I bought a car last year from a private owner in MD. Was a very easy process. I showed up at the owners house with check in hand. I gave him the check and he signed the title over to me. I drove the car home on his old tags with the promise that I would mail them back to him which I did. I then got the car inspected, then went to dmv with title in hand and $$ to pay dmv for new tags and such and that was it.