A field-by-field walkthrough of the Washington Form TD-420-001 (Vehicle Title Application) for licensed used car dealers — what goes in every section, who signs what, and the documents you attach. Verified against the official form as of July 2026.
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Washington instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) before you file.
DealerVLO fills the official Washington Form TD-420-001 straight from your deal — VIN-decoded vehicle, buyer, co-buyer, and sale price already in place. $99/month, free to try — no credit card.
Form TD-420-001 is how a vehicle gets its Washington title. On a dealer sale the buyer barely touches it — the dealer completes the application, collects the sales/use tax and the fees, and submits everything to the Department of Licensing (usually through a licensing subagent or the county auditor).
The money section is where Washington gets you: the sales/use tax is charged at the rate for the buyer's home address, and with local rates stacked on the 6.5% state rate the combined rate runs into the 8–10%+ range. Buyers inside the Sound Transit (RTA) district owe an additional motor-vehicle excise tax. Get the buyer's rate right and take the trade-in deduction, and the rest of the form is routine. This guide walks every section a dealer fills.
TD-420-001 is the Washington Department of Licensing's application for a certificate of title. On a dealer sale the dealer completes it, collects the tax and fees, and submits the package — often through a licensing subagent or county auditor's office, which is where most Washington title work is actually processed. The tax line is the part to slow down on: Washington's combined sales/use tax rate is one of the highest in the country and varies by the buyer's address, and buyers in the Sound Transit district owe an extra motor-vehicle excise tax (RTA) on top.
Gather these before you complete the Form TD-420-001. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) bounces a title application back.
The buyer — the person the title will be issued to. Enter the legal name, Washington address, and date of birth exactly as they appear on the buyer's license. A co-owner goes in the second-owner fields, with the ownership conjunction ("and" / "or") the buyers choose.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Registered owner's full legal name From the buyer's license — match it exactly. | You (dealer) |
Washington residence address Determines the local sales/use tax rate and RTA applicability. | You (dealer) |
Date of birth / driver license number | Buyer |
Co-owner and 'and/or' designation (if any) | You (dealer) |
Identifies the vehicle. The VIN on the TD-420-001 must match the released title and the vehicle's VIN plate. Washington needs the vehicle details plus the odometer reading captured at transfer.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
VIN Must match the released title and the VIN plate. | You (dealer) |
Year, make, model, body style | You (dealer) |
Odometer reading and status Whole miles; must match the title disclosure. | You (dealer) |
Washington's sales/use tax on a vehicle is the 6.5% state rate plus the local rate for the buyer's address — a combined rate that commonly lands in the 8–10%+ range. On a dealer sale the trade-in allowance is subtracted from the price before tax. Buyers who live inside the Sound Transit (RTA) district also owe a motor-vehicle excise tax on top. Always compute at the buyer's home-address rate, not the dealership's.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Purchase price Match the buyer's order. | You (dealer) |
Trade-in allowance Subtracted before tax on a dealer sale. | You (dealer) |
Sales/use tax at the buyer's local rate 6.5% state + local; look it up by the buyer's address. | You (dealer) |
RTA excise tax (Sound Transit district buyers) Additional motor-vehicle excise tax for buyers inside the RTA boundary. | You (dealer) |
Cash deal? Leave it blank. Financed? Record the lender's name and address so the lien is recorded on the new title. Washington issues electronic title records for lienholders.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Lienholder name Blank for a cash sale. | You (dealer) |
Lienholder address | You (dealer) |
The buyer signs as the registered owner. The odometer disclosure is certified as part of the transfer. The dealer's information ties the application to the sale.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Owner signature and date | Buyer |
Co-owner signature (if any) | Buyer |
Selling dealer name and dealer number | You (dealer) |
Washington sales/use tax is destination-based — the rate is set by the buyer's home address, not your lot. With local rates varying widely, using the wrong rate under- or over-collects on nearly every deal. Look it up by the buyer's address every time.
Buyers who live inside the Sound Transit (RTA) district owe an extra motor-vehicle excise tax on top of the sales/use tax. Miss it and the licensing office collects it from the buyer later — a bad surprise you could have handled at the desk.
On a Washington dealer sale, the trade-in allowance reduces the taxable price. Taxing the full price overcharges the buyer — real money at Washington's combined rates.
The reading on the TD-420-001 must match the odometer disclosure on the released title. A mismatch stalls the title at the licensing office.
On a dealer sale the dealer completes and submits the title application and collects the tax and fees — the buyer doesn't handle DOL. Build the filing (and the tax remittance) into your delivery process.
TD-420-001 is the Washington Department of Licensing's Vehicle Title Application — the form filed to get a Washington certificate of title after a sale or an out-of-state move. Dealers prepare it on every retail sale.
The title application fee is $18. Registration fees and the sales/use tax (at the buyer's local rate) are on top of that. The printed title arrives by mail in several weeks, or faster with the expedited 'quick title' option.
The 6.5% state rate plus the local rate for the buyer's home address — a combined rate that often lands in the 8–10%+ range. On a dealer sale the trade-in allowance is subtracted first. Buyers inside the Sound Transit (RTA) district also owe a motor-vehicle excise tax on top.
Yes. On a dealer sale the trade-in allowance is subtracted from the purchase price before the sales/use tax is computed, so the buyer is taxed on the difference.
Through a vehicle licensing office — most title and registration work in Washington runs through county auditors and licensing subagents — or directly with the DOL. The dealer collects the tax and fees and submits the package.
A regional transit authority motor-vehicle excise tax owed by vehicle owners who live inside the Sound Transit district (parts of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties). It's charged in addition to the sales/use tax and is based on a state depreciation schedule of the vehicle's value.
DealerVLO fills the official WA Form TD-420-001 straight from your deal jacket — VIN-decoded vehicle, buyer, co-buyer, lienholder, and sale price already in place. Print, sign, and file in about 90 seconds. $99/month. No credit card to start.