$0Sales tax on a gift
$75.25Title fee
30 daysDeadline
Then it is taxableLoan taken over?
Step by step
- Make sure the giver is the owner on the title and there is no lien. If a bank still holds a lien, it must be paid and released first. A recipient who takes over the loan is giving "consideration" and the transfer becomes taxable (Rule 12A-1.007).
- Giver completes the "Transfer of Title by Seller" section on the paper title: odometer reading, date, printed name, signature. Write "GIFT" in the price field, not $0 and not $1. No notary is required on this section (TL-11).
- Both sign the odometer disclosure if the car is not exempt from federal odometer rules.
- Recipient fills HSMV 82040 MV. Section 5, "how and when was the motor vehicle acquired": check Gift and write the date. Section 6: odometer declaration.
- Sworn statement. The tax exemption depends on a statement that title passed "without any consideration valued in money" and that no lien is being assumed. The 82040 is signed under penalty of perjury; many tax collectors also accept a short signed gift affidavit. Our kit includes one ready to sign.
- Go to the county tax collector with the signed title, the 82040, your Florida driver license, proof of Florida insurance, and the plate you are transferring (or be ready for the $225 initial registration).
- Pay $75.25 for an electronic title ($77.75 printed, $85.25 fast title), registration, and no sales tax.
What to bring to the tax collector
- Florida title signed by the giver, "GIFT" in the price field
- HSMV 82040 MV with "Gift" checked in Section 5
- Gift affidavit / sworn statement of no consideration and no assumed lien
- Recipient's Florida driver license or ID
- Proof of Florida insurance in the recipient's name
- Plate to transfer, or $225 initial registration
What gets applications rejected
- Writing $1 or $100 as the price to "make it official": that turns the gift into a sale and the office may tax it at book value (below-80% rule, DR-99A).
- Recipient assumes the giver's car loan: the assumed debt is consideration, so sales tax applies to it.
- Missing the 30-day deadline: $20 late penalty even on a gift.
- Lien still on the title: transfer stops until the lienholder releases it.
- Giver only has an electronic title: both must appear at the tax collector with photo ID, or the giver orders a paper title first.
- Gift from a company to a person, or between unrelated people with money on the side: the tax collector can ask questions; the statement is sworn.
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 there sales tax when a car is gifted in Florida?
No. A transfer of title as a gift is exempt when the new owner gives a sworn statement that title passed without any consideration valued in money and that no lien is being assumed (Florida Administrative Code 12A-1.007). Check "Gift" in Section 5 of HSMV 82040.
Can I gift a car to my son or daughter in Florida?
Yes, using the same gift procedure. Parent-to-child transfers are exempt only because they are gifts, so no money and no assumed loan.
Does a gifted car still need a title transfer within 30 days?
Yes. F.S. 319.23(6) gives the new owner 30 days from delivery; after that the $20 late penalty applies.
Does the gift need a notary?
The seller section of the Florida title does not require notarization (TL-11). Some tax collectors prefer a signed gift affidavit; it does not have to be notarized unless your county asks.
What does a gifted car title cost in Florida?
$75.25 for an electronic title, $77.75 with a printed paper title, $85.25 for a fast title, plus registration. Add $225 initial registration if the recipient has no plate to transfer.
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; Florida Statutes 319.23 Application for, and issuance of, certificate of title; HSMV 82040 MV form; Florida DOR Sales and Use Tax on Motor Vehicles; 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.