Overview
Step outside that list - a gift to a longtime partner you're not married to, a cousin, a close friend - and Delaware doesn't see a gift at all. It taxes the transfer at 5.25% of the vehicle's current average NADA trade-in value, since there's no purchase price to work from. There's no standardized DMV gift-affidavit form for the exemption; you claim it when applying for title and the DMV may ask for proof of the family relationship, like a marriage or birth certificate.
01 - Official fees
Delaware gift a car fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Document fee, immediate family gift | $0.00 | spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, step- or in-law |
| Title fee (still due on any gift) | $35.00 | |
| Document fee, non-qualifying gift | 5.25% of NADA trade-in value | |
| Joint-owner transfer, no money exchanged | $0.00 | if titled jointly 30+ days prior |
| Inherited vehicle | $0.00 document fee | purchases from an estate are not exempt |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - counties can add small local fees.
02 - Step by step
How to gift a car in Delaware
- 1
Confirm the relationship qualifies: spouse, parent/child, sibling, grandparent, or a step- or in-law version of those.
- 2
Have the giver sign the title over to the recipient, noting it's a gift rather than a sale.
- 3
Bring the title, proof of the family relationship if asked, proof of Delaware insurance, and ID to the DMV.
- 4
Apply for title within 30 days - the DMV waives the document fee but the $35 title fee still applies.
- 5
If the relationship doesn't qualify, bring the vehicle's NADA average trade-in value instead of a sale price.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Delaware vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Delaware gift a car FAQ
Who counts as immediate family for Delaware's gift exemption?
Spouse, parent, child, sibling, and grandparent - explicitly including step-relatives and in-laws (2 Del. Admin. Code §2266). That's a wider list than most states, which typically stop at blood relatives and spouses.
Do I still pay anything to gift a car to my child in Delaware?
Just the $35 title fee. The 5.25% document fee - which would otherwise be over a thousand dollars on a typical used car - is waived entirely for a qualifying family gift.
What if I gift a car to my girlfriend or a close friend?
Delaware doesn't recognize that as an exempt gift, so the DMV charges 5.25% of the vehicle's current average NADA trade-in value, since there's no sale price to use. A $15,000 NADA-value car costs $787.50 in document fee even though no money changed hands.
Is there a specific gift affidavit form I need?
Delaware doesn't publish a standardized gift-affidavit form the way some states do. You claim the family exemption when applying for the title, and the DMV may ask you to show proof of the relationship - a marriage certificate or birth certificate, for instance.
Does an inherited vehicle work the same way?
Inheritance or bequest from a descendant is separately exempt from the document fee - you don't need it to fit the gift-relationship list. But if an heir buys the vehicle from the estate rather than inheriting it outright, that purchase is not exempt.
Can two joint owners transfer a car between themselves tax-free?
Yes - if the vehicle was titled to both owners for at least 30 days beforehand and no money changes hands in the transfer to one of them, it's exempt from the document fee under the same regulation.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.