The short answer
| Item | New York answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $50, flat. A duplicate title is $20. |
| Sales tax | 4% state plus your county or city rate. There's no single statewide rate. The DMV works it out and collects it when you title and register, from the price on Form DTF-802. |
| Registration | By weight, for 2 years, plus a county use tax and, in the 12 downstate counties, a $50 supplemental fee. |
| Plates | Plates never pass from seller to buyer. Moving your own registration and plates to the car: $10. New standard plates: $25 a set. |
| Deadline and late fee | No fixed number of days for a private buyer and no automatic late title fee. A late-document penalty of up to $50 is possible but not automatic (details below). |
| Total cost | $50 title + 2-year registration by weight + county use tax (+ $50 supplemental fee downstate) + sales tax at your local rate. Our New York calculator adds it up for your county. |
Title fee
A New York certificate of title costs $50 (Vehicle and Traffic Law §2125(a)(1)). A duplicate is $20 (§2125(a)(3)). The statute text also shows a $5 title fee, but that's an amendment that doesn't take effect until April 1, 2028. Today the fee is $50.
You can apply for a title only, without registering: it's $50 and no plates are issued, but the sales tax is still settled on the application.
Sales tax: state rate plus your local rate
The DMV works out and collects the sales tax when you title and register the car, using the price on Form DTF-802 (Statement of Transaction). Buyer and seller complete it for every private sale. The rate is 4% state plus the local rate of the county or city where you live (Tax Law §1214(a)(2); local rates are in Tax Department Publication 718). There's no single statewide rate, so we don't print one. Look up your county in our New York calculator, which uses the Publication 718 rates.
- Price below fair market value: if the buyer isn't immediate family, the seller must complete the Section 6 affidavit on DTF-802, and the Tax Department can charge tax on fair market value.
- Exempt transactions: the DMV still issues a sales tax receipt (FS-6T).
How long do you have, and is there a late fee?
New York publishes no fixed number of days for a private buyer to title a car, and there's no automatic late title fee. Websites that answer with 10 days, 30 days, a "$20 late fee" or "$25 after day 31" aren't quoting the law: none of those figures is in §2125.
What the statute says (Vehicle and Traffic Law §2125(b)): if a document that must be delivered to the DMV isn't delivered within 10 days of when it was due, the commissioner may charge a penalty equal to the fee for that transaction. For a title, that's up to $50. It's discretionary, not automatic.
The practical deadline is simpler: you can't drive the car until it's titled, registered and insured in your name.
Plates and registration
Plates can never pass from one person to another. The seller removes theirs, and the buyer uses their own plates or gets new ones.
- Moving your own registration and plates to another vehicle you own: $10 (§420(2)). The time left on the registration carries over.
- New standard plates: $25 a set.
Passenger registration is for 2 years and depends on weight: by statute roughly $26 to $140 for two years (§401). On top of that:
- a county use tax: most counties $10 to $20 per 2 years; New York City $30; Nassau $30; Suffolk and Westchester $30 or $60 by weight;
- in the 12 downstate MCTD counties, a $50 supplemental fee per 2 years.
The DMV's fee estimator gives the exact figure, and our New York calculator uses the DMV's weight table.
Can you gift a car in New York without sales tax?
Only to close family. A gift is exempt when it's between a spouse, parent, child, stepparent or stepchild. Claim it on Form DTF-802; no Section 6 affidavit is needed for these relatives.
A gift to a sibling, grandparent, grandchild or friend isn't exempt. The person receiving the car owes tax on its fair market value, and the giver completes Section 6 of DTF-802. Some websites list siblings as exempt; they aren't.
A bill of sale (MV-912) is required even for a gift, with the price shown as $0 and signed by both of you.
Forms: what to bring
- The title, signed over by the seller.
- MV-82: Registration/Title Application (MV-82TON for a title only).
- DTF-802: the sale or gift statement, which is the tax form.
- MV-912: bill of sale, required even for a gift.
- Your New York insurance ID card (it must be used within 180 days of its effective date) and proof of identity.
DTF-804 isn't the statement of transaction: it's only for claiming credit for tax paid to another state. DTF-803 covers other exemptions, not family gifts.
Other states
Title transfer guides for other states: Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon and Washington. If your registration has run out, see expired registration in New York.
What this guide doesn't cover
Dealer sales, cars bought out of state, the registration weight table in full (see the DMV estimator or our calculator) and specialty plates.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in New York?
The title is $50. In total you also pay the 2-year registration by weight, the county use tax, the $50 supplemental fee in the 12 downstate counties, and sales tax at your county or city rate. Our New York calculator and the DMV fee estimator give the full figure.
How long do I have to transfer a car title in New York?
New York publishes no fixed number of days for a private buyer. Under §2125(b), the DMV may charge a penalty of up to the $50 title fee if a required document is more than 10 days late, but it isn't automatic. You can't drive the car until it's titled, registered and insured in your name.
Is there a late fee for a New York title transfer?
No automatic one. The "$20" and "$25 after day 31" late fees on some websites aren't in the law. The only penalty in §2125(b) is discretionary and is at most the $50 title fee.
Can you gift a car in New York?
Yes. It's free of sales tax only between a spouse, parent, child, stepparent or stepchild, claimed on DTF-802. Gifts to siblings, grandparents, grandchildren or friends are taxed on fair market value. The $50 title fee applies either way.
What do I need to bring to transfer a title in New York?
The signed title, form MV-82, form DTF-802, a bill of sale (MV-912), your New York insurance ID card (used within 180 days of its effective date) and proof of identity.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your New York fees
Example for a $30,000 car weighing 3,500 lbs. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration (2 years)Weight-based$56.50
- County vehicle use tax (2 years)Depends on county and weight$30.00
- MCTD supplemental fee (2 years)$50.00
- License plates$25.00
- Title certificate$50.00
- Sales tax8.875% of price minus trade-in$2,662.50
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $136.50 for 2 years
5-year total: not shown, because it is a 2-year registration.
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the New York car registration fee calculator page.
- NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §2125 (title fee $50, duplicate $20; discretionary penalty for documents not delivered within 10 days) – nysenate.gov
- NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §420 (transfer of your registration to another vehicle, $10) – nysenate.gov
- NY Vehicle and Traffic Law §401 (passenger registration fees by weight) – nysenate.gov
- NY Tax Law §1214 (sales tax on vehicles collected by the DMV) – nysenate.gov
- NY DMV – Sales tax on vehicle purchases (DTF-802)
- NY DMV – Estimate registration fees and taxes
- NY DMV – Passenger vehicle registration fees, use taxes and supplemental fees
- NYS Tax Department – DTF-802 Statement of Transaction and instructions (Section 6 affidavit; family exemption)
- NYS Tax Department – Publication 718, local sales and use tax rates
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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