Cost data

Which Lease Companies Allow Transfers, and What Do They Charge?

Written by JaredReviewed by JaredLast reviewed 2026-08-07

Figures reviewed 2026-08-07 (today). Rate data is sourced per table and each table states its own reporting period.

Which lease companies publish a policy on transferring a lease?

Only a handful of captive finance companies make their lease transfer program and its terms public. Most say nothing at all on their consumer-facing sites, which is exactly why a dated comparison matters more here than almost anywhere else on this topic.

We checked each captive's own published pages directly, current as of August 2026. Here is what each one actually states, not what a forum thread claims it states.

Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac all run through the same captive, GM Financial, so their transfer policy is identical across all four nameplates. That is the clearest, most complete transfer policy any captive on this list publishes.

How much does it cost to transfer a lease?

GM Financial is the only captive on this list with a published dollar figure: a $625 transfer fee plus any applicable taxes, due from the person taking over the lease. GM Financial's own site also lists real requirements around that fee: the vehicle must be titled in the same state as the assuming lessee, the lease can't be in its final six months, and the assuming lessee has to pass GM Financial's full credit and underwriting review before the transfer is approved.

Ford Credit and BMW Financial Services each run their own transfer or lease assumption application online, which confirms a real process exists at both companies. Neither one lists the transfer fee amount on the public pages we could reach, so treat any number quoted online for those two brands as unverified until your captive confirms it directly.

For every other brand checked here, including Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, and Tesla, we found no published transfer program, fee schedule, or process page as of August 2026. That does not prove a transfer is impossible at those captives. It means the only reliable way to find out is a phone call to the leasing company, not a blog post.

Does a lease transfer get the original lessee off the hook?

Not necessarily, and this is the least documented part of the entire transfer process. A lease transfer moves the monthly payment to someone else, but whether it also releases the original lessee from liability if that new person stops paying is a separate question, and none of the captives we checked answer it in writing on their public pages.

Even GM Financial, which publishes the most complete transfer policy of any captive here, describes the application steps, the fee, and the underwriting requirements without stating what happens to the original lessee's liability once the transfer is approved. Ford Credit and BMW Financial Services are the same: a process exists, but the liability question isn't addressed on the pages we could reach.

Until a captive puts it in writing for your specific transfer, the safest assumption is that your name may still carry some exposure, whether that shows up as remaining a guarantor, staying on the credit file, or something else the contract defines. Get the liability question answered in writing, specifically for your account, before you sign anything or hand the car over. This exact question, whether a transfer legally ends your liability, deserves its own deeper page, and this site will cover it in more depth soon.

What does the person taking over the lease have to qualify for?

The assuming lessee has to pass credit approval, not just agree to make the payments. GM Financial states this plainly: the person taking over the lease must meet GM Financial's full underwriting and credit guidelines, the same bar as someone applying for a brand-new lease. A friend or family member offering to take over your payments still has to qualify financially, the way what credit score do you need to lease a car explains for a fresh lease.

GM Financial also requires the vehicle to be titled in the same state as the assuming lessee, and it won't process a transfer in the lease's final six months. Expect similar guardrails, state matching, a credit check, and a cutoff window near lease-end, at other captives even where the exact numbers aren't published, since these protections exist to limit the captive's own risk, not to inconvenience lessees.

What if your brand doesn't show up with real terms here?

Call the captive's customer service line and ask three specific questions: is a transfer allowed at all, what fee applies, and will you be released from liability in writing. A representative who can't answer all three clearly is a sign to get everything confirmed by mail or email before you rely on it, not just a verbal yes.

If you're trying to transfer because the payment has become unaffordable, I can't make my lease payment. What are my options? lays out the full ladder of choices, including transfer, with real cost ranges for each one. Argued honestly against interest: an undocumented transfer where you can't confirm you're released is not automatically safer than paying an early-termination charge you can calculate in advance. A known cost you can plan for sometimes beats an unknown liability you're hoping goes away. For the full process mechanics, see how does a lease transfer work, and for the liability question this table leaves open at every captive, see does a lease transfer get you off the hook.

Complete Car Lease is not a dealer, lessor, or broker, so no transfer runs through us. Every transfer happens directly between the lessee, the assuming party, and the captive finance company.