To transfer a car title in Minnesota, the buyer and seller sign the existing certificate of title, the buyer completes the “Application for Title by Buyer” section on that same certificate, and the buyer files the paperwork with a deputy registrar office within 20 calendar days of the sale, paying the title and filing fees plus 6.875 percent motor vehicle sales tax.1Minnesota Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Sales Special rules apply to gifts, inherited vehicles, and cars coming in from another state, but the core process is the same signed-title-plus-fees exchange.
What the Buyer Needs to Bring
The original certificate of title is the document that makes everything else work. Both parties sign on the front in their assigned sections, and every person listed as an owner on the current title must sign; if one co-owner is missing a signature, the deputy registrar will reject the paperwork.2Anoka County, MN. Transfer of Minnesota Titles
Beyond the signed title, gather the following before you head to the counter:
- A bill of sale. Not legally required, but strongly recommended. Include the year, make, model, VIN, sale date, sale price, and the full names, addresses, and signatures of both parties. The stated price sets your sales tax, so get it right.
- An odometer disclosure. Federal law requires a reading for any vehicle with a model year of 2011 or newer until the vehicle is 20 years old. Model year 2010 and earlier follow the previous 10-year rule and are now fully exempt, as are vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds.3National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements
- A damage disclosure. Minnesota law requires the seller to disclose whether the vehicle has ever sustained damage exceeding 80 percent of its pre-damage value. The disclosure is built into the title assignment form.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 325F.6641 – Disclosure of Vehicle Damage
- A lien release, if the seller’s title shows a lienholder. The transfer cannot go through without the lienholder’s written authorization releasing its interest. Get this document from the seller before you hand over payment.5Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Title Adding or Removing a Security Interest or Lien
- A valid driver’s license or state ID for both parties.
Where to File and What You’ll Pay
You can file at any Minnesota deputy registrar office in person, or mail the documents directly to Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS).6Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Title Transfer In-person filing is faster and lets you catch problems on the spot. Mail is slower, and you won’t hear about mistakes until DVS contacts you.
Expect these fees at filing:
- Title fee: $8.257Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Fees
- Filing fee: $10
- Public Safety Vehicle fee: $3.50
- Lien recording fee: $2 for each lien listed on the new title
- Motor vehicle sales tax: 6.875 percent of the purchase price
Some localities also add a $20 wheelage tax. The deputy registrar may issue a temporary permit so you can legally drive the vehicle while your new title is processed and mailed.
The 20-Day Deadline
Minnesota law gives the buyer 20 calendar days from the date the title is assigned to file for a new certificate of title. Miss that deadline and the vehicle’s registration is suspended, plus a $2 late fee applies.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168.301 The $2 is trivial. The suspension is not: driving on a suspended registration is a separate violation that can trigger a citation, and you’ll need to clear it before you can legally operate the vehicle.
What the Seller Needs to Do
Sellers have their own obligations that many people skip. Within 10 days of the sale, the seller must notify DVS by completing and returning the “Notice of Sale” portion on the title certificate, or by transmitting the information electronically.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.10 – Transfer of Interest by Owner DVS provides an online tool for reporting a vehicle as sold, donated, or removed from the state.10Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Title Report Vehicle Sold, Donated or Removed From State
A seller who delivers the vehicle and complies with the notice requirements within 48 hours is no longer liable for damages caused by the vehicle’s operation. Skip the notice, and you could be on the hook if the buyer causes an accident before completing the transfer.
Gifted Vehicles
Gifts between spouses, parents and children, or grandparents and grandchildren are exempt from motor vehicle sales tax. The exemption also covers gifts between foster parents and foster children when the foster relationship meets state licensing requirements.11Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 297B – Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Minnesota does not require an affidavit to claim the family exemption.12Minnesota Department of Revenue. Nontaxable Transactions
Gifts outside those relationships are still taxable, calculated on the vehicle’s fair market value rather than a zero sale price. If a new lien is placed on the vehicle as part of the gift, the transfer may be treated as taxable regardless of the family relationship. Either way, you still complete the title assignment and file at a deputy registrar office, paying the standard title and filing fees.
Transferring a Title After a Death
How you handle a deceased owner’s vehicle depends on how the title was held.
If two owners were listed on the title joined by “or,” the surviving owner can typically transfer the title by presenting a death certificate at a deputy registrar office. No probate is needed, because either owner had independent authority over the vehicle.
Minnesota also allows a transfer-on-death (TOD) designation, where the owner names a beneficiary directly on the title. When the owner dies, the vehicle passes to that beneficiary outside probate, and the transfer is exempt from motor vehicle sales tax. If the owner was married and named someone other than their spouse as the beneficiary, the spouse’s written consent is required for the designation to be valid.13Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.125 – Transfer on Death
With no TOD designation and a sole owner, the vehicle becomes part of the estate. If the estate goes through probate, the court-appointed personal representative handles the title transfer. For smaller estates that don’t require formal probate, an affidavit from the surviving spouse or other heir, along with a death certificate, can sometimes be used to transfer the title. Ask a deputy registrar office which affidavit forms apply to your situation.
Lost or Missing Title
You cannot transfer a vehicle on a lost, destroyed, or stolen title. The seller has to apply for a duplicate before the sale can proceed. The application can be submitted in person at a deputy registrar office, where some locations process it the same day, or by mail to DVS. The duplicate fee runs about $22.50 in person or $21.50 by mail, covering the title fee, technology surcharge, and filing fee.
If a seller can’t produce a title and offers to send it later, don’t pay. A seller without a title may not actually own the vehicle, and without proper transfer documents you’ll have no legal way to register it.
Bringing an Out-of-State Vehicle Into Minnesota
If you buy a vehicle in another state or move to Minnesota with a car titled elsewhere, you’ll need to title and register it here. The process requires a copy of the out-of-state title clearly marked as a copy, along with the standard title application and fees.14Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Title and Registration for Those New to Minnesota DVS will not issue a Minnesota title without proper ownership and transfer documents from the originating state.
New residents must register within 60 days of establishing Minnesota residency. If the vehicle’s registration from the previous state has already expired, you must register immediately. The 6.875 percent sales tax applies to the purchase price, calculated from 60 days after your residency date or the transaction date, whichever comes first.
Watch for Title Fraud Before You Buy
Title fraud is more common than most buyers expect, particularly with vehicles that have been flooded, salvaged, or declared total losses. Damaged vehicles sometimes get moved across state lines to “wash” a branded title and produce a clean-looking certificate in a new state. Warning signs:
- Price well below market value with no clear explanation.
- Brand-new title on an older vehicle, especially if issued in a different state than where the seller lives.
- Visible repair work like fresh paint, new welds, or mismatched body panels on a car with a clean title.
- VIN discrepancies between the title document and the plate on the vehicle itself.
- Faded printing or missing watermarks on the title certificate, which can indicate alteration.
Run a vehicle history report before finalizing any purchase. If the report shows a salvage auction record, a past branded title, or suspicious gaps in ownership, walk away. Minnesota’s damage disclosure law only requires sellers to reveal damage exceeding 80 percent of the vehicle’s value, and only if the seller actually knows about it.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 325F.6641 – Disclosure of Vehicle Damage A history report catches what the seller’s disclosure might not.