Minnesota ATV Bill of Sale Requirements and Registration

A Minnesota ATV bill of sale is the paper that proves a private all-terrain vehicle sale happened and lets the buyer transfer the DNR registration into their name. State law requires the document to carry the ATV’s serial number and the signatures of both the current owner and the buyer, and the buyer then has 15 days from the sale to apply for the transfer.¹ Get the fields right the first time and the rest of the process is routine.

What the Bill of Sale Must Contain

The statutory minimum is short: the serial number of the vehicle and the signatures of the seller and buyer.¹ The DNR publishes its own form, but a document you draft yourself is just as valid when it covers the right ground. To avoid questions at the registrar’s counter, include:

Year, make, model, serial number (or VIN), and the ATV’s width in inches. Width decides whether the machine is Class 1 (50 inches or less) or Class 2 (over 50 and up to 65 inches), and the registration form asks for the number.²
Seller’s full printed name, address, and signature.
Buyer’s full printed name and address.
Date of sale and purchase price.
The existing DNR registration number if the ATV was previously registered in Minnesota.
The Minnesota county where the buyer will ride the ATV most often.

Be honest on the price. Minnesota charges 6.875 percent sales tax on ATV purchases, and the number on the bill of sale is what the state uses to compute what you owe.³ Writing a lower figure to shrink the tax bill is fraud, and a price that looks implausibly low for the vehicle described can prompt the DNR to ask questions.

Getting the Serial Number Right

The serial number is the one field that will stop a transfer in its tracks if it’s wrong. On most ATVs it’s stamped into the metal frame, not printed on a sticker, and the exact spot varies by brand and model year. On many Polaris ATVs built after 2010 the stamp sits in the front left wheel well or on the lower left rear frame rail. Older machines sometimes carry it on the right side near the footwell. The owner’s manual will point you to the right spot if you can’t find it, and a flashlight plus a wire brush to clear mud usually makes the characters readable.

Copy the number straight off the frame, character by character. One transposed digit creates a mismatch that will delay or block the registration. If the stamp is partially worn, write down what you can read and bring the ATV with you to the deputy registrar so staff can inspect it in person.

Signatures, Notarization, and Why There’s No Title

Both parties sign in live ink. Photocopied signatures aren’t accepted, and the seller should also print their name legibly next to their signature. Minnesota does not require notarization for a private ATV sale, so the deal can close in a driveway with no third party present. Paying a few dollars for a notary adds a layer of proof that both people were who they said they were, which is worth considering when you’re buying from a stranger found online.

Here is the piece that trips up buyers coming from a car transaction: an ATV registered through the DNR gets a registration certificate, not a certificate of title. There is no title to sign over. The bill of sale plus the new registration application is the entire transfer mechanism, which is why the document has to be right.

Transferring the Registration

The buyer has 15 days after the sale to apply for the transfer.¹ You handle it in person at any deputy registrar of motor vehicles, the same offices that sell car tabs, or at the DNR License Center in St. Paul.⁴ You must be at least 18 to register an ATV in your own name.

Bring with you:

The signed bill of sale.
A completed Universal Registration Application (Form LC-1000), available online and at registrar offices.
Proof that the 6.875 percent sales tax was paid, or documentation that the purchase was exempt.¹

After processing, the registrar issues a registration number that must be displayed on the ATV according to DNR specifications. The card and adhesive decals arrive by mail.

Fees and Sales Tax

What you pay at the counter depends on whether the ATV’s current registration is still in force. The DNR’s schedule:⁵

Transfer only, registration still current: $4.00 plus an $8.50 issuing fee, $12.50 total.
Transfer with renewal, registration expired or expiring: $64.00 plus the $8.50 issuing fee, $72.50 total.
New registration, never registered in Minnesota: $60.00 plus the $8.50 issuing fee, $68.50 total.

Minnesota ATV registrations last three calendar years. Sales tax of 6.875 percent applies on top of the registration fee.³ On a $5,000 ATV, that works out to $343.75. Some local jurisdictions add their own tax, so the final percentage can run slightly higher depending on where you register.

What Happens If You Skip Registration

Riding an unregistered ATV in Minnesota is a misdemeanor. The standard penalty is a $50 fine plus a $75 surcharge, $125 in all. The misdemeanor also lands on your criminal record, which catches most people off guard for what feels like a paperwork lapse.⁶

When Registration Isn’t Required

A handful of ATVs don’t need Minnesota registration at all:¹

Vintage ATVs that are 25 years old or older and were originally produced as a distinct make by a manufacturer.
Vehicles owned by federal, state, tribal, or local governments.
ATVs registered in another state or country, as long as they aren’t in Minnesota more than 30 consecutive days. Nonresidents from states that don’t require registration can ride Minnesota’s state and grant-in-aid trails with a nonresident trail pass.
Machines used exclusively in organized racing on closed tracks.

Even when registration isn’t required, keep the bill of sale. If the ATV is ever stolen or ownership is disputed, that signed document is the only proof you have that it’s yours.

1
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.922 – Registration
2
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. OHV Definitions
3
Minnesota Department of Revenue. Taxes and Rates
4
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2025-2026 OHV Regulations
5
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Off-Highway Vehicle Registrations and Fees
6
Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 84.775 – Off-Highway Vehicle Civil Citations