A transfer is a set of steps, and each step leaves a record. Some contracts allow a transfer, some do not, and some allow it only with the seller's consent. The steps below assume that the blank contract permits transfer. If it does not, the process ends at the first step.
Before the sale closes
Read the transfer section of the blank contract. Note whether transfer is allowed, whether consent is needed, whether any administrative charge applies, and whether a waiting period restarts for the new owner. Ask the seller to put the answers in writing. For a vehicle, note whether the contract follows the unit or the original buyer. For a home, note whether the contract follows the house or the seller.
At the transfer
Request the seller's transfer form and fill it in with the new owner's name and the unit's identifier, copied exactly as it appears on the contract. Send the proof of sale the seller asks for. Keep a copy of everything you send.
After the transfer
Ask for written confirmation that the contract is now in the new owner's name, with the effective date stated. Ask whether the original seller keeps a record and for how long. Ask who the new owner should contact for a claim, and whether that contact is the same as before the transfer.
Keep the set together
File the blank contract, the transfer form, the proof of sale, and the confirmation as one set. That set is what you will need if a question arises later about who held the contract at the time of a repair.
Where to check the rules
The state pages on this site name the governing statute or program for each state and print the roster entry where one is published. Where this edition has not read a state's roster, the state page says so. This guide does not say what any particular contract allows.