Selling stock on Robinhood takes three steps: tap the stock, select Sell, choose your price and quantity, then confirm

Open the Robinhood app and find the stock you own in your portfolio. Tap it to open the detail page. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a Sell button — tap that. Robinhood will show you the current market price and ask how many shares you want to sell. Enter the number, review the estimated proceeds (what you'll receive after the sale), and tap Confirm to send the order to the market.

The sale completes in seconds during market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday). If you sell after hours or on a weekend, your order waits until the market opens the next trading day. Once the sale goes through, the cash lands in your Robinhood account immediately — you don't have to wait for settlement.

Robinhood charges no commission on stock sales, so you keep all the proceeds. The only cost is the difference between the bid price (what buyers will pay) and the ask price (what sellers want), which Robinhood doesn't control. That spread is usually a few cents per share on popular stocks.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap the stock in your portfolio, select Sell, enter the number of shares, and confirm — the whole process takes under a minute.
  • Sales during market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, weekdays) complete within seconds; after-hours or weekend orders wait until the next market open.
  • Cash from the sale appears in your Robinhood account right away, not after a settlement delay.
  • To move money out of Robinhood entirely, link a bank account in Settings and request a transfer, which takes one to three business days.
  • Robinhood charges no commission, but you pay the bid-ask spread — the difference between what buyers offer and what sellers ask.

Market orders versus limit orders when selling

When you tap Sell, Robinhood defaults to a market order, which sells your shares at whatever price the market is offering right now. This guarantees the sale will go through immediately during market hours, but the exact price you receive might be slightly lower than what you saw on screen — especially on volatile stocks or during busy trading times.

A limit order lets you name the lowest price you'll accept. Tap the price field and select Limit, then enter your price. If the stock reaches that price, your order fills. If it doesn't, your order sits open until you cancel it or the market closes. Limit orders are useful if you want to avoid selling at a bad moment, but they can fail to fill if the stock never reaches your price.

For most people selling a small number of shares, a market order is simpler and faster. Use a limit order if you're selling a large block and want to control the price, or if you're willing to wait for a better price and can tolerate the risk that it never comes.

Transferring cash from Robinhood to your bank account

Selling stock puts cash in your Robinhood account, but that money stays inside Robinhood until you move it. To withdraw it to your bank, open the app and tap Account (the person icon at the bottom right). Select Transfers, then Withdraw. Robinhood will show you any linked bank accounts.

If you haven't linked a bank account yet, tap Add Bank Account and follow the prompts. Robinhood will ask for your routing number and account number — you can find both on a check or by logging into your bank's website. Some banks let Robinhood verify your account instantly; others require you to confirm two small deposits Robinhood makes to your account, which takes a few days.

Once your bank is linked, enter the amount you want to withdraw and confirm. The transfer takes one to three business days. Weekends and bank holidays don't count toward that timeline. You can check the status of any pending transfer in the Transfers section.

What happens to dividends and fractional shares when you sell

If you own a stock that pays dividends, selling it before the ex-dividend date means you won't receive that upcoming dividend payment. The ex-dividend date is the cutoff — if you own the stock on that date, you get the dividend even if you sell the next day. Check the stock's detail page to see when dividends are paid.

Robinhood lets you buy and sell fractional shares (pieces of a share), so you might own 2.5 shares of an expensive stock. When you sell, you can sell all of it or just part of it. If you sell 1.5 shares out of 2.5, you'll have 1 share left. The proceeds are calculated on whatever fraction you sell, so there's no penalty for selling a partial share.

Tax reporting and what Robinhood sends you

Every time you sell a stock at a profit or loss, that's a taxable event. Robinhood tracks all your sales and sends you a Form 1099-B at the end of the year if you sold anything. This form shows your proceeds and cost basis (what you paid for the shares). You'll need this to report your capital gains or losses when you file taxes.

Robinhood also lets you download a tax report from the app. Go to Account, select Tax Documents, and choose the year. You can see a summary of all your sales, gains, and losses. If you use tax software like TurboTax or work with an accountant, you can usually import the 1099-B directly.

Keep in mind that selling at a loss can offset gains from other investments, which may lower your tax bill. If you're selling a large position or have complicated trades, talking to a tax professional before you sell can help you plan.

Selling during market volatility or after hours

If the market is moving fast and prices are jumping around, your market order might fill at a price noticeably different from what you saw. This is called slippage. During normal trading, slippage is usually small — a few cents. During extreme volatility (like a market crash or a stock-specific event), it can be much larger. A limit order protects you here because it won't sell below your chosen price, but it also might not sell at all.

After-hours trading (4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern) and pre-market trading (7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern) happen on Robinhood, but with fewer buyers and sellers. Spreads are wider, meaning the gap between bid and ask prices is bigger. If you need to sell after hours, expect a worse price than you'd get during regular market hours. For most people, waiting until the market opens is worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to sell a stock on Robinhood?

During market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, weekdays), a market order sells in seconds. After-hours or weekend orders wait until the market opens the next trading day. Once the sale completes, cash appears in your Robinhood account immediately — there's no settlement delay like there used to be.

Can I sell a stock for a specific price instead of whatever it's worth right now?

Yes, use a limit order. Tap Sell, select Limit instead of Market, and enter the price you want. Your order fills only if the stock reaches that price. If it doesn't, your order stays open until you cancel it or the market closes at 4 p.m.

Do I have to pay taxes on the money I withdraw from Robinhood?

You pay taxes on the profit when you sell the stock, not when you withdraw the cash. If you sold a stock for $500 and paid $300 for it, you owe tax on the $200 gain. Withdrawing that money to your bank doesn't trigger any additional tax.

What if I sell a stock and immediately want to buy a different one?

The cash from your sale is available to buy another stock right away — you don't have to wait for a settlement period. This is one of Robinhood's features. Just tap the stock you want to buy and enter the amount or number of shares.

Can I cancel a sell order after I've placed it?

If your order hasn't filled yet, yes. Go to the Transfers or Orders section (depending on your app version), find the pending order, and tap Cancel. Once the order fills and the sale completes, you can't undo it — you'd have to buy the stock again if you changed your mind.