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Gifting a Car in Kansas: What It Really Costs

Kansas draws a sharp line around vehicle gifts: transfers between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and their spouses - what the state calls lineal family - are fully exempt from sales tax, no matter what the car is worth. File a notarized Affidavit of Relationship (Form TR-215) with the title transfer and the whole transaction costs just the $10 title fee.

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Your numbers

$

Used only if the county treasurer questions a $0 gift outside lineal family.

Official fees

Kansas gift a car fee chart

Sales tax, lineal family (Form TR-215)

$0.00

Title fee

$10.00

Sales tax, non-lineal 'gift' on FMV

6.5% + local

if price doesn't reflect fair market value

Registration (if plates transfer)

$30.00–$40.00/yr

Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county treasurer (Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles) - counties can add small local fees.

Official Kansas forms you'll need

  • TR-12Affidavit to a Fact (Vehicle Gift Certification)

    Kansas DOR requires the Vehicle Gift Certification portion of Form TR-12 (Affidavit to a Fact) to be completed when a titled vehicle is given as a gift; TR-12 is a general affidavit that contains the dedicated gift-certification section.

  • TR-212aTitle and Registration Manual Application

    still required - a gifted vehicle transfers title the same way as a sale

Get the current version of each form from your county treasurer (Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles) before you file - agencies revise forms, and offices reject outdated ones.

Step by step

How to gift a car in Kansas

  1. 1

    Confirm the relationship qualifies as lineal family (parent/child, grandparent/grandchild, and their spouses).

  2. 2

    Sign the title over to the recipient and write 'Gift' where the sale price would go.

  3. 3

    Both parties sign the Affidavit of Relationship (Form TR-215) in front of a notary.

  4. 4

    Submit the title, TR-215, and a Title and Registration Application to the county treasurer within 60 days.

  5. 5

    Pay the $10 title fee; no sales tax is due if the affidavit is accepted.

Lineal family
Tax-exempt
Required form
TR-215 (notarized)
Non-lineal gifts
May be taxed on FMV
Title fee either way
$10.00
Property tax
Still applies annually

Overview

Step outside that lineal line - a gift to a sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, or friend - and Kansas doesn't treat it as automatically tax-free. The county treasurer can require proof the transfer really is a gift, and if the bill of sale shows $0 or an unrealistically low price, the treasurer is authorized to substitute the vehicle's fair market value (typically an NADA-style guide figure) and tax that instead.

One thing a gift never erases: the annual property tax that comes with owning a Kansas-tagged vehicle keeps running regardless of how the car changed hands - the recipient just starts paying it going forward.

Same state, other costs

More Kansas vehicle costs

Common questions

Kansas gift a car FAQ

Who qualifies as exempt 'lineal family' for a Kansas car gift?
Parents and children (including step and adopted), grandparents and grandchildren, and the spouses of each. That's the full list for the sales-tax exemption under Form TR-215 - it's narrower than 'immediate family' in everyday speech.
Can I gift a car to my sibling tax-free in Kansas?
Not automatically. Siblings fall outside the lineal-family exemption, so a $0 or low-price transfer between siblings can be treated as a sale and taxed on the vehicle's fair market value if the treasurer doesn't accept it as a bona fide gift.
What if I really am giving the car away for free to a friend?
You'll likely need to satisfy the county treasurer that it's a genuine gift and not a disguised sale. Even then, because the recipient isn't lineal family, the treasurer can still assess sales tax based on the vehicle's fair market value rather than accepting a $0 price at face value.
Does the person receiving a gifted car owe any other tax?
No state gift tax in Kansas beyond the sales-tax question above, and gifts aren't income for federal tax purposes. What the recipient does take on is the ongoing annual property tax bill tied to the vehicle going forward.
Is Form TR-215 mandatory even between parent and child?
Yes - without a completed, notarized Affidavit of Relationship on file, the treasurer has no basis to waive the sales tax, even for an obviously qualifying relationship.
Can I gift a car that still has a loan on it?
Only after the lien is released, since the lender holds the title until the loan is paid off. Once released, the gift transfer proceeds normally with Form TR-215 if the relationship qualifies.

Receipts

Official sources

Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.

Everywhere else

Gifting a Car: Taxes & Fees by state

Fees and rules are different in every state. Pick yours for exact numbers.

each state hand-verified against its DMV before it goes live

Disclaimer

DMVCosts provides fee estimates for general informational purposes only - it is not legal, tax, or financial advice, and no calculator can account for every county surcharge, exemption, or mid-year rate change. Figures are verified against official sources on the date shown, but fees change over time.

The final, binding amount is always the one quoted by your county treasurer (Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles). Confirm with them before making payment decisions. To the fullest extent permitted by law, DMVCosts disclaims all liability for decisions made based on these estimates.