A Minnesota title transfer happens when the seller signs the assignment on the back of the existing Certificate of Title, the buyer completes an Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehicle (Form PS2000A), and the buyer submits both documents, along with fees and 6.875 percent sales tax, to a deputy registrar or Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) within 20 calendar days of the sale. Miss that window and a late fee kicks in; miss it by 30 days and the registration gets suspended.
What to Gather Before You Sign
You cannot transfer a Minnesota title without the original paper title in hand. If it is lost, damaged, or illegible, the seller has to order a duplicate on Form PS2067A-20 before the sale can close, and only the owner named on the title (or someone holding power of attorney for that owner) can request one.1Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Application for Duplicate Title, Registration, Cab or Lien Card
Both parties should have the following ready before touching a pen:
- The Vehicle Identification Number from the title, dashboard, and door jamb
- The current odometer reading
- The actual purchase price, even if it is zero for a gift, because sales tax is calculated from this figure
- Full legal names and current addresses for buyer and seller
- A signed or notarized lien release from the lender if the title shows an existing loan
- The buyer’s active auto insurance policy information (company name, policy number, expiration date)
For motorcycles, the engine number also has to be recorded on the face of the title at the time of transfer.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Just the Facts – Buying or Selling a Motor Vehicle
Do not use correction fluid, do not erase, and do not cross anything out. Any alteration voids the title, and fixing an error means applying for a corrected title before the transfer can move forward.
What the Seller Fills In
The seller’s work happens in the assignment area on the back of the existing title. Handprint your name, sign so the signature matches the name on the front, and fill in the date of sale and the sales price in the sales tax declaration section. If two owners appear on the title, both have to sign.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Just the Facts – Buying or Selling a Motor Vehicle
Odometer Disclosure
Sellers must complete an odometer disclosure for any vehicle that is model year 2011 or newer, a rolling 20-year window under the federal rule Minnesota now follows. Vehicles over 16,000 pounds gross weight rating and vehicles that are not self-propelled are exempt. The seller certifies whether the reading is actual, has exceeded the odometer’s mechanical limits, or is not the true mileage.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Just the Facts – Buying or Selling a Motor Vehicle3Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 325E.15
Damage Disclosure
Damage disclosure applies to every vehicle, regardless of age. The seller checks whether, to the best of their knowledge, the vehicle has or has not sustained damage in excess of 80 percent of its actual cash value before the damage occurred. You only have to disclose damage you actually know about, but lying here carries real legal exposure.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 325F.6641 – Disclosure of Vehicle Damage
What the Buyer Fills In
The buyer’s document is Form PS2000A, the Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehicle, which is separate from the title itself and available from any deputy registrar or on the DVS website. It asks for the vehicle’s year, make, model, body style, VIN, weight, and fuel type, plus the buyer’s full legal name, date of birth, driver’s license number, and residence address.5Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Application for Motor Vehicle Title – Form PS2000A
The buyer also declares the full purchase price for sales tax, notes any trade-in allowance, and identifies any new lender by name, address, and loan date. Insurance details go on the same form.
Fees and Sales Tax
Motor vehicle sales tax is 6.875 percent of the purchase price, a rate that took effect July 1, 2023.6Minnesota Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicles On a $15,000 vehicle, that is $1,031.25. Tax applies unless a specific exemption covers the transaction.
On top of the tax you will owe title and filing fees, a technology surcharge, a Public Safety Vehicle fee, and registration (tab) fees based on the vehicle’s original MSRP depreciated by age. Vehicles 11 years old or older pay a flat $20 registration fee. Some counties add a wheelage tax of $10, $15, or $20. Because DVS updates fee schedules periodically, confirm current amounts at your deputy registrar or on the DVS fees page before you go.7Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Fees
Where to File and by When
The fastest option is walking the signed title, Form PS2000A, and payment into any deputy registrar office in Minnesota. The office can process everything on the spot. You can also mail the paperwork with a check or money order payable to Driver and Vehicle Services to:
Driver and Vehicle Services
445 Minnesota St., Suite 195
Town Square Building
Saint Paul, MN 55101-51908Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Contact DVS
Mail processing takes longer, and you will not have registration in hand while you wait.
The 20-Day Deadline
Minnesota law gives the buyer 20 calendar days from the date of assignment to submit the paperwork. Missing that deadline triggers a $2 late fee.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.10 Subdivision 2 The real problem starts at 30 days: if DVS has not received the ownership documents and fees by then, the vehicle’s registration is suspended, and reinstatement costs another $10 on top of everything else owed.10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168.301 – Reinstatement Fee Driving on a suspended registration is a separate problem. Do not sit on the paperwork.
Sellers: File a Report of Sale
Handing over the signed title does not end the seller’s exposure. Minnesota requires sellers to separately report the sale, donation, or removal from state to DVS. Without a report of sale on file, the vehicle stays associated with your name, so parking tickets, toll violations, or worse can land on you if the buyer never completes the transfer.11Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Title Report Vehicle Sold, Donated or Removed From State
File the report immediately after the sale through the DVS online portal. It does not transfer ownership on its own, but it puts DVS on notice and triggers the 30-day suspension backstop if the buyer fails to file transfer documents.11Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Title Report Vehicle Sold, Donated or Removed From State
Gifts Between Family
When a vehicle is gifted rather than sold, list the purchase price on the title assignment as zero. Motor vehicle sales tax is fully waived when the gift is between spouses, between a parent and child, or between a grandparent and grandchild. No affidavit is required; the Department of Revenue treats these transactions as nontaxable automatically.12Minnesota Department of Revenue. Nontaxable Transactions
Gifts to siblings, in-laws, friends, or anyone outside that list do not qualify. DVS can assess sales tax based on the vehicle’s fair market value even when no money changed hands.
Special Situations
Transferring After the Owner Dies
If the title names a Transfer-on-Death (TOD) beneficiary, that beneficiary takes ownership when the owner (or last surviving joint owner) dies. The beneficiary applies for a new title with a certified death record and Form PS2000A, and no motor vehicle sales tax is owed. A Medical Assistance estate recovery claim under section 256B.15 voids a TOD conveyance entirely, and certain other government claims can follow the vehicle to the beneficiary if the estate’s other assets cannot cover them.13Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.125 – Transfer-on-Death Title to Motor Vehicle
With no TOD beneficiary, the vehicle falls into the probate estate and the personal representative appointed by the court handles the transfer using probate documentation.
Branded Titles
Minnesota titles carry brand designations that follow the vehicle permanently. A “salvage” brand means an insurer declared the vehicle a total loss, or the vehicle sustained damage exceeding 80 percent of its pre-damage value. “Recovered intact” flags a stolen vehicle that was declared a total loss and later found with damage below that threshold.14Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Side-by-Side – Salvage Vehicle Definitions Buyers should always check the title for brands before agreeing to a purchase; the presence of a brand should be reflected in the price and should prompt an independent inspection.