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

Pay the 7% Rhode Island sales or use tax by the 20th day of the month following the month you bought the vehicle - even if you never register it from the month in which the sale took place. The DMV states that failing to meet this deadline triggers interest and penalty charges, and the T-334 return prints 'TO AVOID LATE PAYMENT CHARGES, TAX MUST BE PAID BY THE 20th OF THE MONTH FOLLOWING MONTH OF PURCHASE - EVEN IF VEHICLE IS NOT REGISTERED.' Tax can be paid at the DMV when you title or register, or directly to the Division of Taxation Excise Tax Section before the deadline.

How much does a title transfer cost in Rhode Island?

The base title fee is $53.50. The Rhode Island title fee, charged at the same $53.50 for a new title, a transfer title, a duplicate title, a salvage title and a security lien statement. The DMV's fee table states 'All fees listed below include $3.50 technology surcharge', on top of the $50.00 statutory fee in R.I. Gen. Laws sections 31-3.1-11, 31-3.1-20 and 31-3.1-38. It excludes the 7% sales or use tax, the weight-based registration and plate fees, the municipal police VIN inspection (capped at $10 by statute) and the safety and emissions inspection. Rhode Island charges 7% sales or use tax on a vehicle, and on a private-party sale it is 7% of whichever is greater - the NADA Clean Retail book value or what you actually paid. It is due by the 20th of the month after the month of sale even if you never register the car.

Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Rhode Island?

Sometimes required. Rhode Island does not notarize the assignment on the back of the title. Notarization attaches to particular forms instead - always on a duplicate-title application, always on a non-family gift, and on a registration application only when a registrant cannot attend.

Transferring a vehicle title in Rhode Island

Issued by Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV), Research and Title Office. Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $53.50base title fee
Deadline: See rulePay the 7% sales or use tax by the 20th day of the month following the month of the sale - even if you do not register the vehicle
Documents: 7incl. TR-1
Where: State officein person

Rhode Island puts the transfer on the buyer. The seller signs the assignment on the back of the title - no notary - and takes the plates off, because Rhode Island plates belong to the person and not to the car. The buyer files the Application for Registration and Title Certificate (TR-1) with the assigned title, a bill of sale and the Use Tax Return (T-334), pays 7% tax on the greater of the NADA Clean Retail value and the price, and pays the $53.50 title fee. The tax is due by the 20th of the month after the month of sale even if the buyer never registers the car.

10 things this answer does not settle

Two current DMV publications disagree about which form a 'tax and title only' transaction uses. The Titles page and the Registration Document Checklist (rev 02-2024) both put a purchase on the Application for Registration and Title Certificate (TR-1); the Document Checklist - TITLES (rev 02/24) lists the Application for Title (TR-2/TR-9) under its 'Tax & Title Only' column. Both forms carry a 'Tax & Title' transaction box. Confirm with the Research and Title Office on 401-462-5774 before posting a title-only application.
The Registration Document Checklist (rev 02-2024) names the tax exemption certificate 'T-331-1' in the gifted vehicle, out-of-state transfer and surviving spouse columns and 'T-333-1' in the trailer and dealer columns. The DMV's own taxation forms page publishes only T-333-1, 'Tax Exempt Certificate'; no form numbered T-331-1 is published anywhere on the DMV site. Treat T-331-1 as a typographical error for T-333-1.
Rhode Island publishes no seller notice-of-sale or release-of-liability filing. A seller's protection is R.I. Gen. Laws section 31-3.1-12(e), which ends the owner's liability once they have delivered the vehicle and completed the assignment, plus cancelling the registration. Nothing tells the DMV a sale happened until the buyer files.
Where the DMV publishes a day count without saying whether the days are calendar or business days - the 5-day inspection window, the 30-day new-resident deadline, the 20-day salvage application and the 10-day junior lien release - this record treats them as calendar days. Only the 30-day plate grace period is expressly published as calendar days, and only the 15-day lien release is expressly business days.
The DMV does not publish a calendar deadline for a buyer to file the title application itself. R.I. Gen. Laws section 31-3.1-12(b) says only that the transferee shall act 'promptly after delivery of the vehicle'. The dated clocks in Rhode Island are the sales-tax deadline, the 30-day plate grace period and the 5-day inspection window.
Registration and plate fees are published only as a weight-based table with values that vary by vehicle type and are prorated by date, so the amount you pay at the counter is more than the $53.50 title fee and the 7% tax shown here.
Rhode Island publishes no seller notice-of-sale form. Nothing tells the DMV the car changed hands until the buyer files, so cancelling your registration and keeping the confirmation is the only step the DMV offers a seller.
If you are taking the title without registering the vehicle, the DMV's own publications disagree on the form: the Titles page and the Registration Document Checklist say TR-1, the Document Checklist - TITLES says TR-2/TR-9. Confirm with the Research and Title Office on 401-462-5774.
The DMV publishes no calendar deadline for filing the title application itself - the statute says only 'promptly after delivery of the vehicle'. The dated clock on a private sale is the sales tax, due by the 20th of the following month.
Registration and plate fees are a weight-based table, so your total at the counter will be more than the $53.50 title fee and the 7% tax.

Do this first

Take the certificate of title from the seller with the assignment on the back filled in and signed by every owner named on the face of it. Rhode Island needs the original title for any vehicle of model year 2001 or newer, and since 1 January 2024 a title is issued on transfer for older vehicles too - for a vehicle that was never titled, bring proof of previous ownership such as a registration in the seller's name instead.
Get a bill of sale from the seller. It is a required document on the DMV's Registration Document Checklist for a private party sale, and the DMV publishes a sample you can use.

Your checklist

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The seller's checklist

Sign the assignment and warranty of title in the space provided on the certificate of title at the time you hand the vehicle over, and give the certificate to the buyer. R.I. Gen. Laws section 31-3.1-12(a) requires it then, not later, and Rhode Island puts no notary on the title assignment.Official page
Enter the odometer reading in the assignment when you sign it. Rhode Island's own transfer forms state that federal and state law require the mileage to be stated on transfer of ownership and that a false statement can bring fines or imprisonment.Official page
If your title still names a lienholder, get the release first - the lienholder signs off on the title itself or gives you an original lien release letter. A lienholder holding your certificate can also send the assignment, the buyer's application, the registration card, the plates and the fee straight to the DMV under R.I. Gen. Laws section 31-3.1-12(c).Applies when: The certificate of title names a lienholder.Official page
Take your plates off the vehicle before it leaves. In Rhode Island the registration and the plates stay with you, not with the car.Official page
If you are replacing the vehicle, move the registration onto the new one with a TR-1 plate transfer - you keep the same expiration date and get a new registration certificate but no new stickers, and you may run the old plates on the new vehicle for up to 30 calendar days from the date on the bill of sale, provided the name is unchanged and the vehicle type is identical.Applies when: You are buying a replacement vehicle and want to keep the plates.TR-1Official page
If you are not moving the plates, cancel the registration. Cancel online and keep the confirmation email as your proof for the city or town excise tax, then destroy the plates - do not return them to a DMV office. Otherwise put the plates in a DMV drop box, or send them by certified mail to RI DMV, ATTN: Plate Office, 600 New London Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920, with a completed Affidavit for Cancellation of Registration and a photocopy of your photo ID or the vehicle registration; plates arriving without that documentation are not cancelled.Affidavit for Cancellation of RegistrationOfficial page
Keep liability insurance on the registration until you have cancelled it. Rhode Island requires active insurance for as long as a registration is active, and the DMV levies insurance revocation fines when it lapses.Official page

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Both of you, together

Do the odometer disclosure together on one reading: the seller writes the mileage into the assignment on the back of the title as they sign it, and the buyer copies the same figure into the CURRENT MILEAGE field in section E of the TR-1. The disclosure is in whole miles with no tenths, and has boxes for mileage in excess of the odometer's mechanical limits and for a reading that is not the actual mileage.TR-1Official page

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Documents and official forms

The certificate of title, with the assignment on the back completed and signed by every owner named on itRequired for any vehicle of model year 2001 or newer. Since 1 January 2024 a Rhode Island title is issued on transfer regardless of model year.
TR-1Application for Registration and Title Certificate (TR-1)Signed in section H. Notarized only if a registrant cannot be present at the transaction.
SAMPLE Bill of SaleBill of saleListed as a required document for a private party sale on the DMV's Registration Document Checklist and under 'Tax & Title Only' on its Document Checklist - TITLES.
T-334Use Tax Return - Motor Vehicles (T-334)Signed by the purchaser under penalty of perjury; the vehicle invoice must also be presented.
A valid, unexpired identity document - a Rhode Island driver's license or ID card, or an out-of-state license, passport, Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Card with one proof of Rhode Island residencyP.O. boxes are not accepted on a proof of residency. All registrants must be present or their TR-1 signatures must be notarized.
Active Rhode Island insurance information in the owner's or lessee's name, from an insurer licensed in Rhode IslandMinimum limits are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury plus $25,000 property damage, or a combined $75,000.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, read off the VIN plate on the driver's side door jamb or off the certificate of originThe DMV uses it to set the registration fee, so bring the figure with you.

Also required in some cases

The vehicle has never been titled, because it is of model year 2000 or older or came from a jurisdiction that does not issue titles.

Proof of previous ownership - for example a registration carrying the previous owner's information

The certificate of title names a lienholder.

Original lien release from the lender, with an original signature

The vehicle was previously registered or titled in another state or country.

TR-5VIN check by a Rhode Island municipal police department (TR-5)

Your identity document is not a Rhode Island driver's license or ID card.

One proof of Rhode Island residency from the DMV's published list

The seller is cancelling the registration by drop box or by certified mail rather than online.

Affidavit for Cancellation of RegistrationAffidavit for Cancellation of Registration, with the plates and a photocopy of the owner's photo ID

Deadlines

DeadlinePay the 7% sales or use tax by the 20th day of the month following the month of the sale - even if you do not register the vehicle from the month in which the sale took place — BuyerThe DMV states that missing the deadline triggers interest and penalty charges. Tax can be paid at the DMV when you title or register, or directly to the Division of Taxation Excise Tax Section (401-574-8955) before the deadline.
DeadlineExecute the application for a new certificate of title and get it to the DMV promptly after the vehicle is delivered to you from delivery of the vehicle to the transferee — BuyerR.I. Gen. Laws section 31-3.1-12(e) makes the transfer effective only once the owner has complied with that section and with section 31-3.1-15, which requires the application to be accompanied by the registration card and the required fee. Until then the paperwork is incomplete. The statute publishes no day count and no penalty for the transferee.
Deadline5 calendar days from the date the vehicle is registered — Buyer: Pass a Rhode Island safety and emissions inspection within 5 days of registering the vehicleThe DMV suspends the registration of a newly registered vehicle that is not inspected within the window.
Optional window30 calendar days from the date on the bill of sale — Buyer: You may run plates you already hold on a newly bought vehicle for up to 30 calendar days from the date on the bill of sale while you complete the registrationThe DMV allows this only while the registration name is unchanged and the vehicle type is identical; it publishes no penalty, but after 30 days the plates are no longer covered.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$53.50The Rhode Island title fee, charged at the same $53.50 for a new title, a transfer title, a duplicate title, a salvage title and a security lien statement. The DMV's fee table states 'All fees listed below include $3.50 technology surcharge', on top of the $50.00 statutory fee in R.I. Gen. Laws sections 31-3.1-11, 31-3.1-20 and 31-3.1-38. It excludes the 7% sales or use tax, the weight-based registration and plate fees, the municipal police VIN inspection (capped at $10 by statute) and the safety and emissions inspection.	Buyer
Certificate of title fee	$53.50The Rhode Island title fee. The DMV's fee table lists $53.50 for a new title, a transfer title, a duplicate title, a salvage title and a security lien statement, and states that all listed fees include a $3.50 technology surcharge on top of the $50.00 statutory fee. It excludes the 7% sales or use tax, the weight-based registration and plate fees and the inspection.	Buyer
Rhode Island sales or use tax	7%Varies by the greater of the NADA Clean Retail book value and the price you paid, for a vehicle 0-7 years old; the sale price for a vehicle 8-29 years old; and the greatest of the NADA value, the Cars of Particular Interest book value and the purchase price for a vehicle 30 years or older.Paid by the purchaser. Trade-in allowances reduce the taxable amount on dealer sales only. You have 30 days from the date you pay to ask the Division of Taxation to redetermine the retail value, on Form C-REF-SU.Official calculator	Buyer
Registration and plate fees	VariesVaries by vehicle type and gross vehicle weight, prorated by date, plus a DOT surcharge and, for electric vehicles, an EV fee.The DMV publishes passenger, commercial, camper/RV and trailer registration as weight-based variable fees rather than a single figure. Fixed related fees it does publish include a duplicate registration at $20.50, a plate change at $23.50 for one plate or $43.50 two-way, a temporary registration at $13.50 and an update registration at $8.50.Official calculator	Buyer
Safety and emissions inspection	$55Light duty vehicles and trucks at or under 8,500 lbs GVWR, covering safety and emissions together for 24 months. Heavy duty vehicles over 8,500 lbs GVWR are $15.00 for 12 months, and motorcycles, trailers and livestock trailers are $11.00 annually.	Buyer

Rhode Island charges 7% sales or use tax on a vehicle, and on a private-party sale it is 7% of whichever is greater - the NADA Clean Retail book value or what you actually paid. It is due by the 20th of the month after the month of sale even if you never register the car.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Required, unless you are exempt
A new vehicle is exempt for 2 years from the purchase date or until 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.
A vehicle on Antique Plates used only for exhibitions, club activities, parades and functions of public interest is exempt.
A separate municipal police VIN check applies only if the vehicle was previously registered or titled in another state.
Two different inspections can apply. Every used vehicle arriving from out of state needs a VIN check by a Rhode Island municipal police department before it can be registered, and every newly registered vehicle must pass a combined safety and emissions inspection within 5 days of registration.
Emissions: Required, unless you are exempt
Fully electric light duty vehicles and trucks are inspected for safety only.
A new vehicle is exempt for 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first.
Antique-plated vehicles used only for exhibitions, club activities, parades and public-interest functions are exempt.
Rhode Island runs emissions testing inside the same appointment as the safety inspection, and a newly registered vehicle must pass both within 5 days of registration.
Notarization: Sometimes required
A registrant who cannot be present when the TR-1 is filed must have their signature on it notarized - typically the second owner when only one attends.
A Rhode Island notary must use an ink stamp; an embossed-only seal is rejected.
The assignment on the back of the title is not notarized in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island does not notarize the assignment on the back of the title. Notarization attaches to particular forms instead - always on a duplicate-title application, always on a non-family gift, and on a registration application only when a registrant cannot attend.
Odometer disclosure: RequiredEvery Rhode Island transfer document carries a mileage statement: section D of the Application for Title, the CURRENT MILEAGE field on the registration application, the mileage field on the gift letters, and the odometer certification on the Sole Heir Affidavit.

What happens to the plates

Rhode Island plates belong to the person, not to the vehicle. A seller keeps the plates and either moves them to a replacement vehicle or cancels the registration; the buyer arrives with their own plate or is issued one.

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

The DMV defines a plate transfer as moving 'an existing Rhode Island registration to a new vehicle with the same owner', which issues a new registration certificate with no new stickers and keeps the existing expiration date. You may run your old plates on a newly bought vehicle for up to 30 calendar days from the date on the bill of sale, provided the registered name is unchanged and the vehicle type is identical, whether the vehicle came from a Rhode Island dealer, an out-of-state dealer or a private party. If you are not moving the plates, cancel the registration - online, keeping the confirmation email as proof for your city or town excise tax, or by dropping the plates with an Affidavit for Cancellation of Registration and a photocopy of your photo ID at a DMV drop box, or by certified mail to the Plate Office. A plate can also be gifted: the DMV's vehicle gift letter has a box for gifting the plate that is on the vehicle, and a separate plate gift letter must be used if the plate being gifted is not that plate, or if the gift is to a non-immediate family member.

How to submit

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

One form does both: the Application for Registration and Title Certificate (TR-1) registers the vehicle and applies for the title at the same time, and R.I. Gen. Laws section 31-3.1-1(b) forbids the DMV to register a vehicle unless it has issued a title or received a title application from the owner.

Official state links

Source: Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (RI DMV), Research and Title Office. Checked July 31, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Rhode Island

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Rhode Island?: Pay the 7% Rhode Island sales or use tax by the 20th day of the month following the month you bought the vehicle - even if you never register it from the month in which the sale took place. The DMV states that failing to meet this deadline triggers interest and penalty charges, and the T-334 return prints 'TO AVOID LATE PAYMENT CHARGES, TAX MUST BE PAID BY THE 20th OF THE MONTH FOLLOWING MONTH OF PURCHASE - EVEN IF VEHICLE IS NOT REGISTERED.' Tax can be paid at the DMV when you title or register, or directly to the Division of Taxation Excise Tax Section before the deadline.
How much does a title transfer cost in Rhode Island?: The base title fee is $53.50. The Rhode Island title fee, charged at the same $53.50 for a new title, a transfer title, a duplicate title, a salvage title and a security lien statement. The DMV's fee table states 'All fees listed below include $3.50 technology surcharge', on top of the $50.00 statutory fee in R.I. Gen. Laws sections 31-3.1-11, 31-3.1-20 and 31-3.1-38. It excludes the 7% sales or use tax, the weight-based registration and plate fees, the municipal police VIN inspection (capped at $10 by statute) and the safety and emissions inspection. Rhode Island charges 7% sales or use tax on a vehicle, and on a private-party sale it is 7% of whichever is greater - the NADA Clean Retail book value or what you actually paid. It is due by the 20th of the month after the month of sale even if you never register the car.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Rhode Island?: Sometimes required. Rhode Island does not notarize the assignment on the back of the title. Notarization attaches to particular forms instead - always on a duplicate-title application, always on a non-family gift, and on a registration application only when a registrant cannot attend.
What happens to the license plates in Rhode Island?: Rhode Island plates belong to the person, not to the vehicle. A seller keeps the plates and either moves them to a replacement vehicle or cancels the registration; the buyer arrives with their own plate or is issued one.

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.

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