Selling a Used Car in Washington

PrivateAuto is the fastest, most secure, and most convenient platform for selling your used car in Washington. We tell you everything you need to know.

You need to sell your car, truck or SUV privately to put cash in your pocket, but you do not want to mess it up. Finding a buyer can be difficult without help and getting the price you want complicates things further.

Once you find a buyer who will pay your price, completing your car sale should be easy, right? You sign over the title, hand over it and the keys, and they give you the money. In reality, the process is a little more complicated than that. Each state has its own rules and regulations. So if you are selling a car in Washington State, you need to follow that state’s law. Fortunately, the Washington State government site gives detailed information on the entire sales process.

Remove your license plates before the new owner takes possession, even if the vehicle is not your primary one. Leaving the plates on even for a day or two exposes you to possible traffic fines, towing costs, Good to Go! Tickets, etc. that should be the responsibility of the new owners. Plus, they will be highly motivated to take care of transferring ownership into their names if they have to supply the plates immediately. Don't complicate things - remove your license plates promptly.

Washington State requires you to file a sales report when you sell, surrender ownership or donate certain vehicles such as cars, trucks, travel trailers, motorcycles. This step isn’t just an annoying formality. It removes your liability for civil and criminal liabilities incurred by the new owners. Also, this move also pressures the new owners to complete the transfer of ownership.

These are the situations that call for a sales report:


The state does not require you to report boat sales. But in any other vehicle sales situation, you would be wise to check the state website for the rules. That way, you will avoid potential hassles and possible fines.

Many sales have been delayed because the buyers and sellers did not have all the information they needed on hand. You’ll speed the process if you have the following with you:


The state recommends double-checking all this information before you file your report to avoid a trip to a licensing location to correct any errors and file a new report.

You only have five days to file your report before the transaction exposes you to criminal and financial liabilities incurred by the new owner, so do not delay. The filing fee is $13.25, and you can file your report online. If you prefer, you can download the report and mail it to a vehicle licensing location or visit one in person and do the paperwork there.

If for some reason the sale falls through after you file the report, visit a vehicle licensing location and have it deleted as soon as possible.

This step is easy to forget. Be sure to update your Good to Go! Pass to avoid any confusion and prevent paying the new owner’s fines.

The buyer must transfer the title. This step is not your responsibility, but you should know what is involved. The buyer must complete the following for a private vehicle sale or vehicle gift within 15 days to avoid a fine.


Washington State allows title transfers by mail or in person at a license location.

You can typically get a higher price for your car in the private market than they do from a Washington dealership trade-in. That’s because dealerships need to make a spread: they buy low and sell high.

Unfortunately, selling your vehicle on the private market has always been a cumbersome process, in Washington and throughout the US. Until now.

Washington private car sellers love PrivateAuto because we make the process of selling your car so simple.

Here’s how the PrivateAuto selling process works:

1. You register on PrivateAuto and we verify you
2. You list your car model with our easy step-by-step guided process
3. You set your terms and screen would-be buyers
4. You vet incoming offers and choose a buyer
5. You and the buyer e-sign documents from your PrivateAuto phone app
6. You get paid, instantaneously

So easy.

Are you interested in buying a car in Washington instead? Look through our used cars for sale.