If your Texas title lists two owners, plan on both of you signing when you sell, whether you sell outright to a dealer or trade in. TxDMV's Motor Vehicle Title Manual (August 2026 edition) says joint owners each sign their own names, and that Texas paperwork can't use "or" or "and/or" between owners' names to let one person act alone. If one owner can't be there, the manual allows that owner to give the other a power of attorney to sign for them, and the POA gets attached. If the title carries a Rights of Survivorship agreement and one owner has died, the survivor can transfer the vehicle with a copy of the death certificate. Sort out signatures before the appraisal so a competing offer doesn't stall at the paperwork.
We read the joint-ownership, signature, and survivorship sections of the August 2026 manual. The points that matter for a seller:
Both owners are available. Easiest case. Both bring photo ID and both sign the title assignment in their own names. The manual says a signature doesn't have to match the printed name letter for letter: a title in the name of James Adam Smith can be signed "James Smith" or "J. A. Smith."
One owner works out of town or can't make the appointment. Ask the dealer early which POA they'll accept. TxDMV's general limited POA (VTR-271) can't be used to assign title in a dealer transaction on a vehicle subject to federal odometer disclosure, where the secure VTR-271-A applies instead. We covered the difference in Limited Power of Attorney: VTR-271 vs. VTR-271-A. Get the POA signed before the appraisal, not after you've agreed on a number.
One owner has died. Check the face of the title for the Rights of Survivorship remark. If it's there, the survivor transfers with a copy of the death certificate. If it isn't, the path usually runs through an estate or heirship process, which we walked through in Selling an Inherited Car in Texas.
You're divorced. If your divorce decree awarded you the vehicle, the manual says you don't have to retitle it in your name first: the title can be assigned to the buyer with a copy of the decree (TxDMV works from a certified copy). Without a decree that awards the vehicle, plan on your ex's signature or a POA. Talk to your attorney if it's contested.
There's still a loan. Two signatures don't change the payoff. The lienholder still has to be paid and the lien released. See Selling a car with a loan payoff.
When you request competing offers, participating local dealers contact you directly, and the offer is confirmed after a physical appraisal. The fastest path from "best offer" to "done" is a title every owner is ready to sign. If you aren't sure whether to trade or sell, our trade-in vs. selling outright guide walks through the choice. You don't have to buy another vehicle to sell.
On a Texas title with two owners, both sign, or one signs for the other with an attached power of attorney. A Rights of Survivorship agreement lets a survivor transfer with a death certificate. Settle who signs before the appraisal, and competing offers can move as fast as the dealers do.
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