Once you purchase a vehicle, you will need to transfer the title to complete transfer of ownership. Minnesota law requires a title be transferred within 10 business days of the date of sale to avoid a penalty.
The Anoka County License Centers recommend that all buyers and sellers appear in person to complete the title transfer. The advantage of this is twofold. First, the seller will have peace of mind knowing that the title has in fact been transferred from their name. Second, if any issues arise from the title or vehicle record, the buyer will likely need the seller to remedy these problems.
NOTE: The following information is intended to give a general outline of most title transfers and may not be complete or apply to all situations. The only way to know if you have all of the required information is to present it to a representative at a License Center. Please contact us with any questions.
In most cases you will need to bring in the most current title. If you do not have the most current title, please visit our Replacement Title page. All sellers must complete and sign the title in the seller’s section on the front of the title. All buyers must complete and sign the buyer’s section (next to seller’s section) as well as complete and sign the "Application for Title by Buyer" section. Please view this Title Transfer Guide to assist in filling out the title.
Effective January 1, 2016, per Minnesota Statutes 2014, Section 169.798 ,Subd.4 Every owner applying for a self-propelled motor vehicle or motorcycle/moped registration, re-registration, or transfer of ownership must provide proof of insurance. Required insurance information includes the insurance company’s name, the policy number and the policy expiration date for the motor vehicle or motorcycle.
If the title has a lien holder listed on it, we will need the original signed lien release card or a notarized lien release from the lending institution listed. The State of Minnesota is not informed by the lien holder when payment is satisfied and it is the vehicle owners responsibility to provide this at the time of transfer. If the lien release has been lost or not received, you must contact the lien holder to get a duplicate.
Any alteration or erasure to the title will void it. This includes crossing out or using correction fluid/tape on incorrect information once it has been written. We are more than willing to assist you in completing any information to reduce the risk of alterations. If an alteration occurs, both buyers and sellers will need to complete and sign a corrected title form. If the alteration is to remove a persons’ name from the buyer’s section you must complete this form. All other alterations or corrections (including the date and purchase price) please complete this form. Please contact us with any questions.
Unfortunately, due to the wide variety of transfer types and situations, we cannot offer pricing estimates online or over the phone. The only way to obtain an accurate price estimate is to present the title and all necessary documents to a License Center Representative for review.