TC 96-182 — Kentucky's title application, and the notary it needs.
In Kentucky you don't go to a state DMV office to title a car: you go to the county clerk, and the form you hand over is TC 96-182. One page covers a transfer, a car coming from another state, a duplicate, a salvage or classic title, or registration only. It records the VIN and any title brand, the odometer reading, the sale price and trade-in that the 6% usage tax is figured from, both parties, and any lien, with "sworn or affirmed before me" blocks for the notary. The current revision is dated 06/2026. Here's how to fill it in and what the clerk will ask for.
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Quick Answer
- What is form TC 96-182?
- The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration, submitted to the county clerk. It's used for a duplicate, title only, transfer, first time, salvage or classic title. DRIVE says out-of-state cars always need one, and Kentucky titles issued before 2000 may need one to complete a transfer.
- Does the TC 96-182 have to be notarized?
- Its signature area has "sworn or affirmed before me" blocks for an attesting official under both the seller's and the buyer's signatures, and Kentucky's DRIVE titling page says the signatures on a signed-over title must be notarized. Plan on signing in front of a notary or the clerk.
- How much is the usage tax on a car in Kentucky?
- 6%, collected by the county clerk when ownership transfers. For a used car it's figured on the price in the notarized affidavit of total consideration (which TC 96-182 can serve as), provided that price is at least 50% of the trade-in value difference the Revenue Cabinet describes. Without the affidavit, the clerk uses the retail value from the reference manual. On a $10,000 car, that's $600.
Four steps to a Kentucky title
Everything happens at the county clerk's office, and the notary comes first.
- 1Pick the application typeDuplicate, Title Only, Transfer, First time, Salvage and Classic; for a duplicate, say why.
- 2Describe the car and any brandVIN, year, make, model, fuel type, and whether it was rebuilt, water-damaged, hail-damaged or unrebuildable.
- 3Odometer, price and trade-inSeller states the miles; both certify the sale price, trade-in and net cost.
- 4Sign before a notarySeller and buyer sign in the attesting-official blocks, then the clerk processes it.
What the County Clerk Charges and Expects
From Kentucky's DRIVE titling page and the Department of Revenue, read on 28 October 2026.
| Item | Kentucky rule |
|---|---|
| Usage tax | 6% of the sale price on the notarized affidavit (used cars), collected by the clerk |
| Usage tax, new car without an affidavit | 90% of the manufacturer's suggested retail price |
| Trade-in credit | Allowed for tax purposes on new-vehicle purchases since July 1, 2014 |
| Deadline after a Kentucky sale | 15 days to transfer the title to the new owner |
| Proof of insurance | Kentucky insurance with an issue date within 45 days |
| Duplicate title | $6 plus the cost of a notary |
| Speed title (next business day by mail) | $25, at the county clerk only |
| Transit tag (non-residents moving a Kentucky car out) | $5, valid 15 days |
| Title not received | Contact the county clerk after 45 days |
Speed titles aren't available for classic vehicles, boats, mechanic's liens, towing and storage, affidavits of ownership or bills of sale, duplicates, corrections, restored titles, out-of-country vehicles, court orders, Kentucky-assigned VINs, junk or unrebuildable salvage titles, or kit vehicles.
What's on the TC 96-182, Section by Section
Rev. 06/2026 is a single page headed "submit completed form and required documentation to county clerk", with a warning that the clerk won't accept a title or application showing erasures, alterations or mutilations, and that a form not completed online must be filled in blue or black ink. The top asks for the application type: Duplicate, Title Only, Transfer, First time, Salvage and Classic. For a duplicate, it asks whether the original title was lost, destroyed, damaged, illegible or something else.
Section 1 identifies the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, model number, body style, color, engine type (gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric), cylinders, truck weight and a motorcycle's motor number. A title brand disclosure follows, with boxes for Rebuilt, Water-Damaged, Hail-Damaged and Unrebuildable. If you tick one and the title doesn't show the brand, you name the jurisdiction and title number where it was issued.
Section 2 is the odometer disclosure, total consideration and trade-in. The seller states the mileage under 49 USC 32705 and KRS 190.300, certifying it's the actual mileage unless one of two boxes is ticked: it exceeds the odometer's mechanical limits, or it isn't the actual mileage. Then the date of sale, sale price, trade-in, net cost and tax, plus up to two trade-in vehicles. Seller and buyer both certify the consideration figures under the penalty provisions of KRS 190.990(5).
The rest of the page is the people. Joint ownership is OR or AND; the form says that if neither is selected, transferring the title later will need both signatures. There's room for two sellers (with a dealer number), two owner-buyers with a Kentucky license, ID, Social Security or federal EIN number and date of birth, a lessee, and the first lienholder and the county where the lien is filed. The buyer states whether they have applied, or will apply within 30 days, for a loan on the car. Each side signs in front of an attesting official. When a lien is shown, the clerk certifies that the title will be withheld for 30 days or until the financing statement and fees arrive.
TC 96-182 at a Glance
Tax, fees, deadlines and the notary, on one card.
From TC 96-182 (Rev. 06/2026), Kentucky DRIVE and the Department of Revenue, read on 28 October 2026.
Out-of-State Cars and Sales to Out-of-State Buyers
A car coming from another state needs more than a Kentucky one. DRIVE lists Kentucky insurance, a Kentucky license, ID card or Social Security card, a completed TC 96-182 with the signed-over title (or the registration or bill of sale from a state that only issues those, with notarized signatures), and proof of a passed sheriff's inspection. The inspection is a VIN verification done by the sheriff's office. A business licensed with the Secretary of State titles under its federal EIN.
Selling a Kentucky car to someone from another state works the other way. DRIVE says to tell the county clerk the new owner's name and state, return the Kentucky plate to the clerk, and complete TC 96-3, Affidavit of Incomplete Transfer, if the car hasn't been transferred within 15 days. The out-of-state buyer can buy a $5 transit tag, valid 15 days, from the Motor Vehicle Licensing Division in Frankfort; Kentucky residents can't. If you owned the car on January 1, property tax for that year may still be due.
Before you hand it to the clerk
- No white-out: DRIVE says erasures and cross-outs need a separate signed, notarized affidavit.
- Name mismatch: if your ID differs from the title, bring an affidavit, a marriage license or a divorce decree.
- Brand box: a box ticked for a brand the title doesn't show needs the state and title number where it was issued.
- Both signatures: with no OR/AND box ticked, a later transfer needs every owner.
Check the Brand Box Against the Record
The TC 96-182 asks the seller to declare a rebuilt, flood or hail brand. Enter the VIN for a free preview of the title brands and salvage records on file.
How Kentucky Values a Car for Usage Tax
The Department of Revenue's rules, which the price section of the form feeds.
6%, collected by the clerk
On every vehicle used in Kentucky, at transfer or first registration.
Used car: the sworn price
The price on the notarized affidavit (Form 71A100 or the TC 96-182).
50% floor
The price must be at least half the trade-in value difference Revenue describes.
No affidavit: book value
Retail value from the prescribed reference manual (NADA).
New car: 90% of MSRP
When no affidavit of total consideration is available.
$10,000 → $600
A $10,000 used car at 6%, before clerk fees.
Kentucky Title Bought In-State vs. From Another State
Same form, different paperwork.
Kentucky seller
- Seller signs the back of the Kentucky title before a notary.
- Buyer brings the title, insurance, ID and fees to the clerk.
- TC 96-182 needed for titles issued before 2000.
- Transfer within 15 days.
Out-of-state title
- TC 96-182 is always part of the application.
- Sheriff's inspection to verify the VIN.
- Notarized signatures on the signed-over title.
- A Kentucky license, ID card or Social Security card.
Insurance must be Kentucky coverage issued within 45 days either way.
Related Checks and Guides
The other DMV form guides, and the Kentucky pages they connect to.
Where These Facts Come From
From the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (the form and its TC 96 forms library), the DRIVE titling page and the Department of Revenue, read on 28 October 2026.
CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the Department of Revenue or any county clerk. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
TC 96-182 — Frequently Asked Questions
What Kentucky buyers and sellers ask most.
Where do I submit the TC 96-182?+
To the county clerk, in the county where you live or where the car is mainly operated. The form's header says so, and the clerk collects the usage tax and fees and issues the title and registration.
How long do I have to transfer a title in Kentucky?+
15 days. DRIVE says a vehicle sold from one Kentucky citizen or business to another must be transferred to the new owner within 15 days.
Can I fill out the TC 96-182 online?+
The form can be completed electronically and printed; otherwise it must be in blue or black ink. Either way it goes to the county clerk with the signatures and documents, and the clerk won't accept one with erasures or alterations.
How do I get a duplicate Kentucky title?+
Take a TC 96-182 marked Duplicate (with the owner and vehicle sections completed), the title number or plate number, $6 plus the notary's charge, and photo ID to the county clerk. Duplicates can't be done as speed titles.
Does Kentucky charge usage tax on a gift or family transfer?+
This guide doesn't cover exemptions. The Department of Revenue's usage-tax page describes how sold vehicles are valued; ask the county clerk or Revenue before assuming a family transfer is exempt.
Can a buyer from another state drive a Kentucky car home?+
With a transit tag: $5, valid 15 days, from the Motor Vehicle Licensing Division in Frankfort by mail or in person. Only non-residents can get one.
Run the VIN Before You See the Clerk
Enter any 17-character VIN for a free preview. The full report lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service and is not affiliated with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet or any county clerk. This guide summarizes the Cabinet's form, the DRIVE titling page and the Department of Revenue's usage-tax page, and is not legal or tax advice. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
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