A Minnesota car title certificate serves as legal proof of vehicle ownership. Vehicle owners must obtain car title certificates after purchasing a new or used vehicle from a private seller, relative or from a licensed motor vehicle dealership. However, the process of how to get car title certificates varies slightly depending on where a vehicle is purchased. Generally, drivers must obtain an auto title on their own if they purchase the vehicle from a private party, but dealerships handle the new car title application process when motorists purchase a vehicle from a dealer.

In addition to obtaining a title for car ownership, vehicle owners may get car registration documents at the same time, as long as vehicle owners hold a no-fault auto insurance policy. To learn more about getting car title certificates and to learn about the ways in which vehicle titles relate to registration documents, review the information below.

Where to Apply for a Car Title in Minnesota

The process of how to get a Minnesota car title certificate depends on whether a vehicle is purchased from a dealer or a private seller. To obtain a title for a car after purchasing a vehicle from a private party, motorists must visit one of the nearly 200 deputy registrar offices to complete the process in person, or they may mail all MN car title documentation to the Central Office of the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS).

To apply for a certificate of title by mail (also known as a pink slip), car owners must mail all documentation to the following address:

Driver and Vehicle Services – Central Office
Town Square Building
445 Minnesota Street, Suite 187
Saint Paul, MN 55101-5187

In order to get car title certificates after purchasing a vehicle from a dealer, drivers do not need to visit a deputy registrar office or mail any documentation to the DVS. Instead, dealerships complete and submit all titling and registration paperwork on behalf of car buyers.

The Minnesota Auto Title Application

To obtain a certificate of MN car title after purchasing a new or used vehicle from a dealership, the dealership submits all titling and registration paperwork on behalf of the buyer. However, to get a car title certificate after purchasing a vehicle from a relative or private party, motorists must complete the vehicle title transfer using the vehicle’s current title as an application.

To apply for a new certificate of car title, drivers must provide the following information under the assignment and application portions on the current title:

• The name, date of birth and signatures of all buyers.
• The residential address of the first vehicle owner on the application.
• If the vehicle is subject to a security agreement (or loan), buyers must indicate this on the application.
• If getting a car title and registration certificate on a motorcycle, motorists must include the motorcycle’s engine number.
• To obtain a certificate of car title on a commercial vehicle with a gross weight of more than 10,000 lbs, motorists must include the vehicle’s USDOT number.

To obtain a Minnesota car title certificate on an out-of-state vehicle, motorists cannot use the vehicle’s current title as an application. When getting a new or used car title and registration materials after moving into the state, motorists must complete an Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehicle (Form PS2000) within 60 days of becoming a state resident. Drivers may obtain a DMV car title application online or in person at a deputy registrar office.

Documents You Must Provide When Applying for a New Car Title in Minnesota

In addition to submitting the vehicle’s current certificate of car title or an Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehicle (if titling a vehicle as a new resident), motorists must submit the following documentation when obtaining an MN auto title certificate:

• A state registration card (if the vehicle does not have a title).
• Proof of a lien release (if applicable).
• Payment for all car title and/or registration fees.
• Proof of no-fault auto insurance (if registering a vehicle at the same time).
• Proof of photo identification, if titling a vehicle as a new resident.
• A copy of the vehicle’s leasing agreement and the leasing company’s MN tax ID number, if titling a vehicle as a new resident.

Note: When getting a car title in MN, vehicle owners must submit payment for titling fees, transfer taxes, public safety vehicle fees, lien recordation fees (if applicable), sales tax and a filing fee. When registering a vehicle at the same time, motorists must pay registration tax as well.

What is a Minnesota car registration?

Even though vehicle owners may obtain a car registration card when they apply for a new title, the two documents serve different purposes. MN vehicle registration cards, for instance, include the issuance of license plates and tabs, which drivers must renew annually. Drivers must obtain new car registration materials before they may legally operate a motor vehicle on state roadways.

What is the difference between a car title and a vehicle registration in Minnesota?

Despite popular belief, there is a difference between DMV car registration materials and titles. Overall, a title is a legal document that establishes the owner(s) of a new or used vehicle. Alternatively, Minnesota motor vehicle registration documents serve as legal proof that owners may drive a vehicle on public roads.

Because motorists need to get car registration materials and a new title certificate before they may operate a motor vehicle, they may complete the two transactions simultaneously by completing the assignment and application sections directly on the current tile.

Alternately, drivers may apply for auto registration documents and title certificate at the same time by completing an Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehicle (Form PS2000) if they do not have a current title, or if they are new to the state.

Car Title Costs in Minnesota

The standard title fee in Minnesota is $8.25 for each title that is issued. There is also a filing fee of $10 that applicants must pay when they title their vehicles.

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