Out of State Vehicles

Welcome to Kentucky!

No appointment is needed—our branches operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that the process may vary slightly if there is a lien on the vehicle title.

When you arrive at one of our branch locations to transfer your vehicle, your first step will be a sheriff’s inspection. Most branches have a sheriff on site* to complete this inspection. You can view sheriff availability on our website under the “Locations & Hours” section. The inspection fee is $15.00, so please be sure to bring cash.

For the rest of your transaction, we accept cash, check, or card**. However, the sheriff’s office accepts cash only or, in some cases, local checks. You will need to present your vehicle title and driver’s license for the inspection. Once your vehicle passes inspection, you may park in a standard space, come inside, and take a number to continue your transaction.

Depending on the state you are transferring from, you may be required to pay a usage tax based on the vehicle’s current trade-in value. If there is an active lien on the vehicle, a $22.00 lien filing fee will also apply. If you have recently paid off your vehicle loan, please bring your lien release documentation.

For the vehicle transfer, please bring the following items:

1. The vehicle title
2. The sheriff's inspection
3. A Kentucky-issued Driver's License (the temporary card will suffice)
4. Proof of current Kentucky issued insurance
5. The registration from the previous state — must be registered to the same person

Notes:

• Our branch hours are available on our website, along with the hours for the sheriff's office. Please check to ensure the sheriff will be present when you plan to visit.
• Accepted methods of payment at Branch Offices are cash, money order, MC, Visa, AMEX and Discover or personal check. No out-of-state checks accepted. Valid Kentucky I.D. is required for acceptance of personal checks.

Welcome to Kentucky!

No appointment is required—our branches operate on a first-come, first-served basis. In some states, if a vehicle has an active lien, the title is held by the lienholder until the loan is fully paid. If your vehicle is still under lien and you never received the title, you may need to request that your lienholder send it directly to our office. We will then record the lien on your new Kentucky title.

To begin this process, obtain a “Bank Letter”(PDF, 228KB)  from one of our branches or download it from our website. Complete the form and send it to your lienholder. They will forward the title along with a copy of your completed Bank Letter to our office. Once we receive the title package, we will contact the owner using the information provided. Please note: if you do not apply for a Kentucky title and registration within 30 days of the County Clerk’s Office receiving your title, it will be returned to the lienholder on the 31st day.

After we notify you that your title has been received, your next step is to complete a sheriff’s inspection. The Instruction Packet mailed to you will include an “official photocopy” of the title for this purpose. Sheriff inspection locations and hours are available on our website under the “Locations & Hours” tab. The inspection fee is $15.00, payable in cash.

For the remainder of your transaction, we accept cash, checks, or cards**; however, the sheriff’s office accepts cash only or, in some cases, local checks. You will also need to present your driver’s license during the inspection. Once your vehicle passes, please visit our Downtown Branch to complete your title transfer and registration.

Depending on the state you are transferring from, you may owe usage tax based on the vehicle’s current trade-in value. If there is an active lien, a $22.00 lien filing fee will apply. If you have recently paid off your vehicle loan, be sure to bring your lien release documents.

For the vehicle transfer, please bring the following items:

1. The sheriff's inspection
2. A Kentucky-issued Driver's License
3. Proof of current Kentucky issued insurance
4. The registration from the previous state — must be registered to the same person

Notes:

• Our branch hours are available on our website, along with the hours for the sheriff's office. Please check to ensure the sheriff will be present when you plan to visit.
• Accepted methods of payment at Branch Offices are cash, money order, MC, Visa, AMEX and Discover or personal check. No out-of-state checks accepted. Valid Kentucky I.D. is required for acceptance of personal checks.

Welcome to Kentucky!

No appointment is needed—our branches operate on a first-come, first-served basis. To register a leased vehicle in Kentucky, the leasing company must provide the lessee with its Federal Identification Number (FIN) and the month of incorporation.

The original out-of-state title must be sent directly from the leasing company to our office. If there is a lien on the vehicle, a title release can be requested using our “Bank Letter,” available at our branches or on our website. Our office will record the lien on the new Kentucky title. Please note that if you do not apply for Kentucky title and registration within 30 days of the County Clerk’s Office receiving the title, it will be returned to the lienholder on the 31st day.

Once we notify you that your title has been received, your next step is to complete a sheriff’s inspection. The Instruction Packet mailed to you will include an “official photocopy” of the title for this purpose. Sheriff inspection locations and hours are available on our website under the “Locations & Hours” tab. The inspection fee is $15.00, and payment must be made in cash.

For the remainder of your transaction, we accept cash, checks, or cards**; however, the sheriff’s office accepts cash only or, in some cases, local checks. You will also need to present your driver’s license during the inspection. After your vehicle passes inspection, please visit our Downtown Branch to complete your title transfer and registration.

Depending on your previous state and the documentation provided by your leasing company, usage tax may be due based on the vehicle’s current trade-in value. If there is an active lien on the vehicle, a $22.00 lien filing fee will also apply.

For the vehicle transfer, please bring the following items:

1. The sheriff's inspection (Not needed if leased through the U-Drive-It program)
2. A Kentucky-issued Driver's License
3. Proof of current Kentucky issued insurance
4. Power of Attorney paperwork from the Leasing Company granting authority to the Lessee to sign documents on behalf of the Leasing Company for vehicle registration purposes. If multiple names are listed on the POA from the Leasing Company, all parties must sign the necessary documents and their signatures must be notarized.
   Note: There is a payment service fee for all card transactions, 1.5% of total for Debit Cards and 2.75% of total for Credit Cards.
5. A Statement from the Leasing Company on its letterhead, stating exactly how much state sales tax the leasing company paid for the vehicle. This is necessary due to the 6% usage tax collected by the County Clerk upon title transfer. (Not needed if leased through the U-Drive-It program)

Notes:

• Our branch hours are available on our website, along with the hours for the sheriff's office. Please check to ensure the sheriff will be present when you plan to visit.
• Accepted methods of payment at Branch Offices are cash, money order, MC, Visa, AMEX and Discover or personal check. No out-of-state checks accepted. Valid Kentucky I.D. is required for acceptance of personal checks.

Purchased Out of State — Private Seller

When purchasing a vehicle from an individual and the vehicle has an out of state title, it is important to have all the necessary paperwork completed to avoid unnecessary costs or trips to the County Clerk's Office.

For the vehicle transfer, please bring the following items:

1. Original title completed to the specifications of the state of origin.
2. Application for Title/Registration Form TC96-182 - This form can be found on our website under Motor Vehicle Forms. In order to honor the sale price, the seller's signature must be notarized, otherwise the vehicle will be taxed at the current retail value.
3. Sheriff's Inspection - It will be $15.00 cash for the inspection, most of our branches have a sheriff on site, please check our website for their schedule. The sheriff will need to see the title and the driver's license of the person requesting the inspection.
4. Kentucky issued Driver's License for the buyer(s)
5. Current Kentucky issued insurance ID card for the vehicle to be transferred (if the buyer(s) would like to register the vehicle)

Purchased Out of State — Dealership

When a vehicle is purchased from an out of state dealership, that dealership often sends the title and any necessary supporting documents to the County Clerk's Office. Once our office receives the Title Package, we will notify the Buyer by sending an instruction packet that includes an official photocopy of the title. This photocopy will be used to conduct a Sheriff's Inspection on the vehicle. Once the vehicle has successfully passed the inspection, the instruction packet will guide the Buyer to bring the inspection results, their Kentucky-issued ID, and proof of Kentucky insurance for the vehicle being transferred to the office that is holding their title. This is necessary to complete the title transfer and to register and plate the vehicle if desired.

If the buyer has an active plate from a vehicle they are trading in, the dealership can include the plate number or a photocopy of the plate with the title package so it can be transferred to the new vehicle.

If you wish to check the status of a title transfer, please be prepared to provide the tracking number for the title package, the delivery address, and the VIN of the vehicle.

Below is a list of documents needed to transfer a vehicle from out of state to Kentucky:

1. Original title completed to the specifications of the state of origin.
2. Application for Title/Registration Form TC96-182 - This form can be found on our website under Motor Vehicle Forms. In order to honor the sale price, the seller's signature must be notarized, otherwise the vehicle will be taxed at the current retail value.
3. Copy of Kentucky issued ID (Driver's License or State ID) for buyer
4. Current Kentucky issued insurance ID card for vehicle to be transferred (if the owner would like to register the vehicle)
5. Power of Attorney paperwork, if applicable