How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in West Virginia in 2026

Title transfers between family members in West Virginia are administered by the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A transfer within a family is still a state title transaction, so the reassignment must be completed through the DMV’s certificate-of-title process with the required signatures, forms, and tax documentation.

A family transfer may be recorded as a gift or processed as a private sale, depending on the facts shown in the transfer documents. West Virginia law also imposes timing requirements on title delivery and retitling. Under § 17A-4-2 and § 17A-4-4, the assigned title must be delivered, and the new title application must be forwarded within the statutory 60-day period described in those provisions.

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

Transferring a car title to a family member in West Virginia means changing the legal owner of record through the state’s official title system. The certificate of title is the state ownership record for the vehicle, and a family agreement by itself does not move that ownership record into the recipient’s name. Until the reassignment is accepted and processed by the DMV, the current titled owner remains the owner of record.

West Virginia recognizes both traditional paper titles and digital titles. In the digital system, the state uses a Digital Title Reassignment of Ownership (DTRO) as the reassignment document tied to the digital title. In a paper-title transaction, the reassignment is completed on the certificate of title itself. In either format, the ownership change is not complete until the DMV processes the transfer and issues the updated title record.

Eligible Family Members for Title Transfers in West Virginia

West Virginia does not establish a blanket family transfer procedure that eliminates the normal title transfer requirements for all relatives. A transfer involving a spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, stepparent, stepchild, or another family member is still processed through the same DMV title system used for other private transactions.

The main family-based distinction is tax treatment for certain gifts. Under § 17A-3-4, a gift between spouses or between parents and children may be exempt from the motor vehicle title tax if the tax on that vehicle was previously paid to West Virginia. The official DMV titles guidance also states that, when a West Virginia-titled vehicle is being gifted to a West Virginia resident in a spouse-to-spouse or parent-to-child transfer, the gift affidavit is not required. Other family relationships do not receive the same automatic exemption in the retrieved guidance, so additional tax review may be required.

For a family sale, the transaction is treated as a private-party sale. The current DMV forms calculate the titling tax based on the reported purchase price, subject to the DMV’s valuation and minimum tax rules.

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

Step 1 — Confirm That the Transfer Qualifies as a True Gift
A gift transfer in West Virginia must involve no consideration, monetary or otherwise. If the transfer falls within the spouse-to-spouse or parent-to-child exemption described in § 17A-3-4, the parties should confirm that the prior West Virginia tax requirement has already been satisfied.

Step 2 — Review the Title and Any Lien Record
The current certificate of title should be available and free of unresolved transfer problems. If the title has been lost, a duplicate title may be needed first through DMV-4-TR. If a lien remains active, the lien issue should be resolved before the transfer packet is submitted.

Step 3 — Complete the Title Assignment
The current owner must sign the title over to the family member and provide the reassignment information required by West Virginia law. The owner’s obligation to endorse and deliver the title is stated in § 17A-4-2.

Step 4 — Complete the Odometer Disclosure if the Vehicle Is Not Exempt
West Virginia requires odometer disclosure on transfer documents before a new title may be issued, as stated in § 17A-3-12A. For many West Virginia titles, the mileage certification appears on the title itself. If the title does not contain the required disclosure area, the separate DMV-TM-1 is used.

Step 5 — Prepare the Gift Affidavit if the Exemption Does Not Remove That Requirement
The official DMV-5-TR is the Affidavit of Transfer of Ownership Without Consideration. It must be signed by the current and new owners and include a notary section. The retrieved DMV guidance states that a spouse-to-spouse or parent-to-child gift of a West Virginia-titled vehicle to a West Virginia resident does not require that affidavit.

Step 6 — Complete the Title Application and Any Registration Request
The recipient should complete the DMV-1-TR for the new certificate of title. If registration is requested at the same time, the same application also includes the registration and plate-transfer sections.

Step 7 — Address License Plates and Registration as a Separate DMV Issue
West Virginia’s title materials do not describe a special family-transfer plate-removal rule. Instead, plate handling is addressed through the registration portions of the title application, and a separate plate-transfer fee appears on the DMV fee schedule. If registration is being transferred from another vehicle, the DMV form requires a copy of the registration card.

Step 8 — Submit the Transfer Within the Statutory Time Limit
The assigned title and new title application should be forwarded within the 60-day period described in § 17A-4-4. The retrieved official guidance does not identify a separate statewide sales notice for a standard private gift transfer.

A bill of sale is not the standard gift document in West Virginia. For a gift transaction, the state’s primary supporting record is the gift affidavit, unless the limited spouse or parent-child exemption removes the requirement for that form. A zero-dollar written record may still be helpful as a supplemental file document.

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

Step 1 — Record the Sale Terms as a Private-Party Transaction
A family sale is processed under the same rules that apply to other private sales. The purchase price should be documented clearly on the transfer paperwork.

Step 2 — Assign the Current Title to the Buyer
The seller and buyer sign the title as required for a used-vehicle transfer. The official DMV titles guidance states that both the seller and buyer must sign the back of a West Virginia title.

Step 3 — Complete the Odometer Disclosure if Required
Mileage disclosure must be completed before a new title is issued unless the vehicle falls within an exemption. The current DMV-TM-1 instructions explain that the separate form is generally not needed for model year 2010 or earlier vehicles, non-motorized vehicles, vehicles over 16,000 pounds, or West Virginia titles issued on or after January 1991 because those titles contain the certification area.

Step 4 — Prepare the Bill of Sale and Price Support
The official DMV-7-TR is the state bill of sale form for a private transfer. The retrieved DMV guidance states that a notarized bill of sale must accompany the title application if the reported purchase price is below 50% of the current NADA clean loan book value, and copies of both parties’ driver’s licenses must accompany a notarized bill of sale or the DMV bill of sale form.

Step 5 — Resolve Any Lien Before Filing
If a lien is still shown on the title, the lien issue should be cleared before the title transfer is submitted. If a new lien is being recorded for the buyer, that information is entered on the title application.

Step 6 — Complete the New Title Application and Any Registration Request
The buyer should complete the DMV-1-TR and submit the assigned title with the supporting sale documents. Registration may be requested at the same time.

Step 7 — Address Plate Handling and Registration Transfer if Needed
West Virginia does not describe a separate family-sale plate rule in the retrieved title materials. The application form instead provides a section for registration plate transfer, and the official registration guidance states that insurance information is required for registration transactions.

Step 8 — File Within the Required Time and Pay the Tax Due
The assigned title and title application should be forwarded within the statutory period stated in § 17A-4-4. Current DMV title materials and the title application calculate titling tax at 6% of the net purchase price for vehicles over $500, with a $30 minimum for lower-price transactions. The DMV also states that vehicles less than 2 years old are taxed at the NADA Clean Loan book value.

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

Required for All Transfers

• Current certificate of title — The existing title is the ownership document that must be assigned to the new owner. The DMV’s titles guidance explains the signature requirements for West Virginia and out-of-state titles.
• Application for Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle (DMV-1-TR) — The DMV-1-TR is the primary application for a new title and also includes registration, lien, insurance, and plate-transfer sections.
• Odometer disclosure — Odometer information must be disclosed before a new title is issued unless an exemption applies under § 17A-3-12A. For older West Virginia titles or other cases where the title does not contain the disclosure section, the separate DMV-TM-1 is used.
• Insurance information for registration — If title and registration are being handled together, the title application requires an insurance statement on the DMV-1-TR.
• Lien information, if a lien will appear on the new title — The lien section of the title application identifies the secured party and supports recordation of the lien.

Additional Documents for Sale Transfers

• Bill of Sale (DMV-7-TR) — The DMV-7-TR records the buyer, seller, vehicle description, transfer date, and purchase price for a private sale.
• Copies of buyer and seller driver’s licenses — The DMV titles guidance requires copies of both parties’ driver’s licenses to accompany a notarized bill of sale or the DMV bill of sale form for a private sale.
• Additional valuation support when the reported price is very low — The official titles guidance states that, if the purchase price is below 50% of the current NADA clean loan book value and a notarized bill of sale must accompany the application, or the tax will be assessed on the NADA value.

Documents Required in Specific Circumstances

• Affidavit of Transfer of Ownership Without Consideration (DMV-5-TR) — The DMV-5-TR is used for a transfer with no consideration unless the transaction falls within the limited spouse or parent-child exception described in the DMV guidance.
• Affidavit of Duplicate Title for a Vehicle or Watercraft (DMV-4-TR) — The DMV-4-TR is used if the original title is lost, destroyed, defaced, or never received before the transfer is processed.
• Registration card copy for a plate transfer — If the registration from another vehicle is being transferred, the DMV-1-TR instructions require a copy of the registration card.
• Identification for duplicate-title processing — The duplicate-title form requires a copy of the owner’s valid government-issued photo identification with the application.

Notarization is required for the DMV-5-TR, and the DMV also requires a notarized bill of sale when the reported purchase price is below 50% of the NADA clean loan book value. The retrieved DMV materials do not state that every ordinary title assignment on the title itself must be separately notarized, but § 17A-4-2 requires the owner’s statement on the title to be verified under oath.

How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member Online in West Virginia

West Virginia has a digital title system, but a standard family transfer may not be treated as a fully online consumer transaction. Therefore, a standard intrafamily gift or sale still requires the completed title paperwork and DMV processing. If the vehicle is registered at the same time, the registration sections of the title application and the related insurance requirements still apply.

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

Standard DMV Fees

Taxes and Variable Amounts

Private-party family transfers are not automatically tax-free. A family sale is taxable under the same titling rules that apply to other private sales. A gift may be exempt only in the limited situations recognized by § 17A-3-4, primarily gifts between spouses and between parents and children when the required prior West Virginia tax condition has been satisfied.

Contact Information

West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles
5707 MacCorkle Avenue SE, Charleston, WV 25304
Phone: (304) 558-3900
Official Website: West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles