The short answer
| Item | Minnesota answer |
|---|---|
| Fixed fees | No single "title transfer fee". Six fixed charges add up to $37.00 at a deputy registrar (a local office that handles vehicle paperwork for the state). |
| Sales tax | 6.875% motor vehicle sales tax (not 6.5%). No local sales tax on a private sale. |
| Deadline | Apply for the title within 20 calendar days. Late: a flat $2 fee. |
| Plates | No plate-transfer fee. With current tabs, the plate and registration side costs $0 extra. |
| Typical total | $20,000 private-party car, tabs current, filed in person on time: $1,412.00. |
Worked example: $20,000 private-party car
Tabs are current. The buyer files in person at a deputy registrar, on time, with no loan on the car.
- Motor vehicle sales tax: 6.875% × $20,000 = $1,375.00
- Fixed fees: $37.00
- Plate and registration extra: $0.00
Total: $1,375.00 + $37.00 + $0.00 = $1,412.00.
- Filed after the 20-day title deadline: $1,412.00 + $2.00 = $1,414.00.
- New plates instead of the tab credit: $1,375.00 + $37.00 + $15.50 = $1,427.50 (a single plate is $13.50).
- Family gift, tabs current: $37.00 (tax $0, no plate extra).
- With a loan on the car: add $2.00.
- Expedited title: add $20.00.
Registration tax is left out of every total. It's based on the car's original sticker price (MSRP) and age, not on what you paid, so we can't work it out from the price.
The Minnesota calculator below starts from a $30,000 car with a new registration, so its total ($2,597.50) is different from this example.
How much does a title transfer cost in Minnesota?
There is no single Minnesota title transfer fee. You pay a stack of six fixed charges, $37.00 in all:
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $8.25 |
| Transfer tax (a flat state charge on every in-state title change) | $10.00 |
| Public safety fee | $3.50 |
| Technology surcharge | $2.25 |
| Filing fee (the counter charge for handling the paperwork) | $12.00 |
| Deputy registrar fee | $1.00 |
| Total | $37.00 |
- The $8.25 title fee is charged once per transfer, not per owner.
- Duplicate title: $22.50 in person, $21.50 by mail.
- Loan on the car: a lien is the lender's claim on the car until the loan is paid. Recording it costs $2.00. A lien release costs $5.50.
- Expedited title: $20.00, in person, processed the same day at the St. Paul office.
Sales tax: 6.875%, no local add-on
Minnesota's motor vehicle sales tax is 6.875% of the purchase price. The 6.5% rate ended on June 30, 2023.
- No local sales tax on vehicles. The $20 local excise tax you may read about applies to dealer sales only. Don't add it to a private sale.
- Private sale: 6.875% of the price. If the price is below fair market value, the tax follows the value.
- Trade-in: lowers the taxed amount on a dealer sale only. Private sales get no trade-in reduction.
- Bought out of state: if you already paid at least 6.875% tax elsewhere, no Minnesota tax is due. If you paid less, you pay the difference.
- New residents: a car you owned and registered in another state for at least 90 days before moving is exempt.
How many days do you have to transfer a title in Minnesota?
Minnesota has three separate clocks. Don't mix them up:
- Seller's notice of sale: 10 days. The seller reports the sale within 10 days, online or by mail.
- Buyer's tab credit: 10 days. The buyer has 10 days from the sale to claim the seller's paid registration time (see plates below).
- Buyer's title application: 20 calendar days. The buyer must apply for the title within 20 calendar days of the sale.
The late fee on the title is a flat $2.00. It's not charged per week or per month, and it doesn't apply to the two 10-day windows. For other states, see car registration late fees by state; Minnesota's $2 title late fee is separate from any renewal rule.
Plates and the tab credit
- No plate-transfer fee. The seller hands back the plates. The buyer can keep them on the car only if the seller signed the transfer section and the buyer applied for the title within the 10-day window.
- Tab credit: the unused registration time that moves to the buyer. When the tabs are current, the plate and registration side of the transfer costs $0 extra.
- New plates: $15.50 for a double plate, $13.50 for a single plate.
- Registration tax: based on the car's MSRP and age, so it can't be worked out from the price. The Minnesota calculator works it out from the MSRP.
- In-lieu tax: $10, but only for a car in its 10th year or older and worth under $3,000.
Minnesota gift title transfers and tax
A gift is tax-free only between these relatives, and no gift affidavit is needed:
- spouses;
- parents and children;
- grandparents and grandchildren.
Siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws are not exempt. They pay the full 6.875% on fair market value. A gift to anyone not on the list is taxed like a sale. A tax-free gift still costs the $37.00 fixed fees. You fill in the gift section on the title application; there is no separate gift form.
Forms
- PS2000A (05/2026): Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehicle. The older PS2000 is not the current form.
- PS2010: Notice of Sale, the seller's 10-day report.
- PS2020: Odometer Disclosure Statement, if it applies.
Other states
Title transfer guides for nearby states: Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and Missouri.
What this guide doesn't cover
Dealer purchases in detail, the registration tax for a specific car (use the calculator), electric vehicle surcharges, trucks and motorcycles, and county wheelage tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a title transfer cost in Minnesota?
Six fixed charges add up to $37. Add 6.875% sales tax on the price. With current tabs there's no plate cost. A $20,000 private-party car comes to $1,412.00.
Is the Minnesota title transfer fee $37?
There is no single title transfer fee. The $37 is six fixed charges: $8.25 title + $10 transfer tax + $3.50 public safety + $2.25 technology + $12 filing + $1 deputy registrar.
Is the Minnesota car sales tax 6.5%?
No. It has been 6.875% since July 1, 2023.
How long do I have to title a car in Minnesota?
20 calendar days for the title application. The seller has a separate 10-day notice, and you have a separate 10-day window to claim the seller's tab credit.
What is the late fee for a Minnesota title transfer?
A flat $2, on the 20-day title deadline only. Not per week, not per month.
Can I gift a car to my brother tax-free in Minnesota?
No. Siblings aren't on Minnesota's exempt list. Only spouses, parents and children, and grandparents and grandchildren are.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your Minnesota fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration tax (1 yr)$10 + 1.575% of 100% of MSRP$482.50
- Title fee$8.25
- Technology surcharge$2.25
- Public Safety Vehicle fee$3.50
- Transfer tax$10.00
- Filing fee$12.00
- Deputy registrar fee$1.00
- License platesPair$15.50
- Motor vehicle sales tax6.875% of price$2,062.50
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $470.13/yr
5-year total: not shown, because the registration tax drops as the car ages.
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the Minnesota car registration fee calculator page.
- Minnesota DVS – Vehicle fees (title $8.25, technology surcharge $2.25, public safety vehicle fee $3.50, lien $2, transfer tax $10, filing fee $12, plates $15.50 double / $13.50 single, late transfer $2). The $20 expedited title figure is carried from the DVS fee schedule as transcribed in our research pack
- Minnesota Department of Revenue – Motor vehicle sales (6.875% motor vehicle sales tax; local sales tax doesn't apply; $20 local excise collected by dealers)
- Minnesota Department of Revenue – Miscellaneous motor vehicle sales ($10 in-lieu tax; gifts and family transfers)
- Minnesota Statutes 168A.10, subd. 2 (transferee applies for title within 20 days)
- Minnesota Statutes 168A.29 (title fees)
- Minnesota Statutes 297B.02 (motor vehicle sales tax rate)
- Minnesota Statutes 168.013 (registration tax based on MSRP and age)
- Minnesota Statutes 168.33 (filing fees; $1 deputy registrar fee)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
Related guides
- MississippiMississippi Car Title Transfer Fees: $9 Title, 5% Tax and the Ad Valorem TaxMississippi title transfer: $9 title fee, 30 business days to register, a special 5% vehicle tax, family exemptions with siblings, and county ad valorem tax.Read guide →
- MontanaMontana Car Title Transfer Fees: $12 Title, 40 Days to File and No Sales TaxMontana title transfer: $12 title fee, 40 days to file, a flat $10 late penalty, no sales tax, registration $28 to $217 by age, and the county option tax.Read guide →
- NebraskaNebraska Car Title Transfer Fees: $10 Title, 30 Days to File and the Motor Vehicle TaxNebraska title transfer: $10 title fee, 30 days to file, no late title fee, 5.5% sales tax plus local, the MSRP-based Motor Vehicle Tax, and the gift rule.Read guide →