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Alabama title transfer fees
How much is the title fee in Alabama?
$15
In plain English
The Alabama Department of Revenue says the title application fee is $15.00 for each application for an Alabama certificate of title for a motor vehicle. Designated agents add $1.50 as their commission for each application processed.
“The title application fee is $15.00 for each application for Alabama certificate of title for a motor vehicle.”
The official words for the rest
“Designated agents shall add the sum of $1.50 as the commission for each application processed.”
Worked example
Example: a $12,000 used car bought from a private seller in Alabama. Title fee: $15. Tax is left out of this example. Not included: registration and plates, a lien fee, an out-of-state inspection, county or office add-ons, and late fees.
A made-up price; every other figure is from the quotes on this page. It is an illustration, not a bill.
What other fees come with it?
- Agent commission$1.50not added
“Designated agents shall add the sum of $1.50 as the commission for each application processed.”
What are the steps in Alabama, and by when?
In plain English
Alabama does not require the assignment of a title or an MSO to be notarized.
The official words
“No, the state of Alabama does not require the assignment of an MSO or title to be notarized.”
The owner has 20 calendar days from the date of purchase or acquisition to register the vehicle without penalty or interest charges applying.
The official words
“The vehicle owner has 20 calendar days from the date of vehicle purchase or acquisition to register the vehicle without penalty or interest charges applying.”
After the prerequisites are met, the licensing official collects the registration fees and ad valorem taxes and issues a license plate.
The official words
“After the prerequisites are met, the licensing official will collect the necessary registration fees and ad valorem taxes and issue a license plate.”
What if the car comes from another state?
In plain English
The owner of a non-commercial vehicle with a valid registration from another jurisdiction has thirty (30) days from the date the vehicle enters the state to register it.
The official words
“the owner of a non-commercial vehicle which has a valid registration from another jurisdiction has thirty (30) days from the date the vehicle enters the state to register the vehicle.”
An individual who buys a vehicle other than at wholesale from outside Alabama must pay state and local use tax when registering it with the county licensing official.
The official words
“If an individual purchases a vehicle other than at wholesale from any seller in Alabama that is not a licensed dealer or from outside the state of Alabama, the purchaser must pay both state and local use tax when registering the vehicle with the county licensing official”
What about tax on the purchase in Alabama?
In plain English
When the seller collects the tax, the state rate is 2 percent for vehicles, and local taxes may apply. A person who buys other than at wholesale from an Alabama seller that is not a licensed dealer, or from outside Alabama, pays both state and local use tax when registering the vehicle with the county licensing official.
The official words
“The tax is collected by the seller from their customer and remitted directly to the state at the rate of 2 percent for vehicles and 4 percent for other items, such as parts and accessories. Local taxes may be applicable.”
“If an individual purchases a vehicle other than at wholesale from any seller in Alabama that is not a licensed dealer or from outside the state of Alabama, the purchaser must pay both state and local use tax when registering the vehicle with the county licensing official”
We don’t work out tax for Alabama.
What does a gift or family transfer change in Alabama?
Nothing on this in the official pages we read for Alabama. That is about our reading, not about Alabama’s rules.
What happens if the transfer is late in Alabama?
In plain English
On late registration, the 20 calendar days from purchase or acquisition are the period for registering without penalty or interest charges applying. The quote does not print the amounts of those charges.
The official words
“The vehicle owner has 20 calendar days from the date of vehicle purchase or acquisition to register the vehicle without penalty or interest charges applying.”
What the pages we read do not cover
The pages we read do not give a fee for recording a lender's claim on the title.
They do not say whether a vehicle from another state needs an inspection.
They do not cover gifts or transfers within a family.
How Alabama compares
The title fee quoted for Alabama is $15. Of the other 37 states with a figure, 15 states quote less, 16 states quote more and 6 states quote the same. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
LowerHigher
The states whose flat title fee sits closest to Alabama’s. Each figure is copied from the quote at the top of that state’s page, with its source and read date. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
Every state in one table · How a title transfer works
Add it up for Alabama
Reference only, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the agency. Full statement
Sources
8 quoted lines from 4 official sources, each matched word for word on November 12, 2026. The state’s own titling page is revenue.alabama.gov.
- Alabama Department of Revenue, What is the cost to make application for Alabama certificate of title? · revenue.alabama.gov
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Registration questions and answers · revenue.alabama.gov
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Title applications questions and answers · revenue.alabama.gov
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Automotive sales, use and lease tax guide (PDF) · revenue.alabama.gov