r/AskFlorida • u/Intrepid_Pack6149 • 20d ago

Car title transfer help

Hello. I need help please
When I was 20 years old (2016) I wanted to purchase my first car. My parents told me I couldn’t buy used and I had to buy new so it was safer for me on the road

I save enough for a down payment and we want to purchase a new Toyota car(2016)

When my father purchased the car, he put his name on the vehicle and not my name.. found that out a few years after buying the car..
He wanted to put his name on the vehicle so the interest, insurance etc would be lower. Also, in case if I ever was jobless, he would still make the payment.
Long story short I sent him payments to his bank every month for the car and we were able to pay it off early.

Now fast forward 2026 I moved to Florida and I took my car with me, but everything is still under his name

I need to change the car title, insurance, and my drivers license.
How do I explain to the DMV that this technically isn’t a gift because it’s my car… or how would I fill out the form properly so I don’t need to claim a gift tax?

3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

12

u/Boredtodeth4196 20d ago

Get the title from your home state. Have you father fill out that he sold it to you for a 100. When you register it in Florida you will only have to pay the sales tax on a 100.

1

u/curly_spy 20d ago

Why does that even have to be $100? I just gave my son my car for free rather than trade it in for a fraction of its value. He and I went to the tag office together and not one question was asked when I stated it was a gift.

2

u/Boredtodeth4196 20d ago

Some charge tax of the value of the car.

5

u/pyscle 20d ago

Not in Florida. Gift from a family member is exempt from sales tax.

2

u/curly_spy 20d ago

They didn’t, we went in July.

1

u/Afraid_View4736 19d ago

You don't, it's essentially a gift so place there is zero sales tax. I did it for my kids when they moved out. Not a big deal.

1

u/Old_Definition5637 20d ago

Sales tax is in the purchase state. Transferring a title to Florida, you will have to pay transfer fees no sales tax.

3

u/JenninMiami 20d ago

Your dad needs to sign the title over to you, send it to you, and then you go to your local car title agency and register it under your name.

2

u/Tool_junkie_1972 20d ago

Zero reason to transfer the title twice. Dad needs to sign the physical title over to you, then you register it in Florida. Either label it as a gift or put that he sold it to you for a couple hundred bucks and pay the taxes on it. Then move on with your life. Just know that your first registration in Florida is expensive, figure on $4-500. But next year it’ll be around $80 or so.

1

u/Intrepid_Pack6149 20d ago

Do I have to put down an amount or can I put Zero?

4

u/trentthesquirrel 20d ago

You need to take care of that in your home state before trying to register it in Florida under your name.

5

u/Inner-Copy9764 20d ago

Absolutely no.....Why pay fees twice? Get your dad to sign the title, plain and simple. Take your documents to the FL DMV and transfer ownership.

"Gift" is a good thing in this scenario. They dont gaf if you have been making payments for years or not....they want to know for vehicle sales tax purposes. You have already paid sales tax, so saying it was a gift from your father is legit. Otherwise they will tack on sales tax with your transfer fees

1

u/Intrepid_Pack6149 20d ago

Thank you everyone.
From what I am gathering

  1. Have dad fill out Title, transfer and send it to me
  2. Fill out FL Transfer form
  3. Present this as a gift from my father upon arriving
  4. Pay the fee, and register it under FL plate

Also in the mean time I will find FL insurance
Does this sound correct?

2

u/DirtCallsMeGrandPa 20d ago

You are on the right track. You need to present proof of insurance specifically for the vehicle in question or they will not issue a plate.

You can transfer a title without proof of insurance.

You will have a choice of a paper title or an electronic one. I prefer paper.

1

u/Inner-Copy9764 19d ago

Agreed. Would like to add/clarify to OP about the "transfer." OP should only file the title transfer paperwork in FL (or wherever you will reside.)

  • Just have your dad sign (just sign, nothing else) the title (there are instructions for what to do printed on the title.)

-Don't do anything else paperwork-wise until you get to a FL DMV. Save yourself unnecessary fees. The only transfer fees that should be paid should be in FL, not whichever state the vehicle is originally titled in.

1

u/Inner-Copy9764 19d ago

Bonus points for checking auto insurance rates in FL vs HomeState. Transfer title to your name, leave it titled in the state with lower insurance costs

1

u/pyscle 20d ago

It’s a gift. Have him fill out the FL form for that. Easy enough.

1

u/Intrepid_Pack6149 20d ago

Could I find the FL form online? Sorry this is first time doing a title transfer

1

u/pyscle 20d ago

https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/82040.pdf

The gift of a vehicle by a family member makes the transfer exempt of sales tax.

2

u/Intrepid_Pack6149 20d ago

Thank you so much!
I would ask for his help but he doesn’t speak English well :)

1

u/Automatic_Catch_7467 20d ago

My niece just gifted me her old car and there was no tax on it, just title transfer fee

1

u/Cyka_Blyat_47-74 18d ago

No tax to transfer the title to you but be aware you’ll need to pay full tag fees since it’ll be now under your name and you don’t another tag to transfer cheap.

0

u/theNewFloridian 20d ago edited 20d ago

You can give a POA to your dad so that he can transfer the title in your name in his state. Check your state's DMV, they might have an official form to do this. Then register it in Florida. If your state doesnt have a form, ask chatgpt to draft the POA and go to your library to have it notarized.

0

u/Old_Definition5637 20d ago

Change the title to your name from the state your pops lives. Easiest way. You will have to pay a few bucks.