Overview
That said, the paperwork discipline still matters: the giver signs the title over properly, records the odometer reading (required under 20 model years), and the recipient files it with the county treasurer within 40 calendar days like any other transfer. Registration - the age-based fee and county option tax, if any - is still due on the vehicle regardless of how it changed hands, since those aren't sales taxes either.
01 - Official fees
Montana gift a car fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title application fee | $12.36 | |
| Gift/sale tax difference | $0.00 | Montana taxes neither |
| Registration due at transfer | $28–$217/yr | by vehicle age |
| County option tax | 0%–0.7% | of depreciated MSRP, where it applies |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county treasurer's motor vehicle office (MT MVD) - counties can add small local fees.
02 - Step by step
How to gift a car in Montana
- 1
Giver signs the title's assignment section over to the recipient; note the odometer reading.
- 2
Both parties complete Form MV1 for the new title - write 'gift' where a sale price would go.
- 3
Recipient brings the title and MV1 to the county treasurer within 40 calendar days.
- 4
Pay the $12.36 title fee and whatever registration is currently due on the vehicle.
- 5
No separate gift-tax paperwork exists in Montana - the county treasurer processes it exactly like a sale.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Montana vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Montana gift a car FAQ
Do I need a special form to gift a car in Montana?
No. Montana has no vehicle gift-tax exemption to claim because it has no vehicle sales tax at all - a plain signed-over title and Form MV1 handle a gift exactly like a sale.
Is gifting a car to my child cheaper than selling it to them in Montana?
No - both cost exactly the same $12.36 title fee, since neither a gift nor a sale ever owed sales tax here. The 'gift savings' that matters in other states doesn't exist as a category in Montana.
Does the recipient still pay the county option tax?
Yes, if their county imposes one - it's tied to the vehicle's age and depreciated MSRP, not to how ownership changed hands, so a gifted car owes the same county tax a purchased one would.
Do I still need to worry about the 40-day deadline for a gift?
Yes - the same 40-calendar-day title deadline and $10 late penalty apply to gifts as to any other ownership transfer in Montana.
What if the gifted vehicle is 11+ years old - can the recipient go permanent right away?
Yes. Permanent registration eligibility is based on the vehicle's age, not on how long the current owner has held it, so a gifted 12-year-old truck can be permanently registered by its new owner immediately for $87.50 plus five times the county tax.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.