibly, it makes it easy for the buyer to transfer registration and acquire a new plate. When a vehicle is registered in the names of two or more persons as co-owners separated by the word “and,” the signature of each co-owner shall be required to transfer title to the vehicle. When a motor vehicle is registered in the names of two or more persons as co-owners separated by the word “or,” the signature of only one owner is required to transfer the title to the buyer.

If you’re wondering about gifting a car to a relative, you can follow the same process that is outlined here, but you’ll also need to file Idaho form ST-133GT which is a Gift Transfer Affidavit. For inheriting a car, it’s mostly the same process, but you’ll need to file Idaho form ITD 3414 which is an Affidavit of Inheritance along with the title of the vehicle in question.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) odometer disclosure requirements were updated in December 2020 impacting certain private vehicle sales in Idaho: For a vehicle transfer that occurs from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2030, any vehicle of model year 2011 or newer (2012, 2013, etc.) will require an odometer disclosure. Starting on January 1, 2031, any vehicle that is less than 20 model years old will require an odometer disclosure. Previously, the NHTSA required disclosure was for only the first 10 years. Cars older than 2010 and those weighing over 16,000lbs are exempt from odometer disclosures.

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Step 5: Remove your plates and cancel your insurance

The seller must remove their license plates before handing the vehicle over to the buyer. If you do not do so, you may be liable for any violations after the buyer has taken possession of the vehicle. After the sale is complete, you do not need to return the plates to your local DMV office. What you do need to do is file a Notice of Release of Liability (form ITD 3858) with the DMV along with a $3.50 fee. This protects you from liability of any accidents or infractions between the point of sale and the new owner’s registration. Make sure to cancel your insurance as soon as possible after you’ve removed your plates so you don’t continue paying to insure a car that you no longer own.

For more information, visit the Idaho DMV website.

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Questions about selling your car in Idaho? We have answers.

What paperwork do I need to privately sell a car in Idaho?

Is a Bill of Sale required for selling a car in Idaho?

Do I remove my license plate when I sell a car in Idaho?

Does an Idaho replacement or duplicate title form need to be notarized?

Does a vehicle bill of sale have to be notarized in Idaho?