Don't forget this important step after selling a vehicle

By Doug Nick / ADOT Communications

Be it ever so humble, there is nothing so useful as a Sold Notice.

What is a Sold Notice, you say? Glad you asked, because the answer is very simple.

As we mentioned here, the Sold Notice is something that’s easy to fill out, doesn’t cost a dime and can keep you out of trouble.

Trouble? Really?

Yes, really.

Sadly, there are times when people sell a vehicle and – maybe years later – that vehicle gets involved in a crash or was used in a crime. Maybe it was just abandoned.

It’s not your car anymore but if you don’t file a Sold Notice, Motor Vehicle Division records may still have you as the owner of record. That means you may find yourself having to explain that it really wasn’t your vehicle that sideswiped a minivan on I-10, or was the getaway car for a bank robber, or has been collecting weeds on a patch of dirt in that sketchy neighborhood.

Do yourself a favor. Next time you sell a car, let us know with a Sold Notice. It just takes a couple of minutes and it’s free. Within 10 calendar days of selling a vehicle, visit ServiceArizona.com and complete one.

And it’s a lot less of a hassle than talking to a judge.

For more information, visit azdot.gov/mvd.