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Selling Your Car in Hampton Roads: Detailing & Paperwork Checklist
Selling privately, trading in or getting ready for a PCS move? This free checklist covers Virginia paperwork, what to clear out of the car, and how to get it clean and photo-ready.
Virginia paperwork
Steps from the Virginia DMV for a private sale of a Virginia-titled vehicle:
- Sign the title over in Section A: all owners on the title sign, with the buyer's name and address, the actual odometer reading, the date and the sale price.
- Give the buyer a bill of sale or other proof of the price.
- Remove your license plates before the buyer takes the car, then transfer them to another vehicle or surrender or transfer your plates.
- Notify DMV: report the vehicle sold online, by phone or at a customer service center. Virginia law requires it.
- Then tell your insurance company. Turn in or deactivate plates first so DMV doesn't show a registered car without insurance.
- Check values on Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds before you set a price.
Clean-out checklist
- Remove your toll transponder and update the vehicle on your E-ZPass Virginia account so tolls don't post to you.
- Clear the infotainment system: paired phones, saved addresses, garage codes and connected-app accounts.
- Unpair the car from any manufacturer app and cancel connected services.
- Reset or remove the built-in garage door opener buttons and take your remote.
- Check the glovebox, console, trunk, spare-tire well, seat pockets and under the seats for papers, cards and keys.
- Collect all keys, fobs, manuals and service records for the buyer.
Detail checklist
Interior
- Vacuum seats, carpets, mats and the trunk; clean seat tracks.
- Wipe dash, console, door panels and screens with an interior-safe cleaner.
- Clean glass inside and out.
Odor
- Remove the source first: trash, spills, pet hair, wet mats.
- Replace the cabin air filter if it's due.
- Avoid heavy air freshener; buyers often read it as covering something.
Exterior
- Wash and dry, then clean wheels and tires.
- Cloudy headlights can be cleaned or restored.
- Wipe down the engine bay surfaces gently; don't pressure-wash electrical parts.
Photos
- Shoot in soft, even light: overcast days or early morning and late afternoon.
- Take every side, the interior, odometer, tires and any damage.
- Honest photos of flaws build trust with buyers.
Buyers often follow FTC advice to get a vehicle history report and an independent inspection, so keep service records handy.
PCS sellers: sell or ship?
- Compare what you'd get selling here against the cost and timing of shipping and buying at the new duty station.
- Leave enough time before your move date for the title, plates and DMV steps above.
- See our PCS car-ready page for getting a car ready to ship or sell.
Shine My Ride 757, LLC · smrdetailing.com · 757-689-9821. This guide is general information, not legal, insurance or safety advice. Always follow official sources linked above and local emergency officials.