Minnesota Title Transfer Cost Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate the cost of transferring a vehicle title in Minnesota. Fees are administered by Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS); the figures shown are the latest published amounts we could verify against the official source. County and dealer-specific charges are not included unless your state schedule lists them.
Estimate your Minnesota title transfer cost
Enter the sale price to see an estimated total. Numbers update as you type. County and dealer-specific add-ons are not included — see What this excludes below.
Used only to remind you that your county may add local fees not shown here.
Minnesota title transfer fee breakdown
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title transfer fee | Check official source |
| Base registration fee | Check official source |
| State sales/use tax rate | 6.50% |
| Plate fee | Check official source |
| Weight / value-based components | Annual registration uses a value-based formula derived from MSRP that depreciates each year, plus a flat statutory component. Trucks and certain vehicle classes follow weight-based tables. |
Minnesota Motor Vehicle Sales Tax is 6.5%. Title and registration line items (title fee, filing fee, technology surcharge, license tab fee) are collected by Driver and Vehicle Services through deputy registrars. The license tab fee is value-based and depreciates with vehicle age.
What may change your final title transfer cost in Minnesota
These factors are specific to Minnesota and are common reasons the final amount you pay differs from the calculator estimate.
County and local fees in Minnesota
Minnesota's Motor Vehicle Sales Tax is a flat 6.5% statewide — counties cannot raise or lower it. A few counties and the Metropolitan Transit Improvement area levy small local-option transportation taxes that can apply to dealer transactions, but the vehicle MVST itself is uniform. The bigger local cost variance is the MSRP-based license tab fee, which depends on the original sticker price of the specific vehicle rather than where the buyer lives.
Source ↗Late title-transfer penalties
Minnesota requires the buyer to apply for title within 10 days of acquiring the vehicle. After that, deputy registrars apply a late-title administrative fee, and the Department of Revenue can assess interest on unpaid Motor Vehicle Sales Tax. Driving on the seller's plates is not allowed once title transfers.
Source ↗Safety inspection requirements
Minnesota does not require a periodic statewide safety inspection for routine title transfers or registration renewals. A simple VIN inspection by a deputy registrar or law-enforcement officer is required when titling a vehicle previously titled out of state.
Source ↗Emissions testing in Minnesota
Minnesota has no statewide motor vehicle emissions inspection program; no Minnesota county currently requires emissions testing for routine passenger-vehicle registration or title transfer. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency continues to monitor air quality but does not run a consumer vehicle inspection program.
Source ↗If the vehicle has a lien
Minnesota records liens electronically through Driver and Vehicle Services' Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program. When a lien is recorded electronically — which is the default for most institutional lenders — no paper title is produced until the lien is released. A separate lien-recording fee applies in addition to the title fee. Buyers paying cash for a previously financed Minnesota vehicle should require a printed lien-release on lender letterhead.
Source ↗Where you actually file in Minnesota
Minnesota vehicle services are administered by the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division of the Department of Public Safety. Most consumer transactions happen at one of more than 170 deputy registrars statewide — county-government or private-contractor offices acting as DVS agents. The state DVS office does not maintain walk-in title counters for the general public in most areas.
Source ↗Minnesota sales and use tax on vehicle transfers
How Minnesota calculates the tax
Minnesota's 6.5% Motor Vehicle Sales Tax (MVST) is collected at title transfer by the deputy registrar (or by the dealer at delivery, who then remits it). MVST applies to both dealer and private-party purchases on the documented sale price, with limited family-transfer and gift exemptions. Vehicles purchased out of state by Minnesota residents owe Minnesota use tax at the same 6.5% rate at title transfer, with credit for sales tax paid to the other state up to the Minnesota rate.
Source ↗Dealer purchase vs. private-party sale
Minnesota dealers collect the 6.5% MVST at delivery and submit title paperwork through Driver and Vehicle Services. Private-party buyers must visit a deputy registrar within 10 days with the signed title, Form PS2000, proof of insurance, and ID; the deputy collects the 6.5% MVST and other fees at the same visit. Both paths apply the same flat MVST rate.
Source ↗Example title transfer estimate in Minnesota
Logan buys a used 2020 Subaru Outback from a private seller in Hennepin County, Minnesota for $24,000. The Outback's original MSRP was $32,000.
| Vehicle purchase price | $24,000.00 |
| Title fee | $10.00 |
| State sales / use tax | $1,560.00 |
| License tab fee (year-1 MSRP-based estimate) | $240.00 |
| Filing fee and technology surcharge (approximate) | $25.00 |
| Estimated total out the door | $25,835.00 |
Logan pays the 6.5% MVST ($1,560) on the $24,000 sale price at a Hennepin County deputy registrar, plus the title fee and ancillary filing line items. His first-year license tab fee is calculated from the Outback's original $32,000 MSRP with a depreciation factor — in the mid-three-figures for a recent-model vehicle. Minnesota requires no emissions test. Confirm exact license tab amounts on the DVS fee page before paying.
Required Minnesota forms
- Form PS2000Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehiclebuyer
- Form PS2080ANotification of Assignment / Release / Grant of Secured Interest (lien forms)applicant
Official Minnesota sources
Related Minnesota resources
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Minnesota?
Minnesota title transfer costs depend on vehicle type, county, and transaction details. The official Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) fee schedule is the authoritative source.
Why is my Minnesota "license tab" fee so high on a new car?
Minnesota's annual passenger registration uses an MSRP-based license tab fee that depreciates each year on a state schedule. A vehicle with a $40,000 MSRP can owe several hundred dollars in license tabs the first year, dropping each year as the depreciation factor falls. Older or lower-MSRP vehicles eventually drop to a flat statutory minimum. This is in addition to the one-time 6.5% Motor Vehicle Sales Tax paid at title transfer.
Does Minnesota require an emissions test?
No. Minnesota has no statewide or regional vehicle emissions inspection program; vehicles registered anywhere in Minnesota are exempt from periodic emissions testing as a condition of registration. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency monitors air quality but does not run a consumer inspection program.
What is a Minnesota deputy registrar?
A deputy registrar is a county-government office or private-contractor office authorized by Driver and Vehicle Services to process title, registration, and tab-renewal transactions on the state's behalf. Many transactions can be done online at DVS' site, but private-party first-time titling typically requires an in-person visit to a deputy registrar (or, in some areas, the state DVS office in St. Paul).
Last reviewed: 2026-01-01 · Reviewed by the Car Paperwork editorial team · Based on official Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) sources · Independent resource · Not legal advice