Official fees
Minnesota tax, title & license fee chart
Motor vehicle sales tax (MVST)
6.875%
of price minus trade-in
In-lieu tax (10+ yrs old, under $3,000)
$10
replaces the 6.875% rate
Collector/Classic/Street Rod/Pioneer in-lieu tax
$150
flat, regardless of value
Title fee
$8.25
Transfer tax
$10.00
flat, separate from MVST
Public Safety Vehicle fee
$3.50
Technology surcharge
$2.25
Filing fee
$12.00
title transactions
Plate fee
$15.50
new plates
Registration tax (1st year)
$10 + value × 1.575%
depreciates yearly, $20 minimum from year 10
County wheelage tax
$0–$20/yr
roughly half of MN's 87 counties
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your local deputy registrar office (MN Driver and Vehicle Services) - counties can add small local fees.
Step by step
How to title and register a vehicle in Minnesota
- 1
Get the signed-over title from the seller (or let the dealer handle the paperwork).
- 2
Bring the title, a completed Application to Title/Register a Vehicle (PS2000), proof of insurance, and ID to any deputy registrar office.
- 3
The deputy registrar calculates MVST - or the $10/$150 in-lieu rate if your vehicle qualifies - plus the title, transfer, and filing fees.
- 4
Pay the first year's value-based registration tax and any county wheelage tax in the same visit.
- 5
Most in-state transactions issue plates on the spot; out-of-state title transfers sometimes mail plates afterward.
- Sales tax (MVST)
- 6.875% flat
- Title + transfer tax
- $8.25 + $10
- Registration tax
- Value-based, $20 min
- Pay at
- Deputy registrar
- 10+ yrs, under $3,000
- $10 flat instead
Overview
The math below itemizes every line a deputy registrar will charge you - Minnesota doesn't run DMV offices; titles and registrations are processed by deputy registrar offices operating under the Department of Public Safety's Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS). Two quirks worth knowing before you're at the counter: a car 10 model years or older worth under $3,000 owes a flat $10 in lieu of the 6.875% tax, and roughly half of Minnesota's 87 counties tack on a wheelage tax of up to $20 a year.
Same state, other costs
More Minnesota vehicle costs
Common questions
Minnesota tax, title & license FAQ
- How much is tax, title and license on a $30,000 car in Minnesota?
- About $2,062.50 in MVST (6.875%), roughly $35.75 in title/transfer/filing/tech fees plus a $15.50 plate fee, and a first-year registration tax that depends on the vehicle's original base value - often $350–$500+ on a new $30,000 vehicle. Run your own numbers above.
- Why is my registration so much more than my neighbor's older car?
- Minnesota's registration tax is value-based and depreciates: it's $10 plus 1.575% of the vehicle's original base value in year one, then that base value steps down through 95%, 90%, 80%... each year, bottoming out at a $20 statutory minimum once a vehicle hits its 10th registration year.
- What is the $10 in-lieu tax?
- If a passenger vehicle is 10 model years or older and both your purchase price and its average value are under $3,000, the deputy registrar charges a flat $10 instead of 6.875% MVST.
- Does trading in my old car lower the sales tax?
- Yes - Minnesota MVST is charged on the sales price minus your trade-in allowance, the same principle as general sales tax.
- What is the wheelage tax, and do I always pay it?
- It's an optional county add-on of up to $20 a year that roughly half of Minnesota's 87 counties have adopted - Hennepin and Ramsey charge the full $20; Dakota charges $10. It shows up folded into your registration bill, not as a separate invoice.
- Where do I actually go to title and register a car - is there a Minnesota DMV?
- There's no DMV. Minnesota processes titles and registrations through deputy registrar offices, which are county- or city-run but licensed by DVS. Any deputy registrar statewide can handle an out-of-county transaction.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
