Minnesota Vehicle Bill of Sale

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   No official state bill-of-sale form. Minnesota does not publish an official Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) bill-of-sale form, and there is no PS2080 bill-of-sale form. DVS lets the seller assign ownership three ways: on the back of the title, on the PS2000 registration application, or on a free-form bill of sale that identifies the vehicle, the date of sale, and the buyer's name.

2. 2

   A bill of sale does not need to be notarized. A Minnesota title assignment or bill of sale does not need to be notarized. Notarization only comes up for a lien release form, where DVS requires a signed lien release card or a notarized lien release form for any secured parties (lien holders).

3. 3

   Odometer disclosure goes on the title (Minn. Stat. 168A.10). Minn. Stat. 168A.10 requires the seller to state the true cumulative mileage in the space provided on the certificate of title, or to state that the actual mileage is unknown if the reading differs from the true mileage. This follows the federal 49 CFR 580 odometer rule, including the post-2021 expansion of the disclosure window as adopted.

4. 4

   Tax is 6.875% of the bill-of-sale price. Minnesota imposes a 6.875 percent motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price (price minus rebates and any trade-in allowance) under Minn. Stat. 297B.02, paid at title transfer. The stated bill-of-sale price, not a book value, drives the tax, and local sales tax does not apply to the motor vehicle tax.

5. 5

   Title within 20 days at a deputy registrar. The buyer must execute the application for a new certificate of title within 20 calendar days after the title is assigned (Minn. Stat. 168A.10), at any of the nearly 200 deputy registrar offices or by mail to DVS. The seller must return the Notice of Sale to the department within 10 days of the sale; a buyer who misses the 20-day window can have the vehicle's registration suspended.

6. 6

   A bill of sale is optional, not required to transfer. A bill of sale is not required to transfer or register a titled vehicle in Minnesota; the assigned certificate of title is the controlling instrument, and the bill of sale is one of three permitted ways to assign ownership. A bill of sale is the primary instrument for untitled or exempt vehicles, such as older trailers.

7. 7

   Flat $10 or $150 in-lieu tax can replace the 6.875%. Two statutory in-lieu rules can replace the 6.875 percent rate with a flat amount. A flat $10 tax applies when a passenger automobile is in its tenth or later year of vehicle life and does not have a resale value of $3,000 or more (Minn. Stat. 297B.02 subd. 2 and 297B.025 subd. 1). A flat $150 tax applies to a passenger automobile or fire truck registered as Collector, Classic, Street Rod, or Pioneer (Minn. Stat. 297B.02 subd. 3 and 297B.025 subd. 2). DVS restates the $10 test as model year 10 years old or older, purchase price under $3,000, and average value of similar vehicles under $3,000.

Minnesota Requirements for Bill of Sale

• No official state bill-of-sale form (free-form accepted)

  Minnesota does not publish an official DVS bill-of-sale form, and there is no PS2080 bill-of-sale form. DVS accepts a free-form bill of sale that identifies the vehicle, the date of sale, and the buyer's name, alongside the title assignment or the PS2000 registration application. The PS2000 is a registration application, not a bill of sale.

• No notarization required

  A Minnesota title assignment or bill of sale does not need to be notarized. Notarization applies only to a lien release form, where DVS requires a signed lien release card or a notarized lien release form for any secured parties (lien holders).

• Vehicle description (VIN, year, make, model, body, color)

  Identify the vehicle by VIN, year, make, model, body type, and color so the bill of sale matches the certificate of title and the PS2000 registration application. DVS asks that a bill of sale identify the vehicle being sold.

• Odometer disclosure on the title (Minn. Stat. 168A.10)

  Minn. Stat. 168A.10 requires the seller to state the true cumulative mileage in the space provided on the certificate of title, or to state that the actual mileage is unknown if the reading differs from the true mileage. This follows the federal 49 CFR 580 odometer rule.

• Sale price and date of sale

  Record the purchase price (and any trade-in allowance) and the date of sale. The price drives the motor vehicle tax, and the date of sale starts both the buyer's 20-day title clock and the seller's 10-day Notice of Sale deadline.

• 6.875% motor vehicle tax, or a flat $10 or $150 in-lieu tax

  Minnesota imposes a 6.875 percent excise tax on the purchase price (minus rebates and trade-in) under Minn. Stat. 297B.02, paid at title transfer. A flat $10 applies for a passenger automobile in its tenth or later year of life with resale value under $3,000 (297B.02 subd. 2 and 297B.025 subd. 1); a flat $150 applies for a Collector, Classic, Street Rod, or Pioneer vehicle (297B.02 subd. 3 and 297B.025 subd. 2). The stated bill-of-sale price drives which applies.

• Buyer applies for title within 20 days at a deputy registrar

  The buyer must apply for a new certificate of title within 20 calendar days after the title is assigned (Minn. Stat. 168A.10), at any of the nearly 200 deputy registrar offices or by mail to DVS. The seller must return the Notice of Sale to the department within 10 days of the sale; missing the 20-day window can suspend the registration.

• Signatures of buyer and seller

  Both the buyer and seller should sign and date the bill of sale and keep a copy. Notarization is not required for a Minnesota vehicle bill of sale or title assignment.