Maryland MVA Title Transfer Form (VR-005): Bill of Sale and Tax

To transfer a vehicle title in Maryland, you complete Form VR-005, the Application for Certificate of Title, and submit it to the Motor Vehicle Administration along with the signed existing title, a notarized bill of sale, a safety inspection certificate, proof of Maryland insurance, and the fees. The title fee is $200, and most transfers also trigger a 6.5 percent excise tax on the vehicle’s fair market value. You can file in person at a full-service MVA branch, through a licensed private tag-and-title service, or by mail to the MVA in Glen Burnie.

Documents to Gather Before You Start

Missing one item means a wasted trip or a returned envelope. Pull everything together before you open the form.

  • The signed Certificate of Title. The seller signs and dates the back exactly as their name appears on the front, and the buyer signs the buyer section. If the names don’t match, MVA clerks reject the application.
  • Form VR-005 itself, available at any MVA branch or from the MVA website.
  • A notarized Bill of Sale (Form VR-181) showing the actual purchase price.
  • A Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate from a licensed station, unless your transfer is exempt.
  • Proof of Maryland auto insurance. The vehicle must be on a Maryland policy before the MVA will process the title, and the minimum liability coverage is $20,000/$40,000/$15,000.
  • Your Maryland driver’s license or ID number for the application.

Check the VIN on the title against the plate on the dashboard. If it doesn’t match, or if the title has crossed-out entries or whiteout, stop. The seller may need to apply for a corrected title before you can go further.

Filling Out Form VR-005 Section by Section

The form groups information into blocks. Work top to bottom.

Owner and Vehicle Information

Enter your full legal name, home address, and Maryland driver’s license number. Below that, record the vehicle’s model year, make, body style, and full VIN. A single transposed digit in the VIN delays everything, so verify it against both the title and the dashboard plate.

Odometer Disclosure

Federal and state law require the seller to record the exact mileage at transfer, and the buyer acknowledges the reading on the form. If the odometer has rolled past its mechanical limit or is known to be inaccurate, check the appropriate box instead of writing a figure. A false odometer statement is a federal offense that can bring fines and civil liability to the seller.1MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Buying a Vehicle

Vehicles 20 or more model years old are exempt from the federal odometer disclosure requirement. In 2026 that means model year 2006 and older. For those, you can leave the section blank or mark it exempt.

Purchase Price

Enter the actual dollar amount you paid. It should match the figure on your notarized Bill of Sale. The MVA uses this line to calculate your excise tax, so accuracy matters. Misrepresenting the price is a misdemeanor carrying fines up to $500 and up to two months in jail.

Signatures

Both buyer and seller sign the certification section at the bottom. The seller’s signature must match the name printed on the existing title. If the vehicle has multiple owners listed, every owner has to sign.

The Notarized Bill of Sale Controls Your Tax

Form VR-181 is more than a receipt. It directly controls how much excise tax the MVA charges you. The form records the vehicle’s year, make, model, body style, VIN, odometer reading, and total sale price, with signatures from both parties. If the vehicle sold below book value, VR-181 includes a line to explain why, such as high mileage, body damage, or mechanical problems.2MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Excise Tax

The form has to be notarized to establish the purchase price. Without a notarized VR-181, the MVA ignores whatever you write on VR-005 and taxes you based on the NADA Used Car Guide value instead. For a vehicle you bought cheaply because it needs work, that difference can add hundreds of dollars. Most MVA branches and private tag-and-title offices have notaries on site.

What You’ll Pay

Maryland charges a 6.5 percent excise tax on the vehicle’s fair market value, with a minimum of $100.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 13-809 – Determination of Taxes Relating to Motor Vehicles How “fair market value” gets set depends on what you submit:

  • With a notarized Bill of Sale, the tax is 6.5 percent of the price you declared on VR-181. For used vehicles seven or more model years old sold by a private party, the taxable base is the greater of the actual purchase price or $640.
  • Without a notarized Bill of Sale, the MVA uses the NADA Used Car Guide value. This almost always costs more.

On top of the excise tax, plan for the standard fees:

  • Title fee: $200.4MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Fees and Payment Options
  • Security interest filing fee: $20, if a lienholder is being recorded.
  • Registration plate transfer: $10 if you’re moving plates from a vehicle with the same or higher registration fee, or $10 plus the difference if the new vehicle’s class costs more.
  • EMS surcharge: $40 per year, collected with the registration fee.
  • New registration if needed: varies by vehicle weight and class.

Failing to pay the excise tax is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000.3Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 13-809 – Determination of Taxes Relating to Motor Vehicles

When a Safety Inspection Isn’t Required

Most used vehicles need a Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate before they can be titled and registered, but some transfers are exempt:

  • Transfers between a parent and child.
  • Transfers between spouses or former spouses that result from a divorce settlement or court order.
  • Removing a co-owner’s name from a title.
  • Transferring a vehicle into a living trust where the person transferring it is the primary beneficiary.
  • Vehicles sold for the purpose of rebuilding or dismantling.

If your transfer qualifies, skip the inspection but still assemble every other document on the list.5Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code Regs 11.14.01.14 – Vehicle Sale or Transfer of Ownership

Gifts and Inherited Vehicles

Family gifts and inherited vehicles use the same VR-005, but the tax and signature rules differ.

For a gift between immediate family members, Maryland may waive the 6.5 percent excise tax, but the exemption is not automatic. The MVA requires proof of the family relationship at the time of filing. The giver signs and dates the existing title, records the odometer reading, and provides the VIN. The recipient obtains Maryland insurance, completes any required safety inspection, and files VR-005. If the paperwork doesn’t support the exemption, the recipient pays excise tax on fair market value like any other buyer.6MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Giving a Vehicle as a Gift

When the owner has died, the title does not automatically pass to anyone. How you handle VR-005 depends on the estate:

  • If the estate goes through probate, the executor or administrator signs the title for the deceased owner. Bring a certified copy of the Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, plus a certified death certificate.
  • If the title listed two owners joined by “or,” the surviving owner can generally sign alone. Titles that used “and” typically require estate paperwork.
  • Small estates may transfer by affidavit rather than full probate. Check with the Register of Wills in the county where the deceased lived.

Excise tax on inherited vehicles depends on the specific transfer, so confirm the treatment with the MVA or a tag-and-title service before filing.

Recording a Lienholder

If you financed the vehicle, the lender’s name and address go on VR-005 as the lienholder. The dealer, the owner, or a licensed tag-and-title service can submit the application with the lien information. Once the MVA processes it, the lender receives a Security Interest Filing notice confirming the lien is recorded.7MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Information for Lenders Financing Vehicles in Maryland The filing fee is $20 on top of the $200 title fee. The MVA holds or electronically records the title until the loan is paid off, at which point the lender releases the lien and a clean title is issued to you.

Where to Submit the Package

You have three ways to get the finished paperwork to the MVA.

A full-service MVA branch is the fastest option. The clerk reviews everything on the spot, collects your fees, and can issue registration plates the same day. The physical title arrives later by mail.8MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Title and Registration

A licensed private tag-and-title service handles the transaction for a service fee on top of the state fees. Many process everything in under 15 minutes and keep a notary on site, which is useful if your Bill of Sale still needs notarizing. Look for offices marked “MVA-authorized” or “MVA-licensed.”

By mail, send the complete package — original signed title, completed VR-005, notarized VR-181, safety inspection certificate, insurance information, and a check or money order for all fees and taxes — to the MVA at 6601 Ritchie Highway N.E., Glen Burnie, MD 21062. Any error returns the whole envelope, so mail is the slowest route and the least forgiving.