How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Minnesota in 2026
A motor vehicle title transfer between family members in Minnesota is administered by Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS), the titling authority within the Department of Public Safety. A transfer within a family may be recorded as a gift or as a sale, and the tax treatment depends on the relationship between the parties and the facts of the transaction. Minnesota law requires the transferor to complete the notice-of-sale step within 10 days and requires the transferee to apply for a new certificate of title within 10 business days under Minn. Stat. § 168A.10.
What Does Transferring a Car Title to a Family Member in Minnesota Mean?
In Minnesota, transferring a car title to a family member means changing the legal owner of record through the state title system. DVS states that a certificate of title is proof of vehicle ownership, and the transfer is completed when the existing title is properly assigned, and DVS issues a new title in the recipient's name.
Until the reassignment is processed, the current titled owner remains the owner of record. Minnesota continues to use the certificate of title as the central ownership document, with the seller completing the assignment on the title and the buyer completing the application portion or, when required, a separate state application.
Eligible Family Members for Title Transfers in Minnesota
Minnesota does not give every relative the same tax treatment. The state recognizes specific nontaxable motor vehicle transfers, including gifts between spouses, between parents and children, and between grandparents and grandchildren. The state also treats certain non-sale transfers as nontaxable when they arise through inheritance, a divorce proceeding between spouses, a transfer from joint tenancy to one of the joint tenants without monetary consideration, or a transfer into an individual's revocable trust.
Common family transfers may also involve siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, or in-laws, but those relationships are not listed in the Minnesota tax exemption guidance for gift transfers. For transfers that do not fall within a listed exemption, Minnesota generally imposes motor vehicle sales tax under the state vehicle sales tax rules.
How To Transfer a Car Title as a Gift to a Family Member in Minnesota
Step 1 — Review the Current Title and Lien Status
The current owner should confirm that the Minnesota title is available, that the vehicle identification number matches the vehicle, and that any lien shown on the title has been released. The state buying guide requires a lien release card or a notarized lien release for any secured party listed on the title.
Step 2 — Complete the Assignment on the Certificate of Title
The transferor must assign the title to the family member receiving the vehicle. Minnesota law requires the owner to execute an assignment and warranty of title at delivery and to provide the title to the transferee under Minn. Stat. § 168A.10. If the vehicle is subject to mileage disclosure, the seller must also record the odometer reading or, when appropriate, disclose that the actual mileage is unknown.
Step 3 — Report the Transfer to DVS
For a private transfer that is not handled by a licensed dealer, the transferor must complete the notice-of-sale process within 10 days. Minnesota provides a vehicle sold, donated, or removed from state service for that reporting function.
Step 4 — Complete the State Title and Registration Application
The recipient generally completes the Application to Title/Register a Vehicle (PS2000), which collects owner information, lien information, registration information, and exemption coding used in title processing. For a qualifying family gift, the tax-exempt transfer is reflected through the application record rather than through a separate gift affidavit.
Step 5 — Submit the Transfer Within the State Filing Period
Minnesota requires the transferee to apply for a new certificate of title within 10 business days after assignment. The transfer is ordinarily submitted through a deputy registrar's office or by mail, and the filing period should be observed even when the transfer is exempt from motor vehicle sales tax.
Step 6 — Address Registration and Plate Status
Minnesota's state guide states that the license plate and registration taxes are generally assigned to the new owner, subject to limited exceptions under Minn. Stat. § 168.15. Registration matters are commonly handled at the same time as the title application.
How To Transfer a Car Title as a Sale to a Family Member in Minnesota
Step 1 — Complete the Title Assignment With the Sale Information
For a sale, the seller must sign the title, enter the date of sale, and state the actual selling price in the sales tax declaration area. The statute governing owner transfers requires the transferor to state the actual selling price on the certificate under Minn. Stat. § 168A.10.
Step 2 — Record Required Disclosures
The seller must complete any applicable disclosure statements, including odometer disclosure for vehicles subject to Minnesota mileage rules and the state-required damage disclosure. The buyer must complete the assignment and application portions of the title or the state application used with the transfer.
Step 3 — Obtain Lien Release Documents If a Secured Party is Listed
A recorded lien must be cleared before DVS can issue a clear title in the buyer's name. Minnesota materials direct the parties to submit a signed lien release card or a notarized lien release when a lien appears on the certificate of title.
Step 4 — Report the Sale to DVS
The seller must complete the notice-of-sale process within 10 days for a private-party transaction. That reporting step can be completed through the state sold or donated vehicle report resource.
Step 5 — Submit the Title Application and Registration Paperwork
The buyer files the assigned title and the PS2000 application through a deputy registrar or by mail. All owners shown on the new application must sign the assignment and application sections required for transfer processing.
Step 6 — Pay Tax and Fees Due on the Transfer
A family sale is not automatically exempt from tax in Minnesota. If the transfer does not fit one of the listed nontaxable categories, motor vehicle sales tax and standard title-transfer fees apply at the time of submission.
What Documents Are Needed To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Minnesota
Required for All Transfers
- Current certificate of title. This is the ownership document that must be assigned by the seller to the new owner, including the transfer date and all information required for the reassignment under Minn. Stat. § 168A.10.
- Application to Title/Register a Vehicle (PS2000). This DVS application is used to request the new title and, when applicable, registration and plate action through the official PS2000 form.
- Owner signatures. Minnesota's PS2000 instructions state that all owners must sign the assignment when the vehicle is transferred, including jointly owned vehicles.
- Odometer disclosure. Minnesota mileage disclosure rules are addressed in Minn. Stat. § 168A.11, and the state guide explains that odometer disclosure applies for 20 years to model year 2011 and newer vehicles, with exceptions for vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR and vehicles that are not self-propelled.
- Registration information. If registration is being issued or updated at the same time, the application must include the information required for plate and registration processing on the state application instructions.
Additional Documents for Sale Transfers
- Sales price entry on the assigned title. For a sale, the seller must state the actual selling price in the space provided on the title as required by Minn. Stat. § 168A.10.
- Tax payment associated with the transfer. A taxable family sale is processed with motor vehicle sales tax at the time of title submission under the state vehicle sales tax rules.
Documents Required in Specific Circumstances
- Lien release document. If a lien is shown on the title, a lien release card or notarized lien release must accompany the transfer, as described in the state buying guide.
- Duplicate title application. If the original title has been lost, the owner must first apply for a replacement through the state duplicate title application process.
- Proof of death or probate-related documentation. When a transfer follows the death of an owner, the state instructions call for proof of death and, depending on the ownership arrangement, probate documents or the surviving-spouse/no-probate form referenced in the PS2000 instructions.
- Written address statement for a post office box. If postal delivery is made only to a post office box, the buyer must provide the written statement described in the state buying guide.
- Notarization status. Minnesota ordinary title-transfer materials require signatures from all owners but do not identify notarization as a general requirement for the title assignment itself; notarization appears in the state materials in connection with certain lien release documents in the buying guide.
How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member Online in Minnesota
A standard family title transfer cannot be completed entirely online in Minnesota. DVS directs all title transfers to a deputy registrar's office or by mail, so an assigned title and the required application must still be filed through those channels.
What's the Cost To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Minnesota?
Minnesota title-transfer charges are set out by the DVS. A typical titled transfer may include several separate items rather than a single flat transfer price.
| Fee type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title fee | $8.25 | Due on title transfers and other title issuances |
| Filing fee | $12.00 | Due with each title transaction |
| Technology surcharge | $2.25 | Due with each title transaction, except certain lien-only changes |
| Local office surcharge | $1.00 | Charged for transactions processed at a deputy registrar |
| Public Safety Vehicle fee | $3.50 | Typical titled-vehicle transfer charge |
| Transfer tax | $10.00 | Standard title-transfer fee unless a listed exception applies |
| Lien recording fee | $2.00 per lien | Due for each security interest recorded |
| Duplicate title fee | $7.25 | Applies when a replacement title is needed first |
| Expedited processing | $20.00 | Optional expedited title service |
| Late transfer penalty | $2.00 | Due if the transfer is not submitted within 10 business days of sale |
Motor vehicle sales tax is separate from title-processing fees. Minnesota's Department of Revenue states that qualifying gifts between spouses, parents and children, and grandparents and grandchildren are nontaxable, and no affidavit is required for those exempt gift transfers under the nontaxable transactions guidance. Transfers outside those exempt categories are generally taxable under the state vehicle sales tax rules.
For taxable transfers, the standard motor vehicle sales tax rate is 6.875% of the purchase price. Minnesota also applies a $10 in-lieu tax to qualifying passenger vehicles that are at least 10 years old and valued under $3,000, and a $150 in-lieu tax to qualifying collector, classic, street rod, or pioneer vehicles under the state vehicle sales tax schedule. Registration tax, wheelage tax, and passenger plate charges may also apply, and those amounts vary by vehicle class, county, and registration circumstances.
Contact Information
Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services
445 Minnesota Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-5190
Phone: (651) 297-2126
Official Website: Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services
