How to Sell a Car in Wyoming

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 Wyoming.

Whether you live in Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southwest, or Southeast Wyoming, if you are thinking about privately selling your used car or truck, you’ve come to the right place. With an estimated 200,000 registered trucks and cars in the state of Wyoming, it’s no wonder that thousands of private vehicle sellers from the Equality State have used Autotrader to sell their car. Below, we’ve outlined the five steps and required forms for how to sell a car in the state of Wyoming 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 correction fluid or stickers, like White-Out, may void the document so be careful and take your time filling it out.

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. Wyoming 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.

Back to top of article

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 getting a lien release from the lienholder. Wyoming lien filings are processed through the local county clerk’s office in the county seat of the county of residence.

Back to top of article

Step 3: Bill of Sale

Wyoming requires a notarized bill of sale for private car sales. However, Wyoming does not have an official bill of sale form. You can use a service like LegalZoom to print a bill of sale that you and your buyer can fill out and sign. Just make sure it’s signed in the presence of a notary or the Wyoming DOT will consider it null and void. For vehicle titles issued on or after January 1, 2020, if there is more than one seller named on the title and their names are separated by “and” then both the sellers needs to sign vehicle title in order to transfer it to the buyer. If there is more than one seller named on the title and their names are separated by “or” or “and/or” then either seller can sign the title before it is transferred to the buyer. If nothing separates the owner names, both must sign. For vehicle titles issued prior to January 1, 2020, multiple ownership on a title—regardless of how the names were joined—required the signatures of all owners to sell the vehicle. The bill of sale requires the following:

• 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 and signature of the seller(s)
• A small statement indicating that the title is free and clear of liens and encumbrances

After this is complete, it’s a good idea for you, the seller, to make a copy of the bill of sale that you can hold on to as evidence that the car has legally changed hands.

Back to top of article

Step 4: Transfer the title

If the vehicle’s title has been lost, stolen or badly damaged, you can apply for a duplicate/replacement title by filing form 020-022. Like the bill of sale, this document needs to be signed in the presence of a notary. That form along with a $15 fee can get you a duplicate title.

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, and the odometer reading. Like just about every other document in this process, the title needs to be signed in the presence of a notary. When this is filled out accurately and legibly, it makes it easy for the buyer to transfer registration and acquire a new plate.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) odometer disclosure requirements were updated in December 2020 impacting certain private vehicle sales in Wyoming: 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 are exempt from odometer disclosures.

If you’re wondering about gifting a car to a relative, you can follow the same process that is outlined here to transfer the title. For inheriting a car, it’s mostly the same process, but you’ll need to file documentation of the inheritance with the county along with the title of the vehicle in question.

Back to top of article

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. 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 Wyoming DOT website.

Back to top of article

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

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

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

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

Does a bill of sale have to be notarized in Wyoming?

Does a vehicle title have to be notarized in Wyoming?