The short answer
| Item | Kansas answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $10. |
| Deadline | 60 days after the purchase, weekends and holidays included. |
| Late title | $2, flat. It doesn't grow by the month. |
| Tax | 6.5% state sales tax plus your local rate, which varies. |
| Property tax | Due when you register, on top of the sales tax. |
| Plates | Stay with the owner, not the car. |
Property tax is not in our total
Kansas charges a yearly motor vehicle property tax, and the first payment is due when you register. It is at least $24 a year and can run to several hundred dollars for a new car. It depends on the car's value, its model year, your county and the month. Neither the example below nor our calculator's total includes it. Look up your amount with the Kansas Department of Revenue's vehicle property tax lookup before you go.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Kansas?
The title is the document that proves who owns the car. In Kansas it costs $10. The registration fees around it are:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title | $10 |
| Registration, car up to 4,500 lbs | $30 a year ($40 above 4,500 lbs) |
| Service fee | $5 |
| Modernization surcharge | $4 |
| Kansas Highway Patrol surcharge | $2 |
| Statutory surcharge | $1.25 |
| Plate fee | $0.50 |
| County transaction fee | Up to $5, if your county charges it |
| Lienholder fee (if the car is financed) | $1.50 |
| Duplicate title (Form TR-720B) | $10 |
Worked example: $30,000 car from a dealer, up to 4,500 lbs, state tax rate only
- Sales tax: 6.5% of $30,000 = $1,950.00
- Title: $10.00
- Registration (one year): $30.00
- Service fee: $5.00
- Modernization surcharge: $4.00
- Highway Patrol surcharge and statutory surcharge: $2.00 + $1.25 = $3.25
- Plate fee: $0.50
Total: $2,002.75, before local sales tax, any county transaction fee and property tax.
The Kansas calculator below shows $1,999.00 for the same car, $3.75 less. That's because the $2 and $1.25 surcharges and the $0.50 plate fee aren't in the calculator yet. We're adding them separately.
How many days do you have to transfer a title in Kansas?
You have 60 days from the purchase, counting weekends and holidays. The clock starts on the day the title was signed over to you.
- Late penalty: a flat $2, charged from day 61. It doesn't grow by the month. Some websites say "$5 a month, up to $25". Kansas law doesn't say that.
- Driving in the meantime: you need a temporary registration (a 60-day permit from the county treasurer or the dealer). If you're moving your own plate to the car, you can use it for up to 60 days while the transfer goes through.
- Where: the county treasurer's motor vehicle office in the county where the car is kept. You can't title at the state office in Topeka.
Kansas sales tax on a car
The state rate is 6.5%. Cities and counties add their own rate, so the total is different in every area and can change each quarter. There is no single Kansas rate beyond the 6.5%.
- Dealer sales: the dealer charges its own area's rate. If your home rate is higher, you pay the difference to the county treasurer when you register.
- Private sales: the seller collects nothing. You pay the tax to the county treasurer when you register, at the higher of the rate where you bought the car or the rate where you register it, plus a 50-cent service fee.
- What it's charged on: the actual price. If a private-sale price is unknown or far below the car's fair market value, the state can tax the market value instead.
Trade-ins
- Dealer: you pay tax on the price minus the trade-in.
- Private trade: if you trade your car to the seller, its value comes off the price. You pay tax only on the cash you add. The other person owes none.
- Selling your old car yourself and taking the cash to a dealer is two separate sales. It doesn't count as a trade-in.
Family sales and gifts
- Family sale (Form TR-215): no sales tax between parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and their spouses (in-laws in the same line). This holds even if the buyer takes over the loan.
- Brothers and sisters don't count. Nor do aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins. A sale to any of them is taxed like any other sale.
- True gift (Form TR-12): no tax when nothing is paid, to anyone. Write "gift" in the price space on the title. A gift to a brother or sister is tax-free; a sale to them is not.
- Inheritance: no tax. File a certified copy of the probate order with the county treasurer.
The title and registration fees still apply in every case. Only the tax is waived.
Plates and registration
Plates stay with the owner. The seller takes them off when the car is sold. You get a new plate in your name. Kansas plates are now digital: you get a paper plate at the counter and the printed plate comes by mail.
Moving your plate to your next car: the state fee is $1.50, plus any difference in the registration fee. The counter total is higher: the county treasurers' association says $12.50 plus any difference in property tax.
Electric and hybrid cars
In Kansas these are the registration fees themselves. They replace the $30, they aren't added to it:
- Electric: $165 a year.
- Plug-in hybrid: $100 a year.
- Hybrid: $70 a year.
The service fee, surcharges and property tax still apply on top.
New residents
- Deadline: register within 90 days of moving to Kansas. Many moving websites say 60 days; the official pages say 90.
- Inspection first: take the car and its out-of-state title to a Kansas inspection station for a Motor Vehicle Examination (MVE-1). It's an identity check, not a safety test. Its fee is extra (Johnson County lists $20).
- Then bring the title, the MVE-1 copy and proof of insurance to the county treasurer. Property tax and registration are due then.
Kansas has no safety or emissions inspection.
Seller's steps
- Take your plate off the car.
- You can file a Seller's Notification of Sale (Form TR-216) for $10. It protects you if the buyer never registers.
What this guide doesn't cover
Local sales tax rates (they vary by area), new residents' sales tax, trucks, motorcycles and dealer paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Kansas?
The title is $10. Registration adds $30 for most cars, plus a $5 service fee and $7.75 in surcharges and plate fee. Then come sales tax (6.5% plus local) and property tax.
How long do I have to transfer a title in Kansas?
60 days from the purchase, weekends and holidays included. After that the penalty is a flat $2.
Do siblings get the family sales tax exemption in Kansas?
No. The family exemption covers only parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren and their spouses. A sale between brothers and sisters is taxed. A true gift, with nothing paid, is tax-free for anyone.
Do I pay property tax when I register a car in Kansas?
Yes. The first property tax payment is due when you register, for the months left in your registration year. It's at least $24 a year and can be several hundred dollars for a new car.
How long do new residents have to register a car in Kansas?
90 days after moving to Kansas. You need a Motor Vehicle Examination (MVE-1) at a Kansas inspection station first.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your Kansas fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration (1 yr)4,500 lbs or lessKansas Statutes K.S.A. 8-143 · checked Oct 17, 2026$30.00
- Service fee2026 Session Laws of Kansas, Chapter 85 (SB 325), amending K.S.A. 8-145: $5 service fee on every registration and renewal; county registration transaction fee up to $5 (several offices) or $2.50 (one office) · checked Oct 17, 2026$5.00
- Modernization surchargeKansas Statutes K.S.A. 75-5160 · checked Oct 17, 2026$4.00
- County transaction feeUp to $5 ($2.50 in one-office counties), if charged2026 Session Laws of Kansas, Chapter 85 (SB 325), amending K.S.A. 8-145: $5 service fee on every registration and renewal; county registration transaction fee up to $5 (several offices) or $2.50 (one office) · checked Oct 17, 2026not available
- Title feeKansas DOR · checked Oct 17, 2026$10.00
- State sales tax6.5% of price$1,950.00
- Local sales taxEnter your local ratenot available
- Vehicle property taxLook up your amountnot available
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $39.00/yr + items not available
Year 1 $1,999.00 · Years 2–5 $39.00/yr · 5-year total $2,155.00 + items not available
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the Kansas car registration fee calculator page.
- Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles – Titling a Vehicle FAQ ($10 title fee, 60 days, 90-day new-resident rule, duplicate title, gifts and family transfers)
- K.S.A. 8-135 (title fee $10, 60 days, $2 penalty, lienholder fee $1.50, plate transfer $1.50)
- K.S.A. 8-143 (registration fees, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric) (cited by name, not linked)
- K.S.A. 8-145 and 8-145d as amended by 2026 Session Laws ch. 85 (SB 325) (service fee, county transaction fee, surcharges) (cited by name, not linked)
- K.S.A. 75-5160 ($4 modernization surcharge) (cited by name, not linked)
- K.S.A. 79-5105 and 79-5107 (motor vehicle property tax and proration) (cited by name, not linked)
- Kansas Department of Revenue – Titling a Used Vehicle and Titling a New Vehicle (cited by name, not linked)
- Kansas Department of Revenue – Pub. KS-1526, Business Taxes for Motor Vehicle Transactions (incl. K.A.R. 92-19-30), and Pub. KS-1560 (cited by name, not linked)
- Johnson County – Motor Vehicle Fees and Payment Options (cited by name, not linked)
- Riley County – Licensing Your Vehicle (cited by name, not linked)
- Kansas County Treasurers Association – Motor Vehicle FAQ (cited by name, not linked)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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