The short answer
| Item | New Jersey answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $60 with no lien, $85 with one lien, $110 with two liens. Duplicate title: $60. |
| Sales tax | 6.625% statewide on the purchase price. No county add-on. Trade-in credit only on dealer sales. |
| Deadline | 10 working days from the date of sale (N.J.S.A. 39:10-11(A)). In person at a motor vehicle agency only. |
| Late penalty | A flat $25 on top of the title fee (§39:10-11(H)). It isn't a misdemeanor (§39:10-11(I)). |
| Plates | The seller keeps them. The buyer gets new plates when titling and registering. No separate plate fee is published. |
| Registration | By weight class and age. A used car bought privately is registered for one year (Class 7: $46.50 if older than two model years). |
| Typical total | $20,000 private-party car, Class 7, no lien: $1,431.50 (worked example below). |
Worked example: $20,000 private-party car
Class 7 (under 3,500 lbs), older than two model years, titled within 10 working days.
- Sales tax: 6.625% × $20,000 = $1,325
- Title fee, no lien: $60
- Registration, Class 7: $46.50
Total: $1,325 + $60 + $46.50 = $1,431.50.
With one lien the title is $85, so the total is $1,456.50. With two liens it's $110 and $1,481.50. Add $25 to any of these if you're late.
Title fee: it depends on the liens
The MVC charges $60 for a title with no lien, $85 with one lien and $110 with two. A duplicate title is $60. The codified text of N.J.S.A. 39:10-11 still prints older $20 and $30 base fees. The amounts collected at an MVC agency are the ones on the MVC's fee schedule above.
How long you have, and the late penalty
You have 10 working days from the date of sale (N.J.S.A. 39:10-11(A)). That's working days, not calendar days. Miss it and you pay a flat $25 penalty on top of the title fee (§39:10-11(H)). The law says missing the deadline is not a misdemeanor (§39:10-11(I)).
Transfers are done in person only at a motor vehicle agency, never by mail. New residents have 60 days from moving to title and register. For late registration renewals in other states, see car registration late fees by state.
Sales tax
New Jersey charges 6.625% statewide, with no county add-on. On a private-party purchase the buyer pays it to the MVC when titling, based on the purchase price.
- A price that can't be proved: if the stated price can't be proved or isn't believable, the Division of Taxation assesses the tax on the car's NADA guide value. If the price is low because of the car's condition, you can show that with repair bills, estimates or photos.
- Barter or swap: taxed on fair market value.
- Trade-ins: a trade-in credit exists only on dealer sales. A private sale is taxed on the full price.
- MVC fees: title and registration fees aren't taxed.
- Electric cars: no longer exempt. The zero-emission vehicle exemption ended, and ZEVs pay the full 6.625% since July 1, 2025.
Plates and registration
Plates stay with the seller. The seller removes them and either surrenders them or moves them to another of their own vehicles. Plates never pass to another owner. The buyer gets new plates as part of titling and registering, and the MVC publishes no separate plate fee for them.
Moving your own registration to another vehicle you own costs $4.50, plus a prorated difference if the weight class changes.
| Class | Older than two model years | Within two model years |
|---|---|---|
| Class 7 (under 3,500 lbs) | $46.50 | $59.00 |
| Class 8 (over 3,500 lbs) | $71.50 | $84.00 |
Motorcycles: $65. Drivers 65 and older and people with a disability pay $7 less in the passenger classes. A used car bought privately is registered for one year. The four-year prepaid registration applies only to new vehicles that have never been titled.
Zero-emission vehicles pay an extra yearly fee on top of registration: $270 for registrations issued July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. It started at $250 in July 2024 and rises $10 a year to a $290 cap from July 2028. A buyer of a used ZEV pays one year's fee ($270) with the transfer registration, which is how our New Jersey calculator handles it. The MVC doesn't charge this fee on hybrids that aren't zero-emission. A hybrid or plug-in hybrid surcharge is not available from the MVC.
Gifts, inheritance and the lien trap
A genuine gift is sales-tax exempt for anyone. No family relationship is needed. The giver writes "GIFT" on the purchase-price line on the back of the title, and that is the claim. Changed or altered entries can lead to a request for documents. Title and registration fees still apply.
- The lien trap: if the person receiving the car takes over the giver's loan and wasn't already a co-owner on the title, sales tax is due on the loan balance taken over. The Division of Taxation's example: a $5,000 balance means $331.25 tax. If they were already a co-owner, there's no tax.
- "$1 sales": a $1 sale isn't a gift. The Division of Taxation can assess tax on market value.
- Inheritance: also exempt, with the same loan-balance rule.
Forms
- BA-49, Vehicle Registration Application.
- OS/SS-UTA, Universal Title Application: for financed vehicles, duplicates, out-of-state titles and states that don't issue titles.
- The title signed by the seller, with the price or "GIFT" on the back.
- A bill of sale from the seller. There's no state form. It must show the buyer's name and address, the date, the odometer reading and the price.
New Jersey has no seller's release-of-liability filing. The seller protects themselves by removing and surrendering the plates.
Other states
Title transfer guides for other states: Pennsylvania, New York, California, Virginia, Tennessee and Florida.
What this guide doesn't cover
Dealer sales, trucks and commercial vehicles, salvage titles, tax for new residents and the new-car four-year registration. The New Jersey calculator covers registration.
Renewing an expired registration is a different matter from this $25 title penalty: New Jersey charges no late renewal fee. See expired registration in New Jersey.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in New Jersey?
The title fee is $60 with no lien, $85 with one lien and $110 with two. Add 6.625% sales tax and registration. A $20,000 private-party car in Class 7 with no lien comes to $1,431.50.
How many days do I have to transfer a title in New Jersey?
10 working days from the date of sale. After that the penalty is a flat $25.
Can I transfer a New Jersey title by mail?
No. Transfers are done in person at a motor vehicle agency.
Is a gifted car taxed in New Jersey?
No, if it's a genuine gift: the giver writes "GIFT" on the price line of the title. If you take over the giver's loan and weren't a co-owner, tax is due on the loan balance.
What is the New Jersey title fee with a lien?
$85 with one lien and $110 with two. With no lien it's $60.
Do I pay tax on a car I already own when I move to New Jersey?
New residents must title and register within 60 days of moving. Whether tax is due on a car you bring with you isn't covered here or in our New Jersey calculator, so we don't give a figure. Ask the MVC.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your New Jersey fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration (4 yrs)4 x $59.00, paid up front on a new car$236.00
- Title fee$60.00
- Sales tax6.625% of price$1,987.50
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $46.50/yr
5-year total: not shown, because a new car's first four years are paid up front.
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the New Jersey car registration fee calculator page.
- NJ MVC – Registration and title fees (title $60 / $85 / $110 by liens, duplicate $60; registration classes; registration transfer $4.50; ZEV fee)
- NJ MVC – Transferring vehicle ownership (10 working days; $25 penalty; in person; 'GIFT' on the title; plates stay with the seller)
- NJ MVC – Vehicle titles (title fees with liens; forms)
- NJ Division of Taxation – Sales and Use Tax (6.625%)
- NJ Division of Taxation – Zero Emission Vehicles FAQ (ZEV exemption ended; full 6.625% from July 1, 2025)
- NJ Division of Taxation – New Jersey Consumer Automotive Tax Guide (trade-in credit only on dealer sales)
- NJ MVC – Vehicles exempt from sales tax (gifts, inheritance, assumed loan balance)
- NJ MVC – Moving to New Jersey (title and register within 60 days)
- NJ Division of Taxation – Casual sales FAQ (private sales, NADA value, low-price documentation)
- N.J.S.A. 39:10-11 (10 working days; $25 penalty; not a misdemeanor) – law.justia.com (third-party copy of the statute)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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