Official fees
Alabama title transfer fee chart
Title application fee
$15.00
Designated agent commission (some counties)
$1.50
Late-registration penalty
$15.00 flat
plus accruing interest
Sales tax due at the same visit
2% state + local
not waived by lateness
Title age requirement
≤ 35 model years
travel trailers: ≤ 20 model years
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county probate judge or license commissioner's office (on behalf of ALDOR) - counties can add small local fees.
Official Alabama forms you'll need
- MVT 5-1EApplication for Certificate of Title
required for every title transfer - sale, gift, or inheritance
Get the current version of each form from your county probate judge or license commissioner's office (on behalf of ALDOR) before you file - agencies revise forms, and offices reject outdated ones.
Step by step
How to transfer a title in Alabama
- 1
Get the title properly signed over by the seller, with odometer disclosure where required.
- 2
Get Alabama liability insurance on the vehicle in your name.
- 3
Bring the title, bill of sale, and ID to your county probate office or license commissioner within 20 calendar days.
- 4
Pay the $15 title fee, any designated-agent commission, and the sales tax and registration due at the same visit.
- 5
Receive your title (by mail from ALDOR in most counties) and your plate/decal the same day.
- Title fee
- $15
- Deadline
- 20 calendar days
- Late penalty
- $15 flat + interest
- Title required for
- Vehicles ≤ 35 model years old
- Designated agent commission
- +$1.50
Overview
Miss the 20-day window and Alabama doesn't scale the penalty by how late you are the way some states do - it's a flat $15 late-registration penalty, plus interest that keeps accruing on whatever tax and fees remain unpaid. The sales tax due at the same visit (2% state + your local rate) isn't waived by being late; it's just billed alongside the penalty. Use the calculator below for your total.
Same state, other costs
More Alabama vehicle costs
Common questions
Alabama title transfer FAQ
- How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Alabama?
- The title application itself is a flat $15 - cheap compared to many states. But budget for the full visit: 2% state sales tax plus your local rate on the purchase, plus $23 registration and ad valorem tax, all collected together at your county probate office.
- What exactly is the deadline, and what counts as 'late'?
- 20 calendar days from the date of purchase or from the date you bring a newly-acquired vehicle into Alabama (new residents get 30 days). Miss it and you owe a flat $15 late-registration penalty plus interest that accrues on the unpaid balance - there's no escalating monthly penalty ladder.
- Do all vehicles need a title in Alabama?
- No - only vehicles designated 35 model years old or newer. Travel trailers follow a shorter 20-model-year cutoff. Vehicles older than that threshold are exempt from Alabama's titling requirement, though registration and ad valorem still apply.
- What's the $1.50 'designated agent' charge some counties add?
- A handful of Alabama counties process titles through an independent designated agent rather than the probate office directly. That agent can add a $1.50 commission on top of the $15 state fee - it's not universal, so ask before you assume it applies to you.
- Can I transfer an Alabama title online?
- Generally no - title transfers require the physical signed title and in-person processing at your county probate office or license commissioner, since the office verifies the document and calculates tax, registration, and ad valorem together in one visit.
- What if I'm gifting the car instead of selling it?
- The same $15 title fee and 20-day deadline apply. The difference is only in the sales tax: gifts to immediate family are exempt if properly documented, while the title fee itself is unaffected either way.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
