Overview
That means the cheapest way to hand a car to a family member in Utah is often to document a token sale price with a proper bill of sale rather than write '$0 - gift,' since the DMV can still assess fair market value on a zero-dollar transfer. Add the flat $6 title fee and registration if it's due, and you have the real cost of 'gifting' a car here.
01 - Official fees
Utah gift a car fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax on stated gift/sale price | 6.35%–7.45% | |
| Sales tax if no bill of sale (fair market value used) | 6.35%–7.45% | of the state's depreciated FMV table |
| Title transfer fee | $6.00 | |
| Registration (if due at transfer) | $44.00+ | plus uniform age-based fee |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - counties can add small local fees.
02 - Step by step
How to transfer a gifted car in Utah
- 1
Decide on a documented price - even a nominal one with a signed bill of sale is usually better than an undocumented $0 gift.
- 2
Seller signs the title over to the recipient; names must match valid ID exactly.
- 3
Complete Form TC-656 and note the price (or expect the DMV to apply fair market value if you leave it blank or write '$0').
- 4
Bring the title, TC-656, insurance, and ID to any Utah DMV office within 60 days of the transfer.
- 5
Pay the $6 title fee and whatever sales tax the DMV assesses; register the vehicle in the same visit if needed.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Utah vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Utah gift a car FAQ
Is there any way to avoid sales tax when gifting a car to my child in Utah?
Not through a family relationship - Utah doesn't have a spouse/parent/child gift exemption the way some neighboring states do. The DMV will tax the transfer based on your documented price or, absent one, the vehicle's fair market value from its own valuation tables.
Should I write '$0' or a real number on the bill of sale for a gift?
A documented, reasonable price is usually smarter. Writing '$0' doesn't make the transfer tax-free - it just means the DMV has no price to work from and falls back to the state's depreciated fair-market-value schedule, which is often higher than what a modest documented price would produce.
Does an even trade between two family members avoid tax the way it does in some states?
Utah doesn't have a special reduced 'even trade' tax rate. Each vehicle in a trade is generally treated as its own taxable transfer at its value, unless it's structured as a genuine dealer trade-in against a single purchase.
What paperwork does a gift transfer need beyond a normal sale?
The same as any transfer: a properly signed-over title and Form TC-656. There's no separate Utah 'gift affidavit' form the way Texas uses Form 14-317 - because Utah doesn't grant a gift-based tax break to require one.
Is a car I inherited taxed the same as a gift?
No - inherited vehicles transferred through an estate are generally treated differently from a living gift and are typically exempt from sales tax, though you'll still need estate documentation (or a small-estate affidavit) alongside the title paperwork.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.