How to Fill Out the Back of a Car Title: Seller and Buyer Steps

On a car title, the seller fills in the buyer’s name and address, the date, the odometer reading and a signature with a printed name, and the buyer then prints and signs to acknowledge the mileage. That is the pattern the federal odometer rule, 49 CFR Part 580, requires, but state titles are laid out differently: Virginia’s DMV guide says a private sale goes in the first reassignment section on the front of its title, not on the back. This guide covers what each field means, how to handle the odometer line and a mistake, and what the North Carolina, Texas and Virginia DMV pages say. Facts are current as of October 2026, apply only to the federal rule and those three states, and are general information, not legal advice.

Key Sections on the Back of a Car Title

Virginia’s DMV guide says titles are not standardized from state to state. What the federal rule fixes is the content of the odometer disclosure. Under 49 CFR 580.5, the signed disclosure must contain these items:

Item the disclosure must contain	What 49 CFR 580.5 says
Odometer reading	The reading at the time of transfer, not including tenths of miles
Date of transfer	The date the ownership changes hands
Seller (transferor)	Printed name and current address, plus a signature
Buyer (transferee)	Printed name and current address
Vehicle identity	Make, model, year, body type and vehicle identification number
Certification	The seller certifies the reading reflects the actual mileage to the best of their knowledge, or states that it exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or states it is not the actual mileage
Warning statement	A reference to federal law saying that failing to complete the disclosure or giving false information may result in fines and/or imprisonment

The same rule says an owner whose name is on the title makes the disclosure on the title itself, not on a separate reassignment document. It also says the buyer then signs the statement with a printed name and makes a copy available to the seller.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Fill Out the Back of a Car Title

Step 1: Verify Information

The federal disclosure must identify the vehicle by make, model, year, body type and VIN. Texas adds a check for buyers: its page says to make sure the title and registration match the name and address of the person selling the car, and that the VIN on the dash is present, secure and unaltered.

Step 2: Locate the Transfer Section

Find the section labeled for assignment or reassignment of ownership. In North Carolina, the NCDMV Vehicle Titles page says the information on the back of the original title must be completed by both the original owner and the recipient. Virginia works differently: its DMV guide says casual sales between individuals are reassigned in the first reassignment section on the front of the Virginia title, while the second and third reassignments on the back are for when a dealer sells the vehicle.

Step 3: Fill in Seller’s Details

The seller enters a printed name and a current address, and signs. NCDMV’s list calls for the seller’s signature and hand-printed name. Virginia DMV’s guide says every owner listed on the title must have printed and signed as seller. On the federal odometer statement alone, when more than one person is a seller only one needs to sign. State requirements can be stricter: NCDMV says that for vehicles owned by more than one individual, all signatures on required documents must be notarized, or a power of attorney can sign for the owner.

Step 4: Fill in Buyer’s Details

The buyer’s printed name and current address are part of what the federal disclosure must contain, and NCDMV lists the buyer’s name and address among the back-of-title entries. Virginia’s guide says the buyer must have printed and signed as buyer.

Step 5: Record the Odometer Reading

The federal rule asks for the reading at the time of transfer, with no tenths of miles. Virginia DMV tells its callers to record the odometer reading as it displays on the vehicle, and its guide says readings are recorded as whole numbers with no tenths. The wording on the federal model form has the seller state the reading and that it reflects the actual mileage, unless one of two boxes is checked: the mileage exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or the reading is not the actual mileage, which carries a warning that the reading is a discrepancy.

The rule ties those two statements to what the seller knows. The mechanical-limit statement applies if the seller knows the reading exceeds the designed mechanical odometer limit, and the not-actual statement applies if the seller knows the reading does not reflect a valid mileage display or differs from the mileage by more than calibration error. Virginia’s guide notes that recording an Exceeds or Not Actual code on a vehicle lowers its value. Altering a reading is a different matter; see our page on why changing odometer miles is illegal.

Odometer Exemptions

Under 49 CFR 580.17, no disclosure is required for a vehicle over 16,000 pounds GVWR, a vehicle that is not self-propelled, a model year 2010 or older vehicle transferred at least 10 years after January 1 of its model year, or a model year 2011 or newer vehicle transferred at least 20 years after January 1 of its model year. North Carolina’s MVR-180 odometer form lists similar exemptions. See also what the odometer in a car measures.

Step 6: Enter Sale Price and Date

The date of transfer is a required part of the federal disclosure. For the price, the state pages differ. TxDMV tells sellers to give the buyer a signed title that includes the date of sale and odometer reading, plus a signed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) with the sales price clearly shown. Virginia DMV’s guide says the price must be recorded on the title or be accompanied by a bill of sale, and that a bill of sale accompanies the titling documents when the price is not written on the title.

Step 7: Signatures

The federal rule defines a signature on a physical document as a person’s name, or a mark representing it, handwritten personally, and a printed name as the clear and legible name applied to the document. The seller signs and prints; then the buyer signs and prints. The rule also says no one may sign an odometer disclosure as both seller and buyer in the same transaction, unless a power of attorney provision allows it.

Key Signatures & What They Mean

The seller’s signature goes with the odometer disclosure and certification (49 CFR 580.5(c), (e)); the buyer’s signature acknowledges the disclosed mileage (580.5(f)). NCDMV says a North Carolina title must also be notarized, and TxDMV tells sellers to give the buyer a properly signed title and a signed Form 130-U.

Step 8: Lien Release (If Applicable)

If a lender is named on the title, TxDMV tells buyers to ask the seller for supporting documents such as a release of lien or power of attorney. Virginia DMV’s staff guide says a lienholder, if applicable, must be clearly recorded. When a lienholder holds the physical title, the federal rule lets the seller give the buyer a power of attorney to disclose the mileage, but only if the law of the jurisdiction allows it. Read selling a car with a lien and selling a financed vehicle for the broader picture; this page does not cover lender payoff steps.

Step 9: Review and Double-Check

TxDMV says that if you buy from an individual, a tax office representative can tell you before you submit the title application whether the title signed over to you is correct and whether it has any salvage or legal issues. Texas also tells sellers to keep a written record of the sale with the buyer’s contact information, the date of sale and the VIN.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using correction fluid or erasing. Virginia’s guide has staff check that there are no erasures, no scribbled entries and no white out, and North Carolina’s MVR-180 odometer form states that alterations or erasures void it. Federal rules require titles to be printed by a process that lets alterations be seen with the naked eye.
• Writing tenths of a mile. The federal rule excludes tenths, and Virginia says no decimals are recorded.
• Leaving seller fields blank. Virginia’s guide says that if the seller’s information or odometer reading is incomplete, the customer must return to the seller to finish it.
• Signing in both roles. The federal rule bars one person from signing as seller and buyer in the same transaction, unless a power of attorney provision allows it.
• Skipping the price or the lien release. Texas and Virginia both name them as things the buyer should receive or see recorded.
• Waiting to title. TxDMV says vehicles are required to be titled in the buyer’s name within 30 days from the date of sale.

Virginia’s guide also says that when staff find paperwork altered or questionable, it is forwarded to the DMV Law Enforcement Division and the customer does not receive a title until it is verified.

What to Do If You Make a Mistake on the Title

The DMV pages describe documented fixes for a wrong entry, and the fix depends on whether the paperwork has been submitted yet.

Before the Title Is Submitted: Virginia’s Method

Virginia DMV’s guide describes an odometer correction made before titling: write VOID in the assignment or reassignment section that contains the incorrect reading, complete the next open reassignment section with the correct reading, and submit the documents. If all reassignments on the title are full, the seller and buyer may complete a DMV Odometer Disclosure Statement (VSA-5). The same guide says the new title is not branded Not Actual unless the seller checked that box or the previous title was already branded.

After the Title Is Issued

In Virginia, a customer-made error on a casual sale is fixed with a new assignment on the current Virginia title recording the correct reading, with both the buyer and seller signing and printing their names; the guide adds that if the buyer cannot locate the seller, the reading stays as recorded, and a substitute title fee may apply. The corrected Virginia title is branded Not Actual unless the wrong reading was a DMV keying error. The guide also says Virginia DMV cannot correct readings on out-of-state titles; the customer must return to the state that issued the title.

North Carolina issues a replacement title for an error on the original, and its page lists a notarized Corrected or Substituted Title Application (MVR-5), the vehicle title, a lien release if the error concerns lienholder information, and an odometer reading if the vehicle is less than 10 years old. In Texas, the TxDMV page says a misspelled name is fixed through the county tax office, free if the department or county made the error, otherwise with a new application and fee. If the title is lost altogether, see what to do if you lost your car title.

After the Title Is Signed

Signing the title is not the last task. TxDMV says the seller may file a Vehicle Transfer Notification, and that doing so within 30 days of the sale means the seller cannot be held responsible for parking tickets and toll violations committed by the buyer. In North Carolina, a sold vehicle still showing on the seller’s registration file is cancelled with the notarized Affidavit for Removal of Registered Vehicle (MVR-46F), as the NCDMV Vehicle Titles page explains; plates are a separate job, covered in our North Carolina plate return guide. How long a buyer has to title the car depends on the state; see how long you have to transfer a car title.

For buyers, TxDMV asks you to allow a minimum of 20 business days for title processing, and NCDMV says title applications take 10 to 15 business days. Related reading: checking a car title, what an open title means for registration, filling out a title when donating a car and filling out a car title transfer without mistakes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Car Titles

What do you fill out on the back of a car title?

The seller fills in the buyer’s name and address, the date of transfer, the odometer reading, a signature and a printed name, and the buyer signs and prints a name acknowledging the mileage. Federal rule 49 CFR 580.5 lists the required odometer disclosure items; your state’s title layout decides where each goes.

Can I use white-out on a car title?

The sources read say no. Virginia DMV’s guide has staff check for erasures and white out, and North Carolina’s odometer form says alterations or erasures void it. Virginia’s method for a mistake is to write VOID and use the next open reassignment section.

Do I have to disclose the odometer on an old car?

Not always. 49 CFR 580.17 exempts model year 2010 or older vehicles at 10 years and model year 2011 or newer vehicles at 20 years after January 1 of the model year, plus trailers and vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR. Virginia’s guide adds that Virginia law requires the current reading at titling, so a state can ask for more than the federal rule.

What if the odometer reading I wrote is wrong?

Virginia’s DMV guide says to write VOID in the section with the wrong reading and complete the next open reassignment. Other states have their own procedure, so contact your DMV before submitting.

Conclusion

The federal rule asks for the odometer reading as a whole number, the date, both names and addresses and the vehicle’s identity, with a signature and printed name from the seller and then from the buyer. For a wrong entry, the DMV pages describe documented fixes such as Virginia’s VOID method and North Carolina’s replacement title. Titles, forms and deadlines change, so confirm each step with your state’s motor vehicle agency before you sign.

What this guide does not cover

• Other states: layouts, notary rules and deadlines differ by state.
• As-is wording, refinancing and lienholder changes: ask your lender and your state agency.
• Legal advice: this is general information based on the federal rule and the DMV pages named above.