No sales taxSpouse to spouse
No sales taxParent to child (gift)
$75.25Title fee
30 daysDeadline
Step by step
- Pick the exemption that fits. Between husband and wife (marital property): exempt. Between former spouses under a divorce settlement: exempt. Parent, child, sibling, friend: exempt only as a gift with no money and no loan taken over (Rule 12A-1.007).
- Current owner completes the seller section on the paper title: odometer, date, printed name, signature; write "GIFT" or "SPOUSE" in the price field. No notary required (TL-11). Electronic title: both go to the tax collector and reassign with HSMV 82994.
- New owner fills HSMV 82040 MV. Section 5: check Gift (or "Other" with "transfer between spouses" written in) and the date. Section 6: odometer.
- Adding a spouse rather than replacing the owner: the new title lists both names; choose "OR" if either of you should be able to sign alone later, "AND" if both signatures must always be required.
- Go to the tax collector with the title, the 82040, the new owner's Florida driver license, proof of insurance in the new owner's name, and the plate. Pay $75.25 (electronic title), no sales tax.
What to bring to the tax collector
- Title signed by the current owner ("GIFT"/"SPOUSE" as price)
- HSMV 82040 MV with Gift (or Other: spouse) checked in Section 5
- Signed statement of no consideration and no assumed lien (gift affidavit) if the office asks
- New owner's Florida driver license, proof of Florida insurance
- Plate to transfer, or $225 initial registration
- Divorce: certified copy of the settlement or judgment naming the vehicle
What gets applications rejected
- Child "buys" the car from a parent for $500: that is a sale, taxed at the higher of price or book value unless DR-99A is signed.
- Family member takes over the parent's loan: taxable on the assumed balance.
- Writing $1 as the price.
- Choosing "AND" on the new title and then needing both signatures every time the car is sold or refinanced.
- Missing the 30-day deadline: $20 late fee.
Official forms for this situation
Everything filled in, ready to sign
The kit for this exact situation: the right HSMV forms pre-filled with your details, the bill of sale ready to print, the counter checklist with the things that get applications rejected, and the fee total for your county.
Build my kit now — free previewAnswer five short steps; the official forms come back filled in.
Money-back guarantee if the tax collector rejects the paperwork because of an error in the kit. Verified 2026-09-06.
Fees in Florida (electronic title)
- Title transfer: $75.25 (paper title printed: $77.75; fast title: $85.25)
- Late penalty after 30 days: $20.00 (F.S. 319.23(6))
- Lien recording, if any: $2.00
- Initial registration if you have no Florida plate to transfer: $225.00
- Sales tax on a purchase: 6% state sales/use tax plus the county discretionary surtax (surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the price).
Fee schedule: FLHSMV FEES-01 Rev. 04/26 · source
Questions
Is a car transfer between spouses taxed in Florida?
No. Transfers of marital property between husband and wife are exempt from sales and use tax (Florida Administrative Code 12A-1.007). The $75.25 title fee still applies.
Can I transfer my car to my child without sales tax?
Yes, as a gift: no money and no loan assumed. Check "Gift" in Section 5 of HSMV 82040 and be ready to sign a statement that no consideration was given.
AND or OR on a Florida car title?
"OR" lets either owner sign alone (sell, transfer). "AND" requires every owner to sign. Pick deliberately; changing it later means another title application.
Other Florida situations
Sources read on 2026-09-06: FLHSMV Schedule of Title and Lien Fees, Rev. 04/26; FLHSMV Procedure TL-11 Transfer of Florida Certificate of Title, Rev. 06/26; HSMV 82040 MV form; F.A.C. 12A-1.007 Aircraft, Boats, Mobile Homes, and Motor Vehicles (eff. 2/20/2025). Florida rules change; we re-check these pages against the official documents and update the date above.