How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Rhode Island in 2026

A family vehicle transfer in Rhode Island is handled through the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The same state title system applies to both family gifts and family sales, but the tax treatment and supporting documents differ depending on whether consideration is exchanged.

For taxable transfers, Rhode Island requires motor vehicle sales tax to be paid by the 20th day of the month following the month of sale under the DMV’s sales tax rules. A transfer that qualifies as a gift can be exempt from sales tax if the required gift documents are submitted.

What Does Transferring a Car Title to a Family Member in Rhode Island Mean?

Transferring a car title to a family member in Rhode Island means changing the legal owner recorded by the state. The certificate of title is the state ownership document for the vehicle, and the transferee does not become the titled owner until the transfer paperwork is accepted and a new Rhode Island title is issued.

Rhode Island uses title applications and registration/title forms to document the transfer. For title work, the DMV uses Application for Title (TR-2/TR-9), and for title-and-registration transactions, it uses Application for Registration and Title Certificate (TR-1). Rhode Island law also requires mileage disclosure on the prescribed transfer record or title record in R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23.2-6.

Eligible Family Members for Title Transfers in Rhode Island

Rhode Island does not create a separate title-transfer procedure for all relatives, but it does provide special sales-tax treatment for gifts. Under the DMV’s guidance, the immediate family for motor vehicle gift tax purposes means the following:

• Parent
• Step-parent
• Sibling
• Step-sibling
• Spouse
• Child
• Step-child

That immediate-family definition matters for tax exemption paperwork. A gift from one of those relatives may be exempt from sales tax with an immediate family gift letter. A gift from a relative outside that list, such as a grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, or cousin, does not use the same simplified documentation and instead requires notarized non-immediate-family gift paperwork.

A family sale is treated differently. If money or other consideration is exchanged, Rhode Island applies the ordinary private-party motor vehicle tax rules, even if the buyer and seller are related.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Gift to a Family Member in Rhode Island

Step 1 — Confirm the Ownership Document
The current owner should confirm that the vehicle has a valid title or other acceptable proof of ownership. If the vehicle already has a Rhode Island or out-of-state title, that title should be available for reassignment. If the vehicle is an older Rhode Island vehicle previously untitled under the former law, the DMV may require prior registration or other proof of ownership to issue a title.

Step 2 — Complete the Title Transfer Information
If a title exists, the current owner should sign the transfer section and provide the odometer reading where required. Rhode Island’s odometer law requires mileage disclosure on the prescribed transfer form or title record and requires the disclosure to be signed by both parties in § 31-23.2-6.

Step 3 — Prepare the Correct Gift Document
For an immediate family gift, the DMV requires a signed Vehicle Gift Letter. That form defines immediate family as a spouse, mother, father, stepparent, child, stepchild, sibling, or stepsibling. If the transfer is from a non-immediate family member, the DMV requires a signed and notarized gift letter plus Affidavit of Gift of Motor Vehicle (SU 87-65).

Step 4 — Address Plate Handling
If the current plate on the vehicle is also being gifted, the gift letter should clearly state that. The immediate-family gift letter form also notes that a separate plate gift letter is required if the plate being gifted is not the one already on the vehicle.

Step 5 — Complete the DMV Application
If the recipient is titling and registering the vehicle together, the transaction is processed on TR-1. If the transaction is title-only, the DMV uses the title application form instead.

Step 6 — Include Insurance and Any Out-of-State VIN Inspection
If Rhode Island registration is issued, valid Rhode Island insurance information must be provided. If the vehicle is coming from another state, the DMV title rules require a VIN inspection from a local municipal police department.

Step 7 — Submit the Paperwork to DMV
Rhode Island title transactions are not completed through a self-service online title portal. DMV states on its titles page that tax-and-title transactions may be processed by mail, and other DMV title and registration transactions may also require in-person processing depending on the transaction.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Sale to a Family Member in Rhode Island

Step 1 — Reassign the Title or Gather Proof of Ownership
The seller should provide the assigned title if the vehicle is already titled. If the vehicle does not yet have a title because it was previously subject to Rhode Island’s older title rules, the parties should be prepared to provide ownership records that the DMV accepts.

Step 2 — Record the Odometer Reading
For a private transfer, Rhode Island law requires mileage disclosure on the prescribed transfer document or title record. The disclosure must reflect actual mileage, mileage beyond mechanical limits, or not-actual-mileage status as required by § 31-23.2-6.

Step 3 — Prepare the Sales Paperwork
A family sale should include the sale date, seller information, buyer information, and the transaction amount used for tax purposes. The seller information and date of sale are part of the Rhode Island title application, and the TR-1 checklist also requires a sales tax form for taxable transactions.

Step 4 — Complete the Title and Registration Application
When the buyer is titling and registering the vehicle in one transaction, Rhode Island uses TR-1. The form includes owner information, seller information, insurance information, vehicle data, and lien details.

Step 5 — Pay the Applicable Sales Tax
For a taxable private-party sale, Rhode Island generally applies 7% tax under the private-party rules on the sales tax page. For vehicles 7 years old or less, the tax is based on the higher of the sale price or NADA Clean Retail value. Different value rules apply to older vehicles and cars of particular interest.

Step 6 — Include Any Lien or Out-of-State Documents
If a lien exists, lien information must be included in the title paperwork. If the title is from another state, the transfer should include the out-of-state title and a municipal VIN inspection.

Step 7 — Submit the Title Transfer to DMV
Rhode Island does not list private title transfer as an online consumer service. The parties should expect the title transfer to be submitted to the DMV via the filing methods the DMV allows for title and registration paperwork.

What Documents Are Needed To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Rhode Island

Required for All Transfers

• Application for Title (TR-2/TR-9) — This title application is the state form for title transactions and includes seller information, date of sale, odometer disclosure, and lien information.
• Application for Registration and Title Certificate (TR-1) — This TR-1 form is used when the transferee is titling and registering the vehicle together. It includes buyer, seller, vehicle, insurance, lien, and registration information.
• Certificate of title or other ownership document — A valid title should be submitted when one exists. Older previously untitled vehicles may require prior registration or another accepted ownership record.
• Odometer disclosure — Rhode Island requires mileage disclosure in transfer transactions under § 31-23.2-6.
• Valid Rhode Island insurance information — If registration is being issued, Rhode Island insurance is required as part of the TR-1 filing.

Additional Documents for Sale Transfers

• Sales tax form — DMV requires a sales tax form for taxable dealer and private-party transfers, as reflected in the TR-1 checklist.
• Purchase-price documentation — The sale price must support the tax calculation used for the transaction.
• Lien information or release — If the vehicle is financed or previously financed, the title filing should include the appropriate lien information and release documentation where applicable.

Documents Required in Specific Circumstances

• Vehicle Gift Letter — For an immediate-family gift, DMV uses the Vehicle Gift Letter, which also allows the donor to state whether the current plate is being gifted.
• Affidavit of Gift of Motor Vehicle (SU 87-65) — For a non-immediate-family gift, the recipient must submit SU 87-65, which states on its face that it is to be used for non-immediate family only.
• Notarized gift letter — Rhode Island requires a signed and notarized gift letter for a non-immediate-family gift. Immediate family gift letters are not presented by the DMV in the same notarized format.
• VIN inspection — A municipal police VIN inspection is required for an out-of-state used vehicle being titled in Rhode Island.
• Prior registration or paid tax record for older previously untitled vehicles — Rhode Island’s title-law change means older vehicles can now be titled, but the DMV may still require the prior registration or other accepted proof for older vehicles that were never previously titled.

How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member Online in Rhode Island

Rhode Island does not offer a fully online private vehicle title transfer for a routine family gift or family sale. For that reason, a standard family transfer still requires the submission of paper title documents and supporting records to the DMV. Depending on the transaction, DMV accepts mailed title work, and some registration and title matters may also require direct DMV processing rather than a self-service online filing.

What's the Cost To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island publishes state motor vehicle title and registration charges on its registration and title fees page. The fees below are the standard DMV charges most relevant to a family transfer.

Passenger registration in Rhode Island is weight-based and includes the stated technology surcharge, DOT surcharge, and any EV-related fee described on the DMV fee page, so the exact registration total depends on the vehicle rather than a single flat passenger amount.

For tax treatment, Rhode Island distinguishes between gifts and sales:

For a taxable sale, Rhode Island also warns that sales tax must be paid by the 20th day of the month following the sale month to avoid interest and penalties.

Contact Information

Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles
600 New London Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920
Phone: (401) 462-4368
Official Website: Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles