How much does a title transfer cost in Maryland?

The base title fee is $200. "New/Used title certificate $200" on the MVA fee schedule effective 1 September 2025, and "Title Fee - $200" on form VR-005A. It buys the certificate only. It excludes the 6.5% titling (excise) tax with its $41.60 minimum, the $40 security interest filing fee for each lien recorded, registration and plate fees, and the $40 EMS surcharge. Different classes pay differently: rental vehicles $100, mopeds and motor scooters $40, off-highway recreational vehicles $70, qualifying gifted trailers of 3,000 lbs or less $100. Maryland charges a 6.5% titling (excise) tax, not a sales tax, with a minimum of $41.60 - and what it is 6.5% of depends on the vehicle's age and on whether you produce a notarized bill of sale.

Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Maryland?

Sometimes required. Maryland does not notarize the title itself. The seller signs the Assignment of Ownership on the back of the Certificate of Title in front of nobody in particular - the one document that routinely needs a notary is the VR-181 bill of sale, and only when it is being used to fix the taxable price.

Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA). Return your Maryland plates to the MVA promptly after the sale - there is no numbered deadline, but the insurance penalty starts the day cover lapses from selling, trading or junking the vehicle, or cancelling the insurance on it. Maryland has no seller's notice of sale to file, so returning the plates is the only thing that closes your registration record. "Returning plates helps protect you from insurance penalties, fines and future fees." "Do not delay the return." Keep the insurance live until the tag return receipt appears - allow 72 business hours - because "If you don't return license plates as required, you may face insurance violation penalties or other fees."

Transferring a vehicle title in Maryland

Issued by Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA). Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $200base title fee
Deadline: 90 daysfrom the date the Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate was issued
Documents: 6incl. VR-005
Where: State officein person

Maryland puts the whole job on the buyer: "Unlike vehicle dealers, private sellers do not submit title paperwork for you." The seller fills in the buyer's name and address, the sale price, the odometer reading and the date on the back of the title, then takes the plates off - in Maryland plates stay with the seller - and returns them to the MVA. The buyer gets a Maryland Safety Inspection, which is valid for 90 days, and brings the assigned title, form VR-005, the inspection certificate, ID and payment to a branch, the post or a licensed tag and title service: $200 for the title certificate plus 6.5% titling tax with a $41.60 floor. If the vehicle is less than 7 years old, get form VR-181 notarized - it is the only thing that lets the tax be charged on the price you actually paid instead of NADA book value.

9 things this answer does not settle

The MVA's Interactive Title and Registration Manual is still published and still carries superseded money figures. It prints "6% of the vehicle book value" and "Excise tax is 6% of the greater of the purchase price on the title or $640.00" for vehicles seven years old and older, a "$38.40" minimum excise tax for a vehicle brought in from another state, a "$200" minimum for the new-resident tax credit, a "$100 title fee" waived for a surviving spouse and a "$10" tag transfer. The MVA fee schedule effective 1 September 2025, the current Excise Tax page and form VR-005A (rev. 05-26) give 6.5%, $41.60, $100, $200 and $15. Every figure in this record is taken from the current fee schedule, the current Excise Tax page and VR-005A, not from the manual.
Two current MVA publications describe the paper title differently while a lien is open. The manual says Maryland is "a two-part title State" in which "the title is mailed to the vehicle owner and a 'Notice of Security Interest Filing (SIF)' is mailed to the lien holder". The MVA's current page for lenders says the opposite: "The MVA issues a Security Interest Filing (SIF) instead of a paper title to the vehicle owner" and "The vehicle owner will not receive a paper title while a lien is active." Both agree the MVA stopped issuing the paper SIF on 1 July 2024. If you are financing a Maryland vehicle, do not assume a paper title will arrive.
The MVA publishes no numeric deadline for a private buyer to apply for a Maryland certificate of title after an in-state sale. The 30-day filing clock the MVA quotes from Maryland Vehicle Law 13-113(e) binds licensed dealers, and title service agencies get 5 days; neither applies to a private buyer. The real clock is the 90-day life of the Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate.
Maryland safety inspection fees are set by each licensed inspection station, not by the MVA, so no figure can be given here for that part of the bill. The MVA states only that "Fees are set by the inspection station."
Registration and plate fees vary by vehicle class and shipping weight and are not a single number. This record quotes the Class A passenger car band ($120.50 / $125.50 / $191.50 including the $40 EMS surcharge); if your vehicle is a truck, trailer, multi-purpose vehicle or motorcycle, read the class table on the MVA fee schedule.
Two current MVA publications word the notarized-bill-of-sale trigger differently. Form VR-005A (rev. 05-26) says "If the vehicle is less than 7 years old, a notarized bill of sale signed by all buyers and sellers should accompany the title", while the Interactive Title and Registration Manual says it "should be provided for vehicles 7 or less years old". If your vehicle is exactly 7 model years old, take the notarized VR-181 anyway - it costs a notary fee and removes the risk of being taxed on book value.
The MVA sets no deadline for a private buyer to apply for the title. The 30-day filing clock in Maryland Vehicle Law 13-113(e) that the MVA quotes applies to licensed dealers, and title service agencies get 5 days; a private buyer is bound only by the 90-day life of the inspection certificate.
The Maryland Safety Inspection fee is set by each licensed station, so this answer cannot tell you what that part of the bill will be.
The MVA publishes no processing time for a private-party title: "Processing times vary based on application volume and accuracy."

Do this first

Before you hand over any money, ask to see the Certificate of Title and check that it matches the vehicle's VIN, shows the seller as the owner, and is free of liens unless the lien will be released at the sale.
Watch the seller complete the Assignment of Ownership on the back of the title in full - your name and address, the sale price, the odometer reading, every owner's signature and the date of sale. "If there are errors, the MVA may reject the title." Do not accept a title with the price or your name left blank.

Your checklist

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The seller's checklist

Make sure you are holding a valid Maryland Certificate of Title in your own name before you advertise the car. If it is lost or damaged, order a duplicate on form VR-018 (or through myMVA) first; if the name on it is wrong, correct it with form VR-448 rather than selling on it.Applies when: Your title is missing, unreadable or in the wrong name.VR-018Official page
Clear any lien before the sale. "If there is a lien (loan) on the vehicle, it must be released before the sale." An acceptable release is the Notice of Security Interest Filing signed on the front by the lienholder's authorized representative, an electronic release through the lienholder's ELS vendor, or a letter on the lienholder's own letterhead identifying the vehicle by year, make and VIN.Applies when: The title or MVA record shows an open lien.Official page
On the back of the title write the buyer's name and address, the sale price, the odometer reading and the date of sale, then sign. "If multiple owners are listed on the title, all owners must sign the title unless the title shows 'OR.'" Do not leave the price or the buyer's name blank.Official page
If the vehicle is less than 7 years old, sign form VR-181 with the buyer in front of a notary so the buyer is taxed on the real price. The form carries a second notary block "for notarizing an additional party to the transaction who may not be present at the initial notarization."Applies when: The vehicle is less than 7 years old.VR-181Official page
Take both plates off before the buyer drives away. "License plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle... Do not let the buyer use your plates."Official page
Return the plates to the MVA with form VR-027, the registration card and the stickers - in a 24-hour tag return drop box, at an information counter for an immediate printed receipt, or by post. Keep the tag return receipt and do not cancel your insurance until it appears; allow 72 business hours.Applies when: You are not transferring the plates to another vehicle you own.VR-027Official page
If more than twelve months remain on the registration, send form VR-021 in with the plates to claim the refund - 100% if the sticker was never affixed to the plate, 50% if more than a year remains, nothing if less than a year does.Applies when: The plate expiry date is more than 12 months away.VR-021Official page
Keep copies of the completed title, front and back, and of the bill of sale. "These records protect you if questions come up later." Maryland has no separate notice of sale to file with the MVA - the plate return is what closes your record.Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the odometer disclosure together: the seller enters the reading with no tenths and ticks "The mileage stated is in excess of its mechanical limits" or "The odometer reading is not the actual mileage" if either applies, and both of you sign - on the title's Assignment of Ownership, or on form VR-197 where a separate statement is needed.VR-197Official page
If you are using a notarized VR-181, take it to a notary together. One notary can witness both signatures; if only one of you can attend, the second notary block on the form covers the other party later.Applies when: The vehicle is less than 7 years old, or the price must otherwise be evidenced.VR-181Official page

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Documents and official forms

The original Maryland Certificate of Title, properly assigned to you"The properly assigned original title." The MVA warns: "Do not change or alter official documents. Errors or missing information may delay processing", and "If the title is missing, altered, or incomplete, the MVA may not be able to process your application."
VR-005Application for Certificate of Title (VR-005), or the application printed on the reverse of the Maryland titleEither route is accepted for a vehicle already titled in Maryland. The form carries the lien block, the excise tax calculation, the odometer reading and the choice between new tags, a plate transfer, a 30-day inspection plate and title only.
Maryland Safety Inspection CertificateSent to the MVA electronically by the licensed station when the vehicle passes; valid 90 days from the date issued. The station may give you a paper or electronic receipt.
Valid identificationOn the MVA's private-party checklist. A business signer must state their capacity after the signature; a trustee signs for a trust.
Maryland insurance details - company name, policy or binder number and agent's nameEntered on the title application. Cover must be with a company licensed in Maryland and meet the $30,000 / $60,000 / $15,000 minimums. Required if you want plates; a title-only application does not need it.
Payment for all required taxes and fees"The MVA accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card, American Express, Mobile Wallet Pay, cash or a check made payable to the Motor Vehicle Administration." By post it is check or money order only, and the check must carry an imprinted name and address, your driver's license number and a phone number.

Also required in some cases

The vehicle is less than 7 years old, or you want the excise tax charged on the price you paid.

VR-181Notarized Bill of Sale (VR-181), signed by all buyers and all sellers

A lien was listed on the title.

Lien release

A separate odometer statement is needed rather than the disclosure on the title.

VR-197Odometer Disclosure Statement (VR-197)

You need plates to take the vehicle for its safety inspection.

VR-129Temporary State Inspection Waiver (VR-129) and $50

You are transferring plates you already hold onto this vehicle.

Your current registration card

The title carries a dealer reassignment rather than a direct assignment from the registered owner.

Maryland Dealer Reassignment Form

Deadlines

Deadline90 calendar days from the date the Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate was issued — Buyer: Title and register before the Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate expires - 90 days"The certificate is valid for 90 days from the date issued. Title and register your vehicle before the certificate expires." Let it lapse and the vehicle has to be inspected, and paid for, again. The MVA's dealer manual narrows it further for a vehicle being resold: "Once recorded with the MVA, the inspection certificate is only valid for 30 days from the date of inspection for a resale."
DeadlineReturn your Maryland plates promptly after the sale from selling, trading or junking the vehicle — SellerThe MVA publishes no day count, only "promptly" and "Do not delay the return." Until the plates are back the registration record stays open and the vehicle must stay insured; "If you don't return license plates as required, you may face insurance violation penalties or other fees."

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$200"New/Used title certificate $200" on the MVA fee schedule effective 1 September 2025, and "Title Fee - $200" on form VR-005A. It buys the certificate only. It excludes the 6.5% titling (excise) tax with its $41.60 minimum, the $40 security interest filing fee for each lien recorded, registration and plate fees, and the $40 EMS surcharge. Different classes pay differently: rental vehicles $100, mopeds and motor scooters $40, off-highway recreational vehicles $70, qualifying gifted trailers of 3,000 lbs or less $100.	Buyer
Certificate of title	$200"New/Used title certificate $200" on the fee schedule effective 1 September 2025. Excludes the titling tax, lien filing, registration and plate fees.Mopeds and motor scooters pay $40; rental vehicles $100; off-highway recreational vehicles $70.	Buyer
Titling (excise) tax	6.5%Varies by the vehicle's model year and whether you produce a notarized bill of sale: 6.5% of the price on a notarized VR-181 (or of NADA clean retail book value without one) for a vehicle 6 model years or newer, and 6.5% of the purchase price for a vehicle 7 model years or older, with a $640 floor on the taxable amount."Titling tax - all vehicles 6.5% (Based on fair market value - minimum tax $41.60)." With a notarized VR-181 the base is the greater of the price you paid or $640 ($320 for trailers); without one it is the greater of the price or NADA clean retail value, adjusted for high or low mileage.Official calculator	Buyer
Security interest (lien) filing	$40"$40.00 for each lien recorded." Charged per lien, not per transaction, and collected with the title application; form VR-217 must be attached for each one.Only where you are financing the purchase and a lien is being recorded against the new Maryland title.	Buyer
Registration / tag transfer	$15"Registration/tag transfer $15." VR-005A adds: "if the annual registration fee is the same or less than previously owned vehicle. If the annual registration fee is more than that of the previously owned vehicle, the transfer fee is $15 plus any difference in the two registration fees."Only if you are moving plates you already hold onto this vehicle.	Buyer
New registration - Class A passenger car, one year	$120.50–$191.50$120.50 for a shipping weight of 3,500 lbs or less, $125.50 for 3,500-3,700 lbs and $191.50 for over 3,700 lbs. Each figure already includes the $40 yearly EMS surcharge. Zero-emission vehicles add $125 a year and plug-in hybrids $100. Other vehicle classes are priced separately on the fee schedule.Charged instead of the $15 transfer fee when you take new plates.	Buyer
30-day temporary registration	$50"Temporary registration $50", described on form VR-129 as a "Non-Refundable Fee". It is in addition to all other fees, and the ordinary registration fee is charged later when the inspection certificate is submitted.Only if you need plates to reach the inspection station. One only.	Buyer
Maryland Safety Inspection	Not publishedThe MVA publishes no figure: the inspection is carried out by a station licensed by the Maryland State Police, and "Fees are set by the inspection station." Reinspection may also be charged for "unless the repair can be visually verified."Paid directly to the inspection station, not to the MVA.	Buyer
VEIP emissions test	$30"VEIP test fee $30"; a self-service kiosk is $26. Not payable at titling - the notice arrives three to four months after registration, and only for vehicles registered in the fourteen VEIP counties.A late fee of $30 is "assessed the day after the due date and every four weeks (28 days) thereafter".	Buyer

Maryland charges a 6.5% titling (excise) tax, not a sales tax, with a minimum of $41.60 - and what it is 6.5% of depends on the vehicle's age and on whether you produce a notarized bill of sale.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Required, unless you are exempt
A brand-new vehicle sold by a dealer franchised for that make does not need one.
Transfers between spouses, between a parent and a child, or out of joint ownership into one of the owners' individual names are exempt.
A vehicle returning to Maryland that was previously titled in Maryland in your name, or in your spouse's, parent's or child's name, is exempt.
Everything else - including an ordinary sale between unrelated private parties - needs a Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate before the MVA will title and register the vehicle.
Maryland is a safety-inspection-at-transfer state: "Maryland law requires that vehicles pass a Maryland Safety Inspection and receive a certification before a motor vehicle can be sold, titled, or transferred in the State." The certificate is good for 90 days and reaches the MVA electronically.
Emissions: Sometimes required
No emissions test is needed to title or register. The MVA sends a VEIP notice about three to four months after registration.
The vehicle must then pass VEIP, and be retested every two years, only if it is registered in Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's or Washington county.
If the seller hands you their current VEIP certificate, "you can submit a copy to VEIP to update your record."
The VEIP emissions test is not part of titling at all - you title and register first, and the MVA sends a test notice months later if the vehicle is registered in one of the fourteen VEIP counties.
Notarization: Sometimes required
The vehicle is less than 7 years old and you want the 6.5% titling tax charged on the price you paid: form VR-181 must be signed by every buyer and seller and notarized.
A lienholder could not release the lien electronically and gives you a paper release letter instead - "the MVA will continue to accept a notarized lien release letter" in that case.
You are submitting a photocopy of a dealer's bill of sale rather than the original, which is accepted "only if notarized".
Maryland does not notarize the title itself. The seller signs the Assignment of Ownership on the back of the Certificate of Title in front of nobody in particular - the one document that routinely needs a notary is the VR-181 bill of sale, and only when it is being used to fix the taxable price.
Odometer disclosure: Required, unless you are exempt
Motor vehicles 10 model years old or older are exempt.
Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 16,000 pounds are exempt.
Vehicles that are not self-propelled are exempt.
A new vehicle before its first transfer for a purpose other than resale is exempt.
Government vehicles, and a vehicle sold directly by the manufacturer to a United States agency under contract, are exempt.
The mileage has to be disclosed on every transfer that is not on the exemption list, and the reading goes on the title's own Assignment of Ownership - or on form VR-197, VR-103 or VR-181, all of which carry the same certification.

What happens to the plates

Maryland plates belong to the person, not the car: "License plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle." The seller takes them off before handing the vehicle over, and the buyer either transfers plates already in their own name for $15 or buys new ones.

The seller keeps the plates
The seller surrenders the plates
The buyer gets new plates
The buyer supplies a plate registered in their own name
The seller may move the plates to a replacement vehicle

The MVA tells sellers to "Remove the plates before the buyer takes possession of the vehicle. Do not let the buyer use your plates." Plates you keep must go back unless they are moving to another vehicle you own: "You must return your Maryland license plates when you no longer need them. You may keep them only if you are transferring them to another vehicle you own." A transfer is allowed where "Your new vehicle is titled in the same name as the one that originally had the plates", "The new vehicle is Class A, Class M, or Class E, and the plate type remains the same", and "You sold, traded, junked, or disposed of the vehicle the plates were on". Gift transfers add a family route: plates may move between spouses, or between a parent and a child, in the five configurations printed on VR-103 - but "All other gift transfers concerning family members, excluding spouses, parent and child, new plates must be purchased." The transfer costs $15 plus a copy of the current registration card, and "If you are transferring plates and less than 12 months remain in the registration year, the registration will be renewed for an additional year (for a fee)". Returned plates with more than twelve months left can be refunded on form VR-021 - 100% if the sticker was never affixed, 50% if more than a year remains, nothing if less.

How to submit

In person at a state title office
By mail
In person at an authorized third-party office

Maryland normally does both in one transaction - "In most cases, you can title and register your vehicle at the same time, during the same appointment or application" - so bring proof of Maryland insurance and the safety inspection to the titling visit if you want plates that day.

Official state links

Source: Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA). Checked July 30, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Maryland

How much does a title transfer cost in Maryland?: The base title fee is $200. "New/Used title certificate $200" on the MVA fee schedule effective 1 September 2025, and "Title Fee - $200" on form VR-005A. It buys the certificate only. It excludes the 6.5% titling (excise) tax with its $41.60 minimum, the $40 security interest filing fee for each lien recorded, registration and plate fees, and the $40 EMS surcharge. Different classes pay differently: rental vehicles $100, mopeds and motor scooters $40, off-highway recreational vehicles $70, qualifying gifted trailers of 3,000 lbs or less $100. Maryland charges a 6.5% titling (excise) tax, not a sales tax, with a minimum of $41.60 - and what it is 6.5% of depends on the vehicle's age and on whether you produce a notarized bill of sale.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Maryland?: Sometimes required. Maryland does not notarize the title itself. The seller signs the Assignment of Ownership on the back of the Certificate of Title in front of nobody in particular - the one document that routinely needs a notary is the VR-181 bill of sale, and only when it is being used to fix the taxable price.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Maryland?: Yes. Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA). Return your Maryland plates to the MVA promptly after the sale - there is no numbered deadline, but the insurance penalty starts the day cover lapses from selling, trading or junking the vehicle, or cancelling the insurance on it. Maryland has no seller's notice of sale to file, so returning the plates is the only thing that closes your registration record. "Returning plates helps protect you from insurance penalties, fines and future fees." "Do not delay the return." Keep the insurance live until the tag return receipt appears - allow 72 business hours - because "If you don't return license plates as required, you may face insurance violation penalties or other fees."
What happens to the license plates in Maryland?: Maryland plates belong to the person, not the car: "License plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle." The seller takes them off before handing the vehicle over, and the buyer either transfers plates already in their own name for $15 or buys new ones.

About this page

Everything here is a summary of procedures published by official state title authorities, with a link to the source for each answer.

Unusual ownership, probate, lien, salvage, court-order or identity situations commonly require steps beyond those listed here.

We do not file anything with any agency, and we cannot submit, expedite, or check the status of a transfer. Ticking a box on this site records your own progress in your browser and nothing more.

44 official sources · last checked July 30, 2026 · How this was compiled · Report a correction