Minnesota title and registration, step by step

Which forms, which fees and which deadlines. For a car bought in the state and for one you bring from another.

In Minnesota the title is issued by Minnesota Department of Public Safety — Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS). Minnesota uses a paper title. The seller signs the assignment section of the title and the buyer takes it to a deputy registrar. If the car has a loan, the title is mailed to the owner and the lender gets a lien card; without the lender's release the transfer cannot be completed.

Where it happens. At any of the nearly 200 deputy registrar offices in the state, or by mail to Driver and Vehicle Services (445 Minnesota Street, St. Paul). If you buy from a dealer, the dealer files it for you. Confirm the deadline and the event that starts it for your transaction: a purchase, receipt of the signed title or a move into the state can have different rules. Late-fee information in the state sources: $2.

Case 1: you bought a car in Minnesota (private seller)

What the seller hands you

• The title with the transfer section completed: your name and address, sale price, date, odometer reading and the seller's signature (both owners if two names are joined by "and").
• If there was a loan: a lien release from the bank, or the lien already removed from the title.
• A bill of sale with VIN, price and signatures. You need it for the sales tax.

What you bring to the office

• The state forms (below), completed.
• The signed title and the bill of sale.
• Applicable insurance or financial-responsibility documents: Minnesota is a no-fault state. Minimum: 30/60/10 liability ($30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, $10,000 property damage); $40,000 PIP ($20,000 medical and $20,000 for lost income and other costs); and 25/50 uninsured and underinsured motorist. Keep proof of insurance in the car at all times.
• Valid photo ID.
• Payment: title, registration, plate and sales tax if not paid yet.

Case 2: you bring a car from another state

• Everything above, plus: For a regular out-of-state car, DVS asks for that state's title, the odometer reading, an ID and the insurance details; it does not ask for a physical VIN inspection. Only a repaired salvage car (late-model or high-value) needs an inspection before it gets the prior salvage brand. If the car comes from a state that does not record liens on the title, Minnesota issues a distinctive title carrying the legend "This vehicle may be subject to an undisclosed lien"; it is exchanged for an ordinary title four months later if no lien is claimed (§ 168A.05, subd. 4).
• The original out-of-state title (or the bank's letter if it holds it for the loan).
• Tax: Motor vehicle sales tax of 6.875% of the purchase price, private sales included. It is paid at the deputy registrar when the title is transferred. Revenue guidance lists a flat $10 tax for passenger cars 10 years or older whose sales price and average value are both under $3,000; confirm eligibility with the deputy registrar; collector cars (collector, classic, street rod, pioneer) pay $150. If you trade in at a dealer, the trade-in lowers the taxable price. Revenue says no Minnesota tax is due if you bought and titled the vehicle in your name in the other state for at least 60 days. For a Minnesota resident who registered and paid sales tax to another state, credit is allowed and any difference in rates is due. Some cities and counties also charge a $20 local tax per vehicle.

Forms

• PS2000A — Application to Title and Register a Vehicle (includes the sales tax declaration)
• PS2067A — Application for Duplicate Title, Registration, Cab or Lien Card
• PS2017 — Notification of Assignment, Release or Grant of Secured Interest (lien)
• PS2025A — Application for Corrected Title/Odometer

Fees — confirm current amounts (DVS)

Amounts come from the linked state sources and can change. This guide distinguishes source checkpoints from narrow claim reviews; confirm the total for your transaction before you go. A dash means an amount has not been confirmed here.

Sales tax

Motor vehicle sales tax of 6.875% of the purchase price, private sales included. It is paid at the deputy registrar when the title is transferred. Revenue guidance lists a flat $10 tax for passenger cars 10 years or older whose sales price and average value are both under $3,000; confirm eligibility with the deputy registrar; collector cars (collector, classic, street rod, pioneer) pay $150. If you trade in at a dealer, the trade-in lowers the taxable price. Revenue says no Minnesota tax is due if you bought and titled the vehicle in your name in the other state for at least 60 days. For a Minnesota resident who registered and paid sales tax to another state, credit is allowed and any difference in rates is due. Some cities and counties also charge a $20 local tax per vehicle.

If you sell: protect yourself

Listed seller-notice or transfer document: Notice of Sale on the title, or the online Report of Sale (DVS online services). Check its conditions and the state process below. In Minnesota the plates and registration go to the new owner with the car (there are exceptions, such as some special plates; ask at the deputy registrar). The seller must report the sale to DVS within 10 days. The buyer has 20 calendar days to transfer the title; after that there is a penalty and the registration can be suspended. Keep copies of the title, filed notices and handover date to answer later registration, toll or ownership questions.

Mistakes that cost

• Missing the deadline. Check the deadline and consequence for your transaction; filing periods and penalties do not all start from the same event.
• Title with cross-outs or correction fluid. Ask the issuing agency which correction or replacement document it accepts before using it.
• Buying with an "open" title (signed by a previous owner, not the person selling to you). Confirm the ownership chain and the documents the agency requires before paying.
• Showing up without in-state insurance. Confirm the insurance or financial-responsibility documents required for your situation.