How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Louisiana in 2026

Motor vehicle title transfers in Louisiana, including those between family members, are administered by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV). State law requires the purchaser or recipient of a transferred vehicle to apply for a new certificate of title under R.S. 32:707. For most vehicles, that application must be filed within five days after delivery of the prior certificate of title, or within five days after delivery of the vehicle if no earlier title has been issued.

What Does Transferring a Car Title to a Family Member in Louisiana Mean?

In Louisiana, the certificate of title is the state’s formal record of motor vehicle ownership. A transfer to a family member is not completed solely by delivering possession of the vehicle. Ownership changes in the state record only after the recipient files the required transfer documents and OMV processes the application.

Louisiana uses a hybrid title system. Private ownership transfers still depend on the assigned paper title and supporting documents, while lien and title data for participating lenders may also move through the paperless ELT program.

Title applications may be processed by OMV field offices, OMV headquarters, and authorized public tag agents identified through the official office locator. OMV also states that applicants should contact the agency if they have not received a title, plate, or validation sticker within 30 days of submission.

A family transfer may be documented as a gift with no monetary consideration or as a private sale for an agreed purchase price. Each structure carries different documentation and tax consequences under the OMV policy and the Louisiana tax administration.

Eligible Family Members for Title Transfers in Louisiana

Louisiana does not publish a closed list of family relationships that automatically qualify every vehicle transfer for special tax treatment. Instead, the legal character of the transaction controls the result for title and tax purposes.

Under Policy 52.00, sales and use tax is not due on a donation if no mortgage is assumed. If the donee assumes outstanding principal, tax is due on the assumed balance, except in the spousal assumption situation recognized by OMV policy.

A sale between relatives is handled under the same general rules that apply to other private transfers. The Louisiana Department of Revenue lists the current state general sales tax rate as 5%, and OMV assesses the applicable sales or use tax in connection with title and registration processing.

Common family relationships for which title transfers are routinely processed include:

• Spouses
• Parents and children
• Grandparents and grandchildren
• Siblings
• Stepparents and stepchildren
• Other relatives acting as donor, donee, seller, or purchaser

Standard titling requirements apply regardless of the parties’ relationship, and OMV requires existing liens to be properly released or otherwise documented before ordinary transfer processing can be completed under Policy 2.00.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Gift to a Family Member in Louisiana

Step 1 — Review the current title and lien status.
The transferor should examine the existing certificate of title to confirm the vehicle description and determine whether a lien remains recorded. If a lien is shown, it must be released or otherwise properly addressed before a standard donation transfer can proceed.

Step 2 — Complete the title assignment.
OMV requires the current certificate of title to be assigned by the donor to the donee before a notary public. The assignment should include the donee’s identifying information, the date of transfer, and the odometer disclosure, if required. If the vehicle is not exempt from odometer reporting and the title does not contain a complete odometer disclosure, a supplemental DPSMV 1606 must be included.

Step 3 — Prepare the donation document.
A no-consideration family transfer is ordinarily documented with the notarized DPSMV 1699, titled Act of Donation of a Movable. This form must be signed by both the donor and donee before a notary public in the presence of two witnesses to be legally valid. Louisiana also provides DPSMV 1698 for a manual gift, but OMV accepts that form only when the transaction is submitted in connection with a Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission licensee.

Step 4 — Submit the transferor’s disposition notice and handle the plate.
The transferor should file the DPSMV 1697, titled Notice of Transfer of Vehicle, within fifteen days after the donation. OMV also directs transferors to destroy regular automobile plates after the transfer notice process is completed, truck and trailer plates may remain with the vehicle, and special prestige plates may be retained by the transferor.

Step 5 — Submit the title application.
The donee must submit the completed transfer packet to OMV headquarters, an OMV office, or a public tag agent. OMV requires the assigned title, the application, the donation document, any required odometer statement, identification, and other supporting material needed for lien or registration processing.

Step 6 — Register the vehicle in the recipient’s name.
If a registration or plate is being issued as part of the transfer, the recipient must complete that portion of the transaction at the same time the title application is filed. Proof of liability insurance is required when a plate is requested under the same used-title procedures.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Sale to a Family Member in Louisiana

Step 1 — Complete the title assignment with the agreed purchase price.
For a family sale, the seller must complete the assignment on the current certificate of title using the agreed sale amount and the date of transfer. In a private sale, OMV requires the seller’s signature on the title before a notary or in the presence of two witnesses as described in Policy 2.00.

Step 2 — Prepare a written bill of sale.
Louisiana’s official Bill of Sale records the seller, buyer, year, make, model, VIN, sale price, and date of sale. OMV accepts a separate bill of sale or other acceptable sales document when the title assignment does not itself fully reflect the required transaction details.

Step 3 — Resolve any existing lien.
If the vehicle remains subject to a recorded lien, the lien must be properly released before ordinary transfer processing can occur. If a new lien will be recorded, the application must include the appropriate security agreement or UCC filing.

Step 4 — File the seller’s transfer notice and address plate disposition.
The seller should promptly notify the OMV that the vehicle has been sold. OMV requires that regular automobile plates be destroyed after the notice process is completed, while truck and trailer plates may remain with the vehicle and be transferred in the proper circumstances.

Step 5 — Submit the buyer’s title and registration application.
The buyer must submit the assigned title, the completed application, the bill of sale if needed, any odometer documentation, proof of insurance if a plate is being issued, identification, and any lien paperwork through OMV’s used-title procedures.

Step 6 — Pay tax and complete registration.
At the time of processing, OMV collects the applicable title fees, registration charges, and any sales or use tax due on the private sale. The tax is assessed as part of the title and registration transaction based on the Louisiana Motor Vehicle Tax Administration.

What Documents Are Needed To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Louisiana

Required for all transfers:

• Current certificate of title — The existing Louisiana title must identify the vehicle and current owner, and the assignment must be completed in the manner OMV requires for a private transfer.
• Vehicle Application (DPSMV 1799) — The official DPSMV 1799 is the OMV application for title and registration and records owner, vehicle, tax, lien, and plate information.
• Government-issued identification — OMV requires identification for the owner or owners listed on the transfer file.
• Odometer Disclosure Statement — The DPSMV 1606 is required if the vehicle is not exempt from odometer reporting and the title does not already contain a complete odometer disclosure.
• Proof of liability insurance — Insurance is required if the transfer includes issuance of a registration or license plate.

Required for sale transfers:

• Bill of Sale — The official Bill of Sale or another acceptable sales document should show the VIN, year, make, model, names of both parties, sale price, and date of sale.

Required in specific circumstances:

• Act of Donation of a Movable — The notarized DPSMV 1699 is used for a gift transfer documented as an act of donation.
• Manual Gift of a Motor Vehicle — The DPSMV 1698 is limited to the manual-gift situation OMV recognizes in connection with a licensed dealer transaction.
• Notice of Transfer of Vehicle — The DPSMV 1697 is filed by the transferor to notify OMV that the vehicle has been sold, donated, or traded.
• Lien release documentation — A lien release is required if the prior title shows an unreleased lien.
• Security agreement or UCC filing — A financing document is required if a new lien is being recorded.
• Power of Attorney / Mandate — OMV accepts a Power of Attorney / Mandate when an authorized agent signs on behalf of an owner, provided the instrument meets OMV requirements.
• Affidavit of Correction — A correction affidavit may be required in title-correction situations addressed by Policy 2.01.

How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member Online in Louisiana

A standard private-party title transfer in Louisiana cannot be completed entirely online. OMV’s online services do not provide a full online process for a private transfer of ownership between family members.

The recipient must submit the title application and supporting documents in person at an OMV office or through a public tag agent. An online notice of transfer updates the OMV record to reflect the disposition of the vehicle, but it does not itself transfer legal ownership.

What's the Cost To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Louisiana?

The OMV sets the title, transfer, and registration fee schedule, while the state general sales tax rate is implemented by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

Title and Transfer Fees

Registration Fees

Sales and Use Tax (for sale transfers)

Gift transfers documented by an act of donation are not subject to sales or use tax if no mortgage is being assumed under Policy 52.00.

Contact Information for Assistance

Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
7979 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Phone: (225) 925-6146
Official Website: Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles