The short answer
| Item | North Dakota answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $5, plus $1.50 on a car's first North Dakota title. |
| Deadline | 30 days from receiving the signed title. |
| Late title | No late title fee. But the registration can be suspended. |
| Tax | 5% excise tax, instead of sales tax. No local tax. |
| Plates | Stay with the seller. Moving them to your next car is $5. |
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in North Dakota?
The title is the document that proves who owns the car. In North Dakota it costs $5, one of the lowest title fees in the country. A car getting its first North Dakota title (a new car, or one from another state) also pays a one-time $1.50 abandoned vehicle disposal fee.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title | $5 |
| Abandoned vehicle disposal fee (first ND title only) | $1.50 |
| Duplicate title | $5 (free if the original never arrived) |
| Moving your plates and credit to another car | $5 |
| Plates | Included in the registration fee |
A lien is the lender's claim on a financed car. North Dakota has no separate fee to record one. The lender is named on the title application.
Worked example: $30,000 car, 3,200 to 4,499 lbs, first title in North Dakota
- Excise tax: 5% of $30,000 = $1,500.00
- Registration, first year: $93.00
- Title: $5.00
- Abandoned vehicle disposal fee: $1.50
Total: $1,599.50.
The North Dakota calculator below starts from the same $1,599.50. The same car as a battery-electric adds the $120 road use fee ($1,719.50). As a plug-in hybrid it adds $50 ($1,649.50).
How many days do you have to transfer a title in North Dakota?
You have 30 days from receiving the signed title to send it to NDDOT and apply for a new one. Your clock starts when the endorsed title reaches you, not on the sale date.
The seller's deadline to hand over the title is less clear. The law gives the seller 30 days from the sale. NDDOT's Registration Manual says 15 days.
You need a new registration in your name before you drive the car. The seller's registration ends at the sale.
Is there a late fee for a title transfer in North Dakota?
No. North Dakota has no late title fee and no late renewal fee. The old renewal penalty was repealed in 1975. Missing the 30-day window still has consequences:
- Your registration can be suspended or revoked.
- It's a class B misdemeanor.
- If you don't file the excise tax form (the purchaser's certificate), the penalty is 5% of the tax or $5, whichever is more, plus 1% of the tax for each month it's late.
North Dakota excise tax on a car: 5%
North Dakota charges a 5% motor vehicle excise tax instead of state and local sales tax. There is no city or county add-on. No title is issued until the tax is paid.
- What's taxed: the purchase price, after any manufacturer incentive that lowers what you pay, and after your trade-in. List the trade-in on the application.
- Gifts that aren't exempt: taxed on the average value of similar cars.
- Bought out of state: tax paid to another state is credited if that state gives North Dakota the same courtesy. You pay only the difference.
Family sales and gifts
Only gifts are exempt, not family sales. If money changes hands between relatives, it's a purchase taxed at 5% like any other.
A gift is tax-free between:
- Husband and wife
- Parent and child
- Grandparent and grandchild
- Brothers and sisters
Also tax-free: a car you inherit, and a car passed to a former spouse under a divorce decree (within one year of the divorce). A gift from an aunt, uncle, cousin or friend is taxed. You still fill in the purchaser's certificate for an exempt gift, and the $5 title and the registration still apply.
Registration fees
North Dakota registration is set by the car's weight and how many years it has been registered (not its model year). Plates are included.
| Weight | Years 1–6 | Years 7–9 | Years 10–12 | Year 13+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 3,200 lbs | $73 | $65 | $57 | $49 |
| 3,200–4,499 lbs | $93 | $81 | $69 | $57 |
| 4,500–4,999 lbs | $111 | $94 | $79 | $63 |
| 5,000–5,999 lbs | $142 | $120 | $98 | $76 |
| 6,000–6,999 lbs | $175 | $146 | $117 | $89 |
| 7,000–7,999 lbs | $208 | $172 | $137 | $102 |
| 8,000–8,999 lbs | $241 | $199 | $157 | $115 |
| 9,000 lbs and over | $274 | $225 | $177 | $128 |
All amounts are per year. A registration that starts mid-period is prorated by month.
Plates
Plates stay with the seller. When a car is sold, its registration ends and the seller takes the plates off. The buyer registers the car again in their own name.
The seller can put those plates on a replacement car for a $5 fee and get credit for the unused registration: one-twelfth of the yearly fee for each month left. Apply within 30 days of buying the replacement.
Electric and hybrid cars
North Dakota adds a yearly road use fee at each registration and renewal:
- Electric car: $120 a year.
- Plug-in hybrid: $50 a year.
- Electric motorcycle: $20 a year.
- Regular hybrid: no fee.
New residents
No official source states a day count for new residents to title and register. Here is what the rules do say:
- Nonresidents with a valid registration from another state can drive here under reciprocity. Employment in North Dakota can end that, and then the car must be registered here.
- To title, you surrender your out-of-state title and registration card and file Form SFN 2872.
- You pay the $5 title fee and the $1.50 disposal fee.
- The 5% excise tax applies, minus tax you paid to a state that gives the same credit.
What documents do you need?
- The title signed by the seller and you, or the manufacturer's certificate of origin for a new car.
- Form SFN 2872, the application for title and registration.
- A driver's license or ID in your legal name.
- A bill of sale from a dealer, showing the price and the VIN.
- Odometer disclosure for 2011 and newer cars.
- A damage disclosure statement (SFN 18609) from the seller if the car is less than nine years old.
You apply with the NDDOT Motor Vehicle Division or a branch office.
What this guide doesn't cover
Pickups in detail, motorcycles, trailers, leases and salvage vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What are North Dakota title and registration fees?
The title is $5, plus $1.50 on a car's first North Dakota title. Registration is $49 to $274 a year by weight and age, $93 for a typical new car. The 5% excise tax comes on top.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in North Dakota?
$5. With the 5% tax and a first year of registration, a $30,000 car comes to $1,599.50.
How long do I have to transfer a title in North Dakota?
30 days from receiving the signed title. There is no late fee, but your registration can be suspended.
Is a car from a family member taxed in North Dakota?
A gift between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or siblings is tax-free. A family sale for money is taxed at 5%.
Do I pay sales tax on a car in North Dakota?
No. You pay a 5% excise tax instead, on the price after rebates and your trade-in.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your North Dakota fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration (1 yr)By weight and year first registered$93.00
- Title fee$5.00
- Abandoned vehicle disposal feeFirst North Dakota title$1.50
- Motor vehicle excise tax5% of price$1,500.00
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $93.00/yr
5-year total: not shown, because the fee drops as the year of first registration gets older.
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the North Dakota car registration fee calculator page.
- NDDOT – Form SFN 2872, Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Vehicle (4-2026): $5 title, $1.50 disposal fee, $5 duplicate title, $5 plate or credit transfer, 5% tax worksheet, exemption list)
- North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner – Special Taxes (motor vehicle excise tax 5%, trade-in, credit for tax paid in another state)
- NDDOT – Registration Manual (Rev. 07/25): buyer 30 days from receipt of the title, seller 15 days (cited by name, not linked)
- NDDOT – Passenger Fee Schedules 2026 and 2027 (registration by weight and years registered, electric $120 / plug-in hybrid $50 / electric motorcycle $20) (cited by name, not linked)
- NDDOT – Motor Vehicle Dealer Resources (title requirements, $1.50 disposal fee) (cited by name, not linked)
- North Dakota Century Code §§ 39-05-05 (title), 39-05-09.1 (duplicate), 39-05-17 (30 days, suspension, class B misdemeanor), 39-04-16 (renewal penalty, repealed 1975), 39-04-19 (registration), 39-04-19.2 (EV fees), 39-04-36 (plates), 57-40.3-01, -02, -04, -09 and -11 (excise tax) (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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