How to Transfer a Vehicle Title in Wisconsin: Documents and Fees

To transfer a vehicle title in Wisconsin, submit the seller-signed original Certificate of Title, a completed Wisconsin Title and License Plate Application (Form MV1), any lien release, and $214.50 plus sales tax to the Wisconsin DMV. You can start the application online through eMV Public, mail the whole packet in, or bring it to a DMV service center. The state expects you to apply for a new title immediately after buying a vehicle, receiving one as a gift, or moving into Wisconsin.¹

Documents You Need

The original Certificate of Title, signed by the seller, is the foundation of the transfer. Never buy a vehicle without receiving a signed title from the previous owner. Photocopies are not accepted. If the seller’s name does not match the name on the title, or if there are any alterations, you also need a completed Statement of Intent (Form MV2489).¹

If a lienholder is listed on the front of the title and the loan has been paid off, you need proof the lien is released. Wisconsin lenders are required to process most lien releases electronically through the state’s Electronic Lien and Title program; when a loan is paid off, the lender releases the lien electronically and the DMV mails a clear title to the owner.² Acceptable paper proof of a release includes a letter on the lender’s letterhead or a printed copy of the system-generated confirmation showing the lien was removed.³

You also need the MV1 itself. You can generate one through the MV1 Online Application Guide on the WisDOT website, which walks you through questions and estimates your fees, or you can pick up a paper copy at any DMV service center.⁴ On the MV1 you enter the Vehicle Identification Number, make, model, and year, along with buyer and seller names, addresses, signatures, and the purchase price used to calculate sales tax.

Odometer Disclosure

Federal law requires an odometer disclosure at every transfer of a model year 2011 or newer vehicle. The requirement lasts 20 years from the model year, so in 2026 no model year 2011 or newer vehicle is exempt yet.⁵ Model year 2010 and older vehicles fall under the previous 10-year rule and are already exempt.⁶ When disclosure is required, the reading is usually recorded on the title itself, and both buyer and seller sign to acknowledge it.

What It Costs

The title transfer fee is $214.50, regardless of whether you bought from a dealer or a private seller. In-person transactions at a DMV service center add a $5 counter service fee.⁷

On top of that, Wisconsin charges a 5% state sales tax on the purchase price. Seventy of the state’s 72 counties add a 0.5% county tax, bringing the combined rate to 5.5% in most of Wisconsin. Milwaukee County adds 0.9% for a combined 5.9%. Waukesha and Winnebago counties have no county sales tax, so buyers there pay the 5% state rate only.⁸ For vehicles, the county tax follows where you will customarily keep the vehicle, not where you bought it.

If you trade in a vehicle as part of the purchase, the trade-in allowance reduces your taxable purchase price. You pay sales tax only on the difference. On a $20,000 purchase with a $5,000 trade-in, you owe sales tax on $15,000.⁹

If you register the vehicle at the same time, add the annual registration fee. For automobiles and trucks at 8,000 pounds or less, that fee is $116.60.¹⁰ Other vehicle types and special plates carry different fees.

You can pay by credit or debit card (a convenience fee applies), by ACH direct debit from a checking or savings account (no convenience fee), or by check or money order made payable to “Registration Fee Trust.” Cash is accepted at service centers. A returned payment costs an extra $20.¹¹

Three Ways to Submit

Online Through eMV Public

The fastest way to start is WisDOT’s eMV Public portal. You answer a series of questions, pay your fees electronically, and receive a printable temporary plate (if applicable) with an eApplication receipt. The catch: the process is not fully digital. You still have to mail in the original signed title, any lien release, and your printed eApplication receipt to complete the transaction. Until the DMV receives those originals, the title is not finalized.¹

Mail everything to:

WI Dept. of Transportation
P.O. Box 7949
Madison, WI 53707-7949⁴

By Mail Only

To skip the online portal, complete a paper MV1 and mail it to the same address along with the signed title, any lien release, and a check or money order for the total fees. You will not receive a temporary plate this way, so plan accordingly if you need to drive the vehicle while the title is being processed.

In Person

Bring the completed MV1, the signed title, any lien release, and payment to a DMV service center. The $5 counter service fee applies. You may receive a receipt and temporary plates on the spot.⁷

If the Vehicle Was a Gift

When a vehicle is given with no money exchanged, the purchase price is zero and no sales tax is owed. You still complete the MV1, pay the $214.50 title fee, and select “Gift” as the exemption reason for the purchase price. The title must be properly signed over by the person giving the vehicle, and all the same documents are required.⁹

If You Inherited the Vehicle

Transferring a vehicle from a deceased owner follows a different path depending on your relationship to the person who died. In every case, you complete Form MV2300 (Statement of Transfer) along with the standard MV1.¹²

A surviving spouse or domestic partner can transfer up to five vehicles into their name with no title fee and no replacement title fee if the original is lost. They may also sell the vehicle directly by signing the title as the seller and providing the buyer with Form MV2300.
An heir who is not a qualifying family member must certify on Form MV2300 that the deceased person’s solely owned property does not exceed $50,000 in value. The standard $214.50 title fee applies, plus a $20 replacement title fee if the original is missing.
A court-appointed personal representative submits their Domiciliary Letters from probate along with the MV1 and MV2300.

If the title lists joint ownership with “or” between the names, the surviving owner can sign alone. If the title uses “and,” both the surviving co-owner and the deceased person’s legal representative must sign.¹²

If the Title Is Lost

If the title has been lost, damaged, or destroyed, the owner on record can apply for a replacement before completing a sale or transfer. The replacement title fee is $20. You can apply online, by mail using Form MV2119, or in person at a service center (where the $5 counter service fee is added on top of the $20).¹³ Online applications require your Wisconsin driver license or ID card number, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your date of birth, and the vehicle’s VIN. Replacement titles usually arrive in 7 to 10 business days.

If a lien has already been electronically released from the DMV record, you do not need to wait for a clear paper title to sell or dispose of the vehicle. You can verify the lien status through the DMV’s online lien search tool.²

After You Submit

Online applications submitted through eMV Public are typically completed in three days or less. Mailed applications take up to 14 days.¹⁴ If there is an active loan on the vehicle, the new title is sent directly to the lienholder rather than to you. Once the loan is paid off, the lender electronically releases the lien and the DMV mails you a clear title automatically.²

One last thing worth knowing if you’re buying from a private seller: Wisconsin law requires the seller to notify WisDOT of the sale within 30 days, including the VIN, the buyer’s identity, the date of sale, and the sale price. Sellers submit this at sellernotify.wi.gov.¹⁵ The seller should also remove their license plates before handing over the keys, because Wisconsin plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle. You will obtain your own plates through the registration process.

1
State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Title and Register Your Vehicle With eMV Public
2
Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site. Lien Holder Search
3
Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site. Financial Institutions
4
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. MV1 Online Application
5
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert – Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements
6
eCFR. Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements
7
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. DMV Fees
8
Wisconsin Department of Revenue. DOR Tax Rates
9
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. eMV Public FAQs – Purchase Price Information
10
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Vehicle License Plate Fees
11
State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation. How DMV Handles Returned Payments
12
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Guide for Family Members of Recently Deceased
13
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Replace Your Title, Plates or Stickers
14
Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site. Processing Time for DMV Products
15
WisDOT. Seller Notify