Buying a Used Car from a Private Seller in Nevada

If you're buying a used car from a private seller in Nevada, you're ahead of the curve. You can get a better deal when you skip the dealership and go directly to the original owner.

PrivateAuto streamlines the experience of buying a car privately, and ensures a safe and secure transaction. Keep reading to find out how to buy your dream car in Nevada, and how we make the process easy.

When considering whether to purchase from a dealer or a private seller, the traditional belief is that dealerships offer convenience, while private sellers provide better value.

Here at PrivateAuto, we strongly advocate for the private seller option due to several advantages:

1. Get a better price by cutting out the middleman and going straight to the source. Dealers must buy low and sell high to make a profit and keep the lights on.
2. Avoid fees. Car dealers charge documentation fees that range from $50 to over $1,000.
3. You drive the deal on your terms. PrivateAuto allows you to make offers and negotiate the best deal directly with the seller.

While it’s true that car dealers offer more convenience, we’re all about making the private-party car buying experience stress-free and safe.

Our transactional marketplace gives you all the tools to drive the deal on your terms, including instant payments of up to $1 million with no fees.

You’re probably looking for private-party used cars online, which means you’ll be using one of the many sites that list used vehicles for sale. You probably have an idea of what you’re looking for and which car brands fit your budget. In which case, it’s time to start your search.

Most of us will search online when looking for used cars for sale nearby. Here are the types of car-buying websites you will come across.


While these places serve as a great resource for finding a used vehicle, all of them lack transactional capability. We call them "meetingplaces" because they leave your pants down when it comes down to navigating the logistics of closing the deal.

We’re the world’s first and only fully transactional marketplace, offering self-service technological solutions for every stage of the deal.

To experience the hassle-free simplicity of buying from a private seller, browse used cars for sale by the owner and begin your car-buying journey today.

Don't get us wrong, we have nothing against other listing sites. Most of them have a lot more private-party car inventory than we do— we’re still fresh. But we still want you to have the transactional security and convenience that our users enjoy.

That’s why DealNow was developed. DealNow allows you to create your own private deal room, invite the owner of the car you want to buy, and fast-track the transaction.

Get your deal started now!

You want to get the very best vehicle for your money, and we allow you to make offers on vehicles that you like. You never know if the vehicle’s owner will accept less than their asking price until you try.

On other sites, you’d have to message the seller and have an awkward exchange bargaining over price. PrivateAuto lets you make an offer with the click of a button. The seller can then accept, reject, or make a counteroffer.

A smart buyer will try to find out as much as they can about the car they’re getting. The two best ways to learn about a vehicle’s background are:

1. Get a vehicle history report
2. Research the car's title

Savvy car buyers know that a vehicle history report is smart to ask for when buying a used car. It covers ownership history and maintenance records, and gives you insight into how well the seller cared for the vehicle. We provide a vehicle history report for all premium listings.

Here are some reasons a vehicle history report gives you peace of mind.

1. You know how well the car has been cared for.
2. You have visibility into any accidents or insurance claims.
3. You can see service records, major repairs, and other work.

A vehicle history report can help you steer clear of any car-buying scams.

Before meeting up for the test drive, it’s smart to do preliminary research on the car title.
You can use the National Insurance Crime Bureau website to research the title to protect yourself from car-buying fraud.

Sometimes sellers will attempt to pass off a salvage title as clean.

Title research will help you check for:

1. Reports of the car having been stolen.
2. An outstanding lien.
3. The car has been declared a total loss in an insurance claim.

Ask the seller for their full name and the vehicle identification number (VIN) before the meetup. Run the title check, and save yourself the worry.

At PrivateAuto, we let you arrange the test drive safely, easily, and conveniently, never revealing your personal information to the seller.

1. Our in-app scheduler lets you pick from the time slots the seller has chosen—no awkward back-and-forth conversations. You'll also see the seller's preferred meetup location.
2. You can opt to transact with verified sellers, which will help weed out those who prefer to operate in the shadows.

You’ll schedule the test drive in a matter of minutes without ever needing to contact the seller. It’s just one of the many ways we streamline the private car buying process.

Paperwork is a critical part of the transaction process. Here is the paperwork involved in a Nevada used car transaction:

1. Title
2. Bill of sale
3. Emissions testing

You and the seller need to fill out the official Nevada certificate of title. A Nevada title will require both sides to complete the following information at the time of the sale the following info:

Nevada requires a bill of sale. It protects you by memorializing the terms of the sale, the VIN, the sales price, mileage, and the names and signatures of both parties. If the seller ever wants to contest the transaction or any part of it, you have their signature on a legal document with all of the terms and details to back you up.

We make it easy with an official Nevada bill of sale in our app. You and the seller review the details, and then digitally sign the bill of sale after inspecting the car.

No printing or scanning— sign it electronically in our mobile app. The document is then stored in your PrivateAuto account as a reference, should you ever need it.

Nevada requires a smog certificate (emissions test) for most vehicles. Here are the vehicles that require a smog check:


The cost of emissions testing in Nevada is $20.

When it comes time to pay the seller for their car, there aren’t a lot of great options—until now. Cash is inconvenient and risky, PayPal has fees, Venmo and Zelle have low transfer limits, and checks and wire transfers are slow and unwieldy.

We got bored with how limited the existing payment methods are, so we created a better solution. We call it PrivateAuto Pay. Our users call it magic.

Here’s how the magic works:

1. Instantaneous transfers. Close the deal when you meet for the test drive.
2. No transfer fees.
3. Works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. No coordinating around banker’s hours.
4. No exchange of contact or banking info.
5. Advanced encryption protects your data from hackers.
6. Skip inconvenient and costly third-party escrow services when you use our escrow-like safeguards.

You’ll never want to buy a car any other way.

After the title is signed, you’ll go to your local Nevada Department Of Motor Vehicles office to complete the Nevada title transfer process. At the same time, you’ll register the vehicle in your name, get new license plates, and pay your Nevada sales tax owed.

Here’s what you’ll need to provide when you transfer your car’s title at the DMV office:


Read our complete guide to a Nevada title transfer for more info on the subject.