CarTaxHub
CarTaxHub.comPrivate Party Vehicle Tax & Tags Calculator
Minnesota Guide

How to Title a Private Car Sale in Minnesota

Last verified: October 2026 against Minnesota DVS and Minnesota Revenue sources

When you buy a car from a private seller in Minnesota, you transfer the title at a deputy registrar office and pay the 6.875% Motor Vehicle Sales Tax there. The plates and registration stay with the car.

Here is the order to do it in, what it costs, and what to bring.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Check the title before you pay

    Make sure the owner’s name on the front of the title is the seller and the VIN on the dashboard matches the title. Get a signed lien release card or notarized lien release for every lienholder listed.

  2. 2

    Complete the title together

    The seller hand-prints and signs their name in the assignment area, enters the sale date and price in the sales tax declaration, and completes the odometer disclosure (2011 and newer) and damage disclosure.

    You complete the assignment and application portions with your full name, date of birth, residential address, and signature.

  3. 3

    Transfer within 10 days

    The transfer must be made on the title within 10 days of the sale. A $2 late penalty applies after 20 calendar days.

  4. 4

    Pay the tax and title fees

    The tax is 6.875% of the price. A vehicle 10 or more years old that sells for under $3,000 (with an average value under $3,000) pays a $10 tax instead.

    Title fees total $36: $8.25 title, $12 filing, $2.25 technology surcharge, $10 transfer tax, and $3.50 public safety vehicle fee. A lien adds $2, and a deputy registrar adds a $1 surcharge.

  5. 5

    Keep the plates

    The plates and registration taxes are assigned to you. You pay the registration tax at the next renewal, based on the car’s original MSRP and age.

What to bring

  • The title, with the seller’s signature, sale date, and price completed
  • The odometer disclosure (2011 and newer) and damage disclosure, completed by the seller
  • Lien release cards or notarized lien releases, if there were loans
  • Your completed assignment and application on the title
  • Payment for the 6.875% tax and $36 in title fees

Estimate your Minnesota costs

The registration line is the tax you pay at the next renewal. Enter the original MSRP for a closer estimate.

Open the full Minnesota calculator

Vehicle & Transaction Details

Enter purchase information to calculate true out-of-pocket costs in Minnesota.

51 Jurisdictions Active
Minnesota 6.875% tax base
$
7 years old
Sets the registration fee
$

Minnesota bases registration on the price when new, reduced as the vehicle ages. Blank uses $30,000.

Minnesota tag options
1-Year Term (Minnesota registers for one year)
EV surcharge rules
Lien fee: $2.00
Minnesota: Deductible
$

Minnesota Statute: Minnesota allows trade-in value on private sales to be deducted from the purchase price before applying the 6.875% fee.

Vehicle HistorySponsored Link

Check this VIN before you buy

Spot accident, title, and odometer problems before you pay a private seller.

Check the VIN

We may earn a commission if you use partner links. It doesn't change your estimate.

Estimated taxes & fees

Estimated taxes & fees

Jurisdiction

Minnesota

Estimated taxes & fees
$1,266.25

Sales/Excise Tax + Title Certificate + Tags & Registration

Itemized Line ItemEstimated Fee
1Vehicle Sales / Excise Tax (6.875%)

Calculated at 6.875% on taxable base of $15,000

$1,031.25
2Certificate of Title Fee

Standard state title certificate issuance

$36.00
3Lien / Security Filing Fee

Unfinanced / cash purchase (waived $0.00)

$0.00
4Registration & Tag Fee

Base license plates & tags for a $30,000.00 list price

$199.00

We email you this estimate and keep your address only for follow-ups about it. No newsletter, and no marketing unless you sign up for it separately. Privacy

Minnesota rates last verified: October 2026
Official Notice & Statutory Disclaimers

Estimates only, not tax or legal advice. Verify with Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) or the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

Minnesota’s Motor Vehicle Sales Tax is 6.875%. A trade-in allowance reduces the taxable price when the seller takes a vehicle in trade.

Plates and registration stay with the vehicle and pass to you, so the registration tax shown is what you pay at the next renewal: $10 plus 1.575% of the original MSRP, reduced by the vehicle’s age ($30 from its 11th year). Renewal filing fees and any county wheelage tax are extra.

Electric vehicles pay at least $150 a year more and plug-in hybrids at least $75, or more based on the MSRP and age.

A deputy registrar office adds a $1 local office surcharge to title transactions.

Minnesota’s sources do not say whether its electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid fees apply to motorcycles, so the estimate leaves them out for a motorcycle. Confirm with Driver and Vehicle Services.

County & Local Tax Note: Minnesota’s 6.875% Motor Vehicle Sales Tax applies statewide; local sales taxes do not apply to vehicles. Some cities and counties charge a $20 local vehicle excise tax, and many counties add a wheelage tax at registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this Minnesota DVS and Minnesota Revenue process.

The transfer must be made within 10 days of the sale. A $2 late penalty applies after 20 calendar days.

Sources

Last verified: October 2026. Rules change, so check with Minnesota DVS and Minnesota Revenue before you go.

More Minnesota guides

How to Gift a Car in MinnesotaTax-free family gifts, other gifts, and title fees.Titling a Car in Minnesota After Moving From Another StateThe 60-day deadline, documents, tax, and registration tax.
Minnesota Private Party Car Tax Calculator