Official fees
Louisiana gift a car fee chart
Sales/use tax on a notarized donation
$0.00
Certificate of title
$68.50
Handling fee
$8.00
Notary fee (private notary, varies)
≈ $10–$50
not an OMV charge
Registration (if not already current)
0.1% of value × 2 yrs
Selling for $1 instead of donating
Fully taxed
OMV taxes the real value transferred either way
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) - often a privatized public tag agent, not a government office - counties can add small local fees.
Official Louisiana forms you'll need
- DPSMV 1699Act of Donation of a Movable
The notarized Act of Donation of a Movable (DPSMV 1699) is submitted with the DPSMV 1799 Vehicle Application; it requires two witnesses and a notary.
- DPSMV 1799Vehicle Application
still required - a gifted vehicle transfers title the same way as a sale
Get the current version of each form from the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) - often a privatized public tag agent, not a government office before you file - agencies revise forms, and offices reject outdated ones.
Step by step
How to gift a car in Louisiana
- 1
Get the current title in hand and confirm there's no lien - donating a financed vehicle means the recipient must separately assume or pay off the loan.
- 2
Complete an Act of Donation of a Movable, describing the vehicle by VIN, make, model, and year.
- 3
Sign the Act of Donation together with the recipient in front of a notary public and two witnesses - this step is mandatory, not optional.
- 4
Fill out the Odometer Disclosure Statement if the vehicle is under 10 model years old, plus the Vehicle Application (DPSMV 1799).
- 5
File the online Notice of Transfer to record that you no longer own it, then have the recipient bring the notarized Act of Donation, title, DPSMV 1799, and their insurance/ID to OMV or a public tag agent.
- Sales tax
- $0
- Required
- Notary + 2 witnesses
- Title + handling
- $68.50 + $8.00
- Eligible recipients
- Anyone - not just family
- Also needed
- Odometer disclosure (if < 10 yrs old)
Overview
Do it correctly and the payoff is real: a genuine donation, where the recipient isn't taking over a loan or mortgage on the vehicle, owes zero sales or use tax. That's broader than most states' family-only gift exemptions - Louisiana's Act of Donation works whether you're giving the car to a child, a friend, or a charity, as long as no money or debt assumption changes hands. Add the state's normal $68.50 title fee and $8 handling fee and a donated car costs about $77 to put in the new owner's name.
Same state, other costs
More Louisiana vehicle costs
Common questions
Louisiana gift a car FAQ
- Do I owe sales tax if someone gives me a car in Louisiana?
- No - as long as the transfer is documented with a properly notarized Act of Donation and you're not assuming a loan balance on the vehicle, Louisiana sales and use tax doesn't apply. You'll still pay the standard $68.50 title fee and $8 handling fee.
- Does the Act of Donation only work between family members?
- No - that's the key difference from states that restrict tax-free gifting to spouses, parents, and children. Louisiana's Act of Donation works for any recipient: a friend, a partner you're not married to, or a qualifying charity, as long as it's a genuine donation with no payment or assumed debt.
- Can I skip the notary and just sign the title over?
- You can sign the title over, but without a notarized Act of Donation, OMV has no documentation that it was a gift - it processes the transfer as a sale and assesses the standard combined sales tax on the vehicle's value. The notarization is what actually earns the tax exemption.
- What if the car still has a loan on it?
- You can't donate a financed vehicle free and clear - the lender holds the title until the loan is satisfied. Either pay it off first, or have the recipient formally assume the loan, which Louisiana treats differently from a pure donation and may trigger tax on the assumed balance.
- Is there a federal gift tax on a donated car?
- Only in theory for very high-value vehicles. The IRS's annual gift-tax exclusion (per giver, per recipient) covers the value of nearly any used car; it's a federal filing question for the giver on unusually expensive vehicles, not something Louisiana OMV asks about.
- Do I still need the odometer disclosure for a gifted car?
- Yes, for any vehicle under 10 model years old - the Act of Donation replaces the sale price and tax paperwork, not the federally required odometer statement.
- How is registration handled on a donated car?
- If the vehicle's registration is still current, it can often carry over; if not, the recipient pays Louisiana's normal 0.1%-of-value registration fee for a fresh two-year term, same as any other title transfer.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
