Finish a private-sale title transfer at the tax office

Cash changes hands in the driveway, the seller hands you the keys, and it feels done. It isn't. A private car sale in Dallas County only finishes when the title goes into your name, and the clock on that runs 30 days from the date of sale.

For the buyer, that means a trip to the county tax office with the signed title, a filled-out Form 130-U, and proof of insurance. Going together with the seller, if you can swing it, isn't a bad idea. Somebody at the counter can check the title before anything gets filed, instead of you tracking down a missing signature a week later when the seller's stopped answering.

One more thing to plan around: Dallas County spreads its tax work across several branches, and title services tend to close before the building does. Check the locations page for the branch nearest you and when its title window shuts, so you're not the person turned away with paperwork in hand.