How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Mississippi?

30 business days from the purchase date. Standard late tag penalties begin. If you bought the vehicle outside your home county you have 48 hours to transport it to your residence or place of business first, and the 30 business days still run from the purchase date.

How much does a title transfer cost in Mississippi?

The base title fee is $9. The Mississippi certificate of title itself - the same $9.00 whether it is a motor vehicle title, an electronic title or an electronic lien title. It excludes the optional $30.00 Fast Track expedite fee, the $14.00 first-time registration fee, privilege tax, county ad valorem tax and the 5% sales or casual sales tax, all of which are collected at the county Tax Collector's counter. Mississippi charges 5% on cars and light trucks of 10,000 lb gross weight or less, and a private sale is not exempt: a casual sale of a vehicle less than ten years old by someone not regularly in the business is taxable, and the tax is worked out on a Department value schedule rather than on what you actually paid.

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

Sometimes required. An ordinary Mississippi title assignment is not notarised - the seller signs the assignment and the buyer signs the title application in front of the designated agent. A notary is only needed for particular sworn forms, most of which come up in inheritance, bonded-title and power-of-attorney situations.

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

Yes. Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR), Motor Vehicle Services. Remove the license plate once the title is assigned and the vehicle is handed over, then surrender the plate to your county Tax Collector's office - the Department publishes no day count, and says your ownership record stays current with the state until the plate is surrendered from assigning the title and handing the vehicle over to the buyer. Until the plate is surrendered the state's record still shows you as the current owner. The Department asks anyone who receives a toll bill for a vehicle they no longer own to email a copy to mvl@dor.ms.gov so it can write to the toll company, and it will do so where the plate was not left on the vehicle when it was sold.

Transferring a vehicle title in Mississippi

Issued by Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR), Motor Vehicle Services - Title Bureau. Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $9base title fee
Deadline: 30 daysbusiness days, from the purchase date
Documents: 4incl. 78-002
Where: Countytax office, in person

The seller fills in every section of the assignment on the back of the Mississippi title except the buyer's printed name and signature, then takes the license plate off before handing the vehicle over. The buyer carries the assigned title to their county Tax Collector - a Department of Revenue designated agent - and has 30 business days from the purchase date to title and tag it before penalties start. The title fee is $9.00, a first registration is $14.00, and a casual sale of a vehicle less than ten years old also carries 5% sales tax worked out on the Department's own value schedule rather than on what you paid.

9 things this answer does not settle

The Department of Revenue does not publish Form 78-002, the Application for Certificate of Title, for download - a form-number search returns no result and it is absent from the Motor Vehicle Title Forms index. It is generated at the counter by a designated agent. This record therefore describes what the Department and the Administrative Code say about that form rather than what is printed on it, and its revision date could not be established.
Two current Department pages give different standard title processing times. The Motor Vehicle Titles page says "Standard Titles are typically issued within six weeks"; the Motor Vehicle FAQ says "Standard Titles: Issued within 3-4 weeks". Both agree on 72 hours for a Fast Track title, 3-4 weeks for an electronic title and the next business day for an electronic lien title.
The Department's family-transfer tax answer contradicts itself in a single paragraph: it says "Sales or transfers between siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles or in-laws are taxable" and then immediately says "Effective July 1, 2019, sales of motor vehicles between siblings are not subject to the casual sales tax." The later, dated sentence is the one this record follows, and it agrees with the Department's own list of relationships for which an Affidavit of Relationship is completed, which includes brother and sister.
There is no statewide figure for what you will actually pay at the counter. The $9.00 title fee and the $14.00 first-time registration fee are fixed, but privilege tax, county ad valorem tax and the value schedule used for casual sales tax are not published as tables on the Department's website - the Department's own answer is that you need to contact your local county Tax Collector. Ad valorem tax is the county millage rate applied to an assessed value of 30% of the manufacturer's suggested retail price with depreciation over ten years, subject to a $100 minimum assessed value for passenger vehicles.
The Fast Track page and the Motor Vehicle Titles page state manufactured-home title fees differently - the titles page lists a $9.00 manufactured home title, while the Fast Track page says "the title fee for a manufactured home is $10.00, which includes the $1.00 designated agent fee". This record covers motor vehicles, where both pages agree on $9.00, but the discrepancy suggests a designated-agent fee may sit on top of some title transactions.
Mississippi publishes no age-based exemption from odometer disclosure on its title pages or on Form 78-015, and no federal exemption could be verified from an official federal page in this session. One designated agent, Madison County, publishes a practical threshold of "CURRENT ODOMETER READING (IF VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 10 YEARS OLD)" at its counter. Treat the disclosure as required unless your county tells you otherwise.
Form 78-002, the Application for Certificate of Title that this whole transaction turns on, is not published for download and could not be inspected. What it asks for, and whether it carries a notary block, is described here from the Department's FAQ and the Administrative Code rather than from the form itself.
The counter total cannot be given as a number. Privilege tax has no published passenger-car table, county millage rates are set locally, and the Department's value schedule for casual sales tax is not published online - so only the $9.00 title fee and $14.00 registration fee are fixed statewide.
The Affidavit of Relationship that the Department tells related buyers and sellers to complete has no form number and appears nowhere in the Department's form index. It is a counter form held by county Tax Collectors.

Do this first

Before you hand over any money, read the assignment on the back of the title and check the seller has completed every section and entered your printed name. The Department's warning is blunt: "Never accept or deliver a title that is incomplete or improperly assigned. Do not leave the buyer's name blank to complete later - this is a violation of Mississippi law."
Look at the front of the certificate of title for a brand and ask the seller about it during the assignment. Mississippi prints Salvage, Rebuilt, Flood Damaged and Hail Damaged brands on the face of the title, and they are permanent.

Your checklist

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The seller's checklist

Complete every section of the assignment on the back of the Mississippi title except the buyer's printed name and signature. Those two are the buyer's to fill in.Official page
Do not deliver a title with the buyer's name left blank to be filled in later - the Department states plainly that this is a violation of Mississippi law.Official page
If you strike something out on the assignment, do not erase it or cover it with correction fluid or tape - that voids the document and forces replacement papers. Instead complete a notarised Affidavit of Correction (Form 78-008) explaining the strikeover.Applies when: You made a mistake on the assignment.78-008
Take the license plate off the vehicle once the title is assigned and before the buyer drives away.Official page
Surrender the plate to your county Tax Collector's office. The Department is explicit that only once the plate is surrendered does your ownership record stop being current with the state.Official page
Ask for the credit for the unused part of your registration when you turn the tag in. Mississippi law allows no refunds, but the credit transfers to a new Mississippi registration, runs from the first day of the month after the tag is surrendered - not from the date you sold the car - and can be used in any Mississippi county. You lose it if you move out of state.Official page
Photocopy the front and back of the signed title before you hand it over and keep it. The Department recommends this, and it is your only record of what you signed.Official page
If a toll bill later arrives for a vehicle you sold, email a copy to mvl@dor.ms.gov. The Department will research it and, where the plate was not left on the vehicle, write to the toll company on your behalf.Applies when: A toll or violation notice reaches you after the sale.Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the mileage disclosure together. It normally goes on the title assignment; where it cannot, use Form 78-015 Odometer Disclosure Statement, which the transferor signs after stating the reading with no tenths and the transferee signs beneath, printing their name exactly as it appears on the title assignment.78-015
Where the title cannot be assigned and signed in the ordinary way at the counter, the seller, the buyer and the designated agent can each sign Form 78-033, authorising Motor Vehicle Services to make the assignment and enter the mileage disclosure exactly as stated on the form.Applies when: The certificate of title cannot be assigned and signed normally - for example the seller is not available to sign in person.78-033

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Documents and official forms

The Mississippi certificate of title, with the assignment on the back completed by the seller in every section except the buyer's printed name and signatureCheck the front for a Salvage, Rebuilt, Flood Damaged or Hail Damaged brand before you buy.
78-002Application for Certificate of Title (Form 78-002), completed at the counter with the designated agentNot downloadable - the Department does not publish this form and it is generated at your county Tax Collector's office. It must be signed by the buyer and by the designated agent; where two people are taking ownership, both names and both signatures are required, and a Mississippi title will not be issued showing more than two owners.
78-015The mileage disclosure - normally entered on the title assignment itself, otherwise on Form 78-015 Odometer Disclosure Statement signed by both the transferor and the transfereeThe transferor states the reading with no tenths, and checks a box if the reading exceeds the odometer's mechanical limits or is not the actual mileage.
Your driver's license - driver's license numbers are required by state law on Mississippi title paperwork

Also required in some cases

Your county Tax Collector asks for it. Mississippi registers a vehicle in the county where it is domiciled or parked overnight, and counties set their own proof requirements - this is Madison County's published list.

Proof that you live in the county, such as a water bill, utility bill or the closing papers for your home

Someone other than the person named on the title will sign - including one joint owner signing for the other, which counties treat as a limited power of attorney.

78-003Power of Attorney to Transfer Motor Vehicle (Form 78-003), notarised

A strikeover was made on the title assignment - a typo, a misspelled purchaser's name, or a seller who signed in the wrong place. It cannot be used where anything was erased or covered with correction fluid, and it cannot fix an odometer reading, a purchase date or an incorrectly recorded lienholder.

78-008Affidavit of Correction (Form 78-008), notarised

The buyer and the seller are related. The Department's list is spouse, child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother and sister.

Affidavit of Relationship, obtained from the county Tax Collector

You bought the vehicle and cannot obtain the title from the previous owner or dealership.

78-016Certificate of Title Bond (Form 78-016) with a notarised Affidavit of Ownership (Form 78-013) and a bill of sale

Deadlines

Deadline30 business days from the purchase date — Buyer: Title and tag the vehicle at your county Tax Collector's office - the Department publishes this as 30 business days, not 30 calendar daysStandard late tag penalties begin: 5% once overdue, then a further 5% every 30 days to a 25% maximum, after which the Legislative Tag Credit is lost as well.
DeadlineIf you bought the vehicle outside your home county, you have 48 hours to transport it to your residence or place of business - the Department publishes this as hours, not days from the purchase date — BuyerThe 30 business days to complete the registration still run from the purchase date; the 48 hours does not extend them.
DeadlineRemove the license plate when you hand the vehicle over, then surrender it to your county Tax Collector - the Department publishes no day count for this from assigning the title and handing the vehicle over to the buyer — SellerUntil the plate is surrendered your ownership record stays current with the state, and tolls and violations can follow the plate to you.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$9The Mississippi certificate of title itself - the same $9.00 whether it is a motor vehicle title, an electronic title or an electronic lien title. It excludes the optional $30.00 Fast Track expedite fee, the $14.00 first-time registration fee, privilege tax, county ad valorem tax and the 5% sales or casual sales tax, all of which are collected at the county Tax Collector's counter.	Buyer
Mississippi certificate of title fee	$9The title itself. It excludes the $30.00 Fast Track expedite fee, the $14.00 first-time registration fee, privilege tax, county ad valorem tax and sales tax.	Buyer
First-time vehicle registration fee	$14The registration fee for a first-time registration; a renewal is $12.75. It excludes privilege tax, ad valorem tax and sales tax, which are all collected at the same counter.	Buyer
Casual sales tax on a private-party purchase	5%Varies by the class of vehicle and the Department's own value schedule. The rate is 5% for automobiles and light trucks of 10,000 lb gross weight or less, 3% for trucks over 10,000 lb, and 7% for motorcycles, mopeds, motor bikes, ATVs and trailers. Critically, "The sales tax due is calculated by a pre-determined value for that kind of car. The purchase price is not used to determine the value of the vehicle.".Applies to a vehicle less than ten years old sold by a person not regularly engaged in business. Collected by the county Tax Collector when the new owner titles and tags the vehicle. Do not budget from the price you paid - the Department values the vehicle itself.Official calculator	Buyer
County motor vehicle ad valorem tax	VariesVaries by your county's millage rate applied to the vehicle's assessed value. Assessed value is 30% of the manufacturer's suggested retail price, reduced for depreciation over ten years, with a minimum assessed value of $100.00 for passenger vehicles. The Legislative Tag Credit is then applied - a credit against this tax whose percentage the Department recalculates every year..Payable on vehicles of 10,000 lb gross vehicle weight or less at the time of registration. Millage rates are set by each county, and the Department directs you to your county Tax Collector for the rate.Official calculator	Buyer
Motor vehicle privilege tax	Not publishedThe Department lists privilege tax among the charges collected when you buy a tag, but publishes no passenger-car privilege tax table on its website - its own answer to "How much will my car tag cost in Mississippi?" is that you need to contact your local county Tax Collector. The only figure published is $15.00 for a recreational vehicle such as a motorhome, which is classified as a passenger vehicle. The governing law is Miss. Code Ann. Title 27, Chapter 19.	Buyer
Fast Track expedite fee, if you want the title in 72 hours instead of the standard wait	$30Charged on top of the regular $9.00 title fee, for a total of $39.00. It buys 72-hour processing at the central office after the application arrives and does not include postal time in either direction.Fast Track applications must go by regular US Mail to PO Box 22845, Jackson MS 39225-2845, or be hand-delivered to the Title Bureau at 500 Clinton Center Drive, Clinton. FedEx, UPS and similar carriers are not accepted, and an application already sent in for regular processing cannot be switched.	Buyer

Mississippi charges 5% on cars and light trucks of 10,000 lb gross weight or less, and a private sale is not exempt: a casual sale of a vehicle less than ten years old by someone not regularly in the business is taxable, and the tax is worked out on a Department value schedule rather than on what you actually paid.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Sometimes required
You are applying for a bonded title because the title could not be obtained, and the vehicle is ten model years old or less - it must go to a Mississippi Department of Public Safety substation for inspection and issue of Form MVCT-59 before you apply.
The vehicle carries a Rebuilt brand and is being retitled after reconstruction in Mississippi - the Department of Public Safety inspects it and issues a Completion/Certification of Vehicle Inspection.
The Department of Revenue elects to require it - it may require inspection of any vehicle before issuing a new certificate of title.
There is no general vehicle inspection to transfer a title in Mississippi. Inspection is published only for two specific routes - a bonded title on a vehicle ten model years old or newer, and a rebuilt salvage vehicle - and the Department reserves the right to require one on any vehicle.
Emissions: Not requiredMississippi does not require emissions testing. The Department answers the question directly: "No, Mississippi does not require emissions testing for motor vehicles as a condition of registration."
Notarization: Sometimes required
Someone other than the titled owner will sign, so a Power of Attorney to Transfer Motor Vehicle (Form 78-003) is used - the owner's signature is acknowledged before a notary.
A strikeover was made on the assignment and an Affidavit of Correction (Form 78-008) is needed - every signer on it is covered by one jurat.
The title cannot be produced and you are applying for a bonded title with an Affidavit of Ownership (Form 78-013) - the buyer swears it before a notary.
An ordinary Mississippi title assignment is not notarised - the seller signs the assignment and the buyer signs the title application in front of the designated agent. A notary is only needed for particular sworn forms, most of which come up in inheritance, bonded-title and power-of-attorney situations.
Odometer disclosure: RequiredThe transferor must state the mileage when ownership changes. It is normally entered on the title assignment itself; where it cannot be, Form 78-015 Odometer Disclosure Statement carries it, signed by both the transferor and the transferee.

What happens to the plates

Plates do not follow the vehicle and they do not follow you to a different car: in Mississippi the tag is registered to both the vehicle and the owner, so if either changes the plate must come off and be surrendered to the county Tax Collector, and the buyer buys a new tag.

The seller keeps the plates
The seller surrenders the plates
The buyer gets new plates

The Department is explicit that you cannot transfer an old license plate to a new vehicle. The seller must remove the plate once the title is assigned and the vehicle is handed over, and surrender it to the Tax Collector's office; the Department notes that only when the plate is surrendered does your ownership record stop being current with the state. There are no refunds of unused registration fees or taxes, but the unused portion can be transferred as a credit to a new Mississippi registration: the credit runs from the first day of the month after the tag is turned in, not from the date the vehicle was sold, and can be used in any Mississippi county - though not if you move out of state. A first-time registration is $14.00 and a renewal $12.75. A dealer may supply a 7-day temporary drive-out tag so an out-of-state buyer can drive home.

How to submit

In person at a county office

One errand, one counter: your county Tax Collector is a Department of Revenue designated agent, so you apply for the Mississippi title and buy the license plate in the same visit and pay the title fee, registration fee, privilege tax, ad valorem tax and sales tax together.

Official state links

Source: Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR), Motor Vehicle Services - Title Bureau. Checked July 31, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Mississippi

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Mississippi?: 30 business days from the purchase date. Standard late tag penalties begin. If you bought the vehicle outside your home county you have 48 hours to transport it to your residence or place of business first, and the 30 business days still run from the purchase date.
How much does a title transfer cost in Mississippi?: The base title fee is $9. The Mississippi certificate of title itself - the same $9.00 whether it is a motor vehicle title, an electronic title or an electronic lien title. It excludes the optional $30.00 Fast Track expedite fee, the $14.00 first-time registration fee, privilege tax, county ad valorem tax and the 5% sales or casual sales tax, all of which are collected at the county Tax Collector's counter. Mississippi charges 5% on cars and light trucks of 10,000 lb gross weight or less, and a private sale is not exempt: a casual sale of a vehicle less than ten years old by someone not regularly in the business is taxable, and the tax is worked out on a Department value schedule rather than on what you actually paid.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Mississippi?: Sometimes required. An ordinary Mississippi title assignment is not notarised - the seller signs the assignment and the buyer signs the title application in front of the designated agent. A notary is only needed for particular sworn forms, most of which come up in inheritance, bonded-title and power-of-attorney situations.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Mississippi?: Yes. Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR), Motor Vehicle Services. Remove the license plate once the title is assigned and the vehicle is handed over, then surrender the plate to your county Tax Collector's office - the Department publishes no day count, and says your ownership record stays current with the state until the plate is surrendered from assigning the title and handing the vehicle over to the buyer. Until the plate is surrendered the state's record still shows you as the current owner. The Department asks anyone who receives a toll bill for a vehicle they no longer own to email a copy to mvl@dor.ms.gov so it can write to the toll company, and it will do so where the plate was not left on the vehicle when it was sold.
What happens to the license plates in Mississippi?: Plates do not follow the vehicle and they do not follow you to a different car: in Mississippi the tag is registered to both the vehicle and the owner, so if either changes the plate must come off and be surrendered to the county Tax Collector, and the buyer buys a new tag.

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.

28 official sources · last checked July 31, 2026 · How this was compiled · Report a correction