Transferring a Used-Car Title in Potter County

When you buy a used vehicle from a private seller in Potter County, the title goes through the county tax assessor-collector, not a driver license office and not the dealership lane. The office is on the first floor of the Santa Fe Building at 900 S. Polk, Suite 106, in downtown Amarillo. That's the tall terra-cotta tower the railroad put up in 1930; the county bought it in the 1990s and now runs the tax window out of it.

You've got 30 days from the date of sale to put the title in your name. Let it slide past that and you start racking up a late transfer penalty on top of the regular fees. Bring the title the seller signed over to you, a filled-out Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U), proof of liability insurance, and any lien release if the car was financed.

One small move saves a lot of grief: if the seller can come with you to the window, do it. The clerk can catch a title that's salvaged, branded, or signed wrong before you've handed over your money and walked off — a problem that's a quick fix in person and a headache to untangle later.