Texas RV title transfer: the seller's paperwork, step by step

Start your Texas RV title transfer with a document check

Find your title before scheduling the handoff. Check the owner names, vehicle identification number and any listed lienholder against your records. A registration receipt alone does not replace a title when a title is required.

Gather the documents below, then confirm any missing items with TxDMV or your county tax assessor-collector office. If the title is lost, our guide to selling an RV with a missing Texas title explains the issue to address before closing.

• The title, if your RV requires one.
• Form 130-U, Application for Texas Title and/or Registration.
• Current registration records and the RV’s vehicle identification number.
• Lender account and payoff information, if money is still owed.
• Any lien release or ownership documents relevant to the transfer.

Complete the title signatures, sale date and odometer entry

The seller signs the title and records the date of sale. For motorized RVs, record the odometer reading as part of the transfer paperwork. Check entries carefully before signing so the documents consistently identify the RV and the transaction.

If more than one owner is listed, arrange for all listed owners to participate in completing the required signatures. Do not assume one person can sign for everyone else. If the title connects names with “and” or “or,” ask TxDMV or your county tax office which signatures that specific title requires.

An unavailable owner, deceased owner or mismatch in names needs attention before closing. For an estate situation, review our guide to selling an inherited RV in Houston, then confirm who has authority to sign with the appropriate office or an attorney.

Sign Form 130-U and understand the buyer’s deadline

Along with the signed title, the seller signs Form 130-U, Application for Texas Title and/or Registration, showing the sales price. Review the owner information, RV identification and price before signing. Keep copies of the completed sale documents for your records.

According to TxDMV, the buyer must title the vehicle in their name within 30 days of the sale. The buyer pays Texas motor vehicle sales tax of 6.25% when titling, not the seller. Confirm transaction-specific tax questions with the county tax office.

Title work goes through the county tax assessor-collector office. In Greater Houston, that includes offices serving Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria and Galveston counties, as well as Waller and Chambers counties. Confirm the receiving office’s requirements before submitting documents.

File your transfer notification and remove your plates

Your own follow-up matters even though the buyer handles the title application. You should file a Vehicle Transfer Notification, Form VTR-346, with TxDMV within 30 days. Filing is free online and protects you from tickets, tolls and liability after the sale.

Save the filing confirmation with your sale records. A buyer’s promise to complete the transfer is not a substitute for your notification. Our guide to avoiding RV selling scams covers other precautions when dealing with an unfamiliar buyer.

Remove the license plates before the RV leaves, because they stay with you as the seller. Ask TxDMV or your county tax office whether to retain or transfer them, or how to deface them if appropriate. Also confirm what to do with the registration sticker rather than assuming it follows the same rules as the plates.

Coordinate the lender payoff and lien release

If your RV has a loan, get payoff information from the lender before agreeing on closing arrangements. Texas lienholders must release a lien within 10 days of receiving the payoff. Texas also uses electronic titles held by lienholders through the Electronic Lien and Title program, so you may not have a paper title at home.

Ask the lender how it will provide the release and how the title will be handled after payment. The lien-release deadline is not a promise that every part of the transaction, including delivery of documents, will finish within that same period.

When you sell to us, we can pay the lender directly and you receive any equity. If the offer is less than your payoff, you must cover the difference at closing. We do not make loans. See our guide to selling an RV you still owe money on for more detail.

Check the differences between motorhomes and trailers

A motorhome is a motorized vehicle, so its transfer paperwork includes an odometer reading. A travel trailer or fifth wheel is not motorized. For trailers, gross weight is especially important when determining whether a Texas title is required.

Texas trailers, including travel trailers, with a gross weight over 4,000 pounds must be titled. Trailers with a gross weight of 4,000 pounds or less only need registration, and a title is optional. Do not substitute an advertised dry weight for a confirmed gross-weight figure.

If your lighter trailer has no title, check the registration and ownership documents with the county tax office before closing. An optional-title trailer is different from a heavier trailer whose required title has been lost. If your RV’s classification is unclear, confirm its paperwork requirements with TxDMV.

Confirm requirements for out-of-state titles

If your RV has an out-of-state title, tell the buyer before arranging the handoff. Have the county tax office review the title and explain which supporting documents are needed for the Texas application. Do not assume another state’s signature fields or ownership wording work exactly like a Texas title.

This is particularly important when a lender is involved, multiple owners appear on the title or the document has an error. Resolve those questions before signing. Cash For RV serves Greater Houston only; check where we buy RVs around Houston if your RV is stored outside your home county.

What we handle when we buy your RV

Start by sharing details and photos through our online form, by phone or by text. We review them and give a cash offer, often the same day. Then we arrange a quick in-person look wherever the RV is in Greater Houston, including your home, storage lot, RV park or repair shop.

If the RV matches your description, the offer stands. If we discover something significant that was not disclosed, we explain the finding and any price change; you can walk away. There are no fees, commissions or obligation.

At signing, we pay by cashier’s check, bank transfer or cash, handle the title paperwork and any lender payoff, then tow or drive the RV away at no cost. You still need to provide valid ownership documents, sign where required, remove your plates and file your transfer notification. Review how selling your RV to us works before getting started.