Selling a car in Rhode Island is a reasonably straightforward process—to do so, you’ll need to complete a title transfer and document the procedure through a bill of sales.

Every state has its own rules for selling a car—and Rhode Island is no exception. By following the procedure correctly, you can legally transfer the ownership of a car and rid yourself of any responsibility once it’s left your possession.

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Jerry

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What you need to sell a car in Rhode Island

Selling a car in Rhode Island means you’ll need two basic things: a certificate of title and a bill of sale. You’ll need the following information to complete the forms:

Proper form of identification

Basic information about the vehicle (such as make, model, year)

Your signature

Signature of any lienholder(s)

Signature of the buyer

The car’s current registration

If you’ve lost your title, you can only request a duplicate title from the

Cranston DMV location

. Make sure to plan ahead, however, because the replacement process could take up to 90 days.

Getting a pre-sale inspection

Many states require emission inspections to be done yearly. Rhode Island requires newly purchased vehicles to pass a safety and emissions inspection within five days of registration—failing to do so will result in the suspension of your vehicle registration.

Rhode Island does not allow inspection from out-of-state shops. A certified inspection will cost you $55.00 and will be valid for two years.

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Documenting the sale

In Rhode Island, you must document the sale of a vehicle by giving the new owner a bill of sale. it’s also usually a good idea to keep a copy for your records. A bill of sale includes the following:

Basic information about the car, including make, model, year, color

Your car’s VIN

Purchase price

Your address (the new owner will need this information to apply for new registration)

Signing the title over

Signing over the title in Rhode Island is as easy as placing the signatures of the buyer and seller in the requested locations on the back of the title certificate.

If you have multiple buyers (or sellers), be sure to include all names and signatures on the title.

Reporting the sale

Rhode Island doesn’t require you to report the sale of your vehicle. Still, keeping a bill of sale on hand is a great way to make sure you’re protected if any government entities request information about the current owner.

Finding affordable car insurance

Selling a car may be a complicated process, but finding the right car insurance doesn’t have to be.

Jerry

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After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. They even help cancel your old policy! So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it better?

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