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

Apply for a new certificate of title promptly after the vehicle is delivered to you from delivery of the vehicle to the buyer. Wisconsin publishes no day count for the title application itself. Wis. Stat. s. 342.15(2) says the transferee 'shall, promptly after delivery to him or her of the vehicle, execute the application for a new certificate of title', and s. 342.15(6)(a) allows a forfeiture of up to $200 for failing to apply immediately upon transfer. The application counts as made when it and the fee are delivered to the department or posted. The two-business-day clock that Wisconsin does publish is a separate duty: it is about displaying plates before you drive.

How much does a title transfer cost in Wisconsin?

The base title fee is $214.50. The Wisconsin title fee for an original title or a title transfer, as printed in Section E of form MV1 (rev. 10/2025) and in the DMV's guide for family members of the recently deceased (BDS367, 6/2026). It excludes the 5% state sales tax and any county or city tax, the $85 automobile registration fee, the $12 plate issuance fee, the $10 loan filing fee if a lender is being listed, any wheel tax, and the $5 counter service fee if you apply in person. A low speed vehicle title is $207. The fee is $0 for a transfer to a surviving spouse, registered domestic partner or other qualifying family member of a deceased owner. The buyer pays 5% Wisconsin state sales or use tax on the purchase price, plus the county and any city tax for the place the vehicle is customarily kept, and pays it to the DMV when titling — a private seller does not collect it.

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

Sometimes required. Nothing in an ordinary Wisconsin title transfer is notarized — not the title assignment, not the MV1, not the estate form MV2300. The one notarized signature is a parent's or guardian's consent when an owner will be under 18.

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

Yes. Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV). 30 calendar days from the date of the sale. Wis. Stat. s. 342.41(1) forbids an individual selling a motor vehicle to another individual, including transferring a junk vehicle by bill of sale, unless the seller reports the VIN and the buyer's identity to the department within 30 days. The DMV notes that the notification is confirmation for the seller's own records and 'will not be noted on the vehicle record'; it does not replace the seller's other duties, and it does not transfer the title.

Transferring a vehicle title in Wisconsin

Issued by Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV). Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $214.50base title fee
Deadline: 2 daysbusiness days, from the date of purchase
Documents: 4incl. MV1
Where: Onlineno visit needed

The seller signs the assignment on the back of the Wisconsin title, writes in the odometer reading, the brand disclosure, the selling price and the buyer's name and address, then takes the plates off. The buyer files form MV1 with the original title and pays the $214.50 title fee plus 5% state sales tax, the local county or city tax, and plate fees. If the vehicle will be driven, Wisconsin plates or a temporary plate must be displayed within two business days of purchase, and the seller must separately file seller notification with the DMV within 30 days of the sale.

7 things this answer does not settle

The DMV's fee pages still carry the prospective wording '$164.50 for original title or title transfer ($214.50 beginning October 1, 2025)', although that date has passed. The current figure recorded here, $214.50, is taken from form MV1 (rev. 10/2025) Section E and from the DMV's guide for family members of the recently deceased (BDS367, 6/2026), both of which print $214.50 as the fee due now. Anyone paying by cheque should confirm the total on the DMV's fee page or by using the MV1 Online Application Guide, which calculates it.
Wisconsin's official pages state the odometer-disclosure age test two different ways. The Sell your vehicle page, the eMV Public pages and the glossary all say model year 2011 and newer must have the reading written on the title, and the glossary lists model year 2010 or older as exempt; but the in-person and mail-in checklists and the trusts page instead say 'for vehicles less than 20 model years old'. As of 2026 those two tests do not select the same vehicles. If your vehicle is model year 2011 or newer, complete the disclosure.
Two different official 'qualifying family member' lists are in play and they are not the same list. The title-fee waiver on a deceased owner's vehicle (form MV2300) covers spouse, domestic partner, grandparent, parent, sibling, child, stepchild, stepparent, grandchild and their spouses. The sales-tax family exemption (DOR Publication 202 and MV1 code 1) is narrower — spouse, parent, child, parents-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, sons- and daughters-in-law — and does not include siblings or grandparents. Qualifying for one does not mean qualifying for the other.
County and city sales tax rates change on set dates and Wisconsin does not publish a single flat local rate. Use the Department of Revenue's Sales Tax Rate Lookup for the address where the vehicle will be kept; the rate is driven by where the vehicle is customarily kept, not where it was bought.
Wheel tax is set by individual towns, villages, cities and counties and 'State law does not specify the amount', so no statewide figure exists. It is collected with the first registration and every renewal for autos, autocycles and trucks registered at 8,000 lbs or less.
Wisconsin publishes no day count for the buyer's title application. The two-business-day figure everyone quotes is the deadline for displaying plates before driving; the title application itself is governed by 'promptly' in Wis. Stat. s. 342.15(2), backed by a forfeiture of up to $200.
Local sales tax and wheel tax cannot be quoted as a single figure — both depend on the exact town or county where the vehicle will be kept. Use the Department of Revenue rate lookup and the DMV wheel tax list before writing the cheque.

Do this first

Before you hand over money, look at the front of the Wisconsin title. Check that the VIN matches the vehicle, read the 'Secured Party' or 'Lien Holder' block to see whether a lender is listed, and read the brands printed under 'Additional Vehicle Detail' on the bottom half of titles issued after December 2004 — that is where a salvage, flood damaged, hail damaged, claim paid or police/taxi history shows up.
Take the original certificate of title — never a photocopy — with the seller's signature in the selling owner block, the odometer reading and status, the brand disclosure, the selling price and your own name and address filled in. If the title names two owners joined by 'and', both must have signed; if joined by 'or', one signature is enough.

Your checklist

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The seller's checklist

Make sure the vehicle is already titled in your name before you sell it — Wisconsin does not let you pass on a title you never took. If you cannot find the title, apply for a replacement on form MV2119 first, sign the replacement and give that to the buyer.MV2119Official page
Sign and date the back of the title in the block for the signature of the selling owner. If the title names owners joined by 'and', every owner listed must sign; if joined by 'or', any one of them may. Wis. Stat. s. 342.15(5) allows a forfeiture of up to $500 for handing over a vehicle without executing the assignment.Official page
Complete the brand disclosure area on the title if any brand applies and is not already printed on it — salvage, flood damaged, hail damaged, claim paid, taxi, police or a non-USA standard vehicle. Failing to disclose a brand can bring a fine of up to $5,000 under Wis. Stat. s. 342.15(5m)(b).Official page
Write the selling price on the title, and the buyer's name and address. The Department of Revenue reviews titles and investigates suspiciously low sale prices, and the MV1 warns that understating the purchase price is a crime.Official page
If a lien is listed on the title, pay the loan off and give the buyer the original lien release document from your lender — the DMV says the buyer will need both documents to get a title. If your lender still holds the title, contact them to have it sent.Applies when: A lien is printed on the title or the lender is still holding it.Official page
Take the license plates off the vehicle. Wis. Stat. s. 342.15(4)(a) makes this the owner's duty for a car, motorcycle, motor home or truck of 8,000 lbs gross weight or less, with a forfeiture of up to $200 for not doing it. The plates stay with the vehicle only if it is a truck registered at 10,000 lbs or more, a farm truck at 16,000 lbs or more, a moped, a trailer or a recreational vehicle trailer.Official page
Either move the unexpired plates to another vehicle of the same type titled to you, your spouse or your domestic partner — there is no charge for the transfer — or cut them up. Do not post them back to the DMV and do not expect a refund for the unused registration. If you left them on the vehicle you sold, file form MV2514 License Plates Cancellation Application.MV2514Official page
File seller notification with the DMV within 30 days of the sale, reporting the VIN, the buyer's identity, the sale price and the date of sale. You will need your Wisconsin driver license or ID number, the last four digits of your social security number, your date of birth and the VIN. Save the confirmation — the DMV states it is not noted on the vehicle record.Applies when: The sale was from one individual to another individual, including transferring a junk vehicle by bill of sale.Official page
Optionally keep a written record on form MV2928, which carries a sample bill of sale — year, make, model, VIN, odometer reading, both parties' names and addresses, price and date. Wisconsin does not require it and the form itself says 'DO NOT SUBMIT THIS TO DMV'; keep a copy and give one to the buyer.MV2928Official page

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Both of you, together

Complete the mileage disclosure together on the back of the title. The seller writes the reading as of the date of sale and ticks actual, not actual, or in excess of mechanical limits; the buyer then prints their name and signs the same disclosure and keeps a copy. Wis. Stat. s. 342.155 forbids one person signing as both transferor and transferee, and carries a forfeiture of up to $1,000 — a Class H felony where there is intent to defraud.Applies when: The vehicle is model year 2011 or newer and is not otherwise exempt by type or weight.Official page
If the lien holder still has the title on the day of sale, make the odometer disclosure on form MV2488 Vehicle Transfer and Odometer Mileage Statement instead, obtained from the lender, and submit it with the title once the lender releases it.Applies when: The certificate of title is being held by a lien holder at the time of the sale.MV2488Official page

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Documents and official forms

The original Wisconsin certificate of title, assigned on the back by the selling owner(s), with the odometer reading, brand disclosure, selling price and buyer's name and address completedThe DMV will not accept a photocopy. The department also notes that the electronic record it holds is the official vehicle title record under Wis. Stat. s. 342.09(4)(b).
MV1Wisconsin Title & License Plate Application, form MV1, signed by every new ownerAn eMV Public eApplication/Receipt printed from the online service takes the place of the paper MV1 for applicants who qualify to use it.
Payment of the title fee, sales tax and plate fees — cheque or money order payable to 'Registration Fee Trust', or card, PayPal or ACH onlineDo not post cash. Card and PayPal payments carry a convenience/service fee of up to 2.35%; ACH has none.
Proof of identity and identifying numbers — a driver license or ID card at the counter, and a social security number (or Wisconsin driver license number) on the applicationRequired of individual applicants under Wis. Stat. s. 342.06(1)(eg). A business gives its FEIN instead.

Also required in some cases

A lien holder is printed on the front of the title and the loan has been paid off.

Original lien release from the lender named on the title

The title has alterations, or a party signed or printed a name in the wrong block.

MV2489Statement of Intent, form MV2489

An owner or co-owner to be listed on the new title is under 18 years old.

MV2924Consent to Purchase Certification, form MV2924, or Section H of the MV1

The lien holder is still holding the title on the day of sale, so the odometer disclosure cannot be made on the title itself.

MV2488Vehicle Transfer and Odometer Mileage Statement, form MV2488

The parties want a record of the sale. Wisconsin does not require a bill of sale to transfer a title.

MV2928Bill of sale — form MV2928 or one the parties draft themselves

Deadlines

Deadline2 business days from the date of purchase — Buyer: Display Wisconsin plates or a temporary plate within two business days of purchaseUntil plates are displayed the vehicle may not legally be operated on a Wisconsin roadway. This is the clock Wisconsin actually publishes in days; the title application itself is governed by the statutory word 'promptly'.
DeadlineApply for the new certificate of title promptly after the vehicle is delivered from delivery of the vehicle to the buyer — BuyerWis. Stat. s. 342.15(6)(a) permits a forfeiture of up to $200 for failing to apply immediately upon transfer; up to $1,000 or 30 days where there is intent to defraud. The application counts as made when it and the fee are delivered to the department or posted.
Deadline45 calendar days from purchasing and registering the vehicle — Buyer: Emissions test within 45 days where the vehicle is kept in one of the seven testing countiesWithout a passing test the DMV will not renew the plates when they next come due.
Deadline30 calendar days from the date of the sale — Seller: File seller notification with the DMV within 30 days of the saleWis. Stat. s. 342.41(1) prohibits an individual selling to another individual without reporting the VIN and buyer's identity within 30 days.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$214.50The Wisconsin title fee for an original title or a title transfer, as printed in Section E of form MV1 (rev. 10/2025) and in the DMV's guide for family members of the recently deceased (BDS367, 6/2026). It excludes the 5% state sales tax and any county or city tax, the $85 automobile registration fee, the $12 plate issuance fee, the $10 loan filing fee if a lender is being listed, any wheel tax, and the $5 counter service fee if you apply in person. A low speed vehicle title is $207. The fee is $0 for a transfer to a surviving spouse, registered domestic partner or other qualifying family member of a deceased owner.	Buyer
Wisconsin title transfer fee	$214.50As printed in Section E of form MV1 (rev. 10/2025). Excludes sales tax, plate fees, the $10 loan filing fee, any wheel tax and the $5 counter service fee.The DMV's fee page still shows this as '$164.50 ... ($214.50 beginning October 1, 2025)'; that date has passed and the current forms print $214.50.	Buyer
Wisconsin state sales/use tax	5%Varies by the purchase price less any trade-in allowance.Paid to the DMV at titling, not to the private seller. Form MV1 computes it as 'amount subject to tax x 0.05'.Official calculator	Buyer
County and city sales/use tax	0.5%Varies by the county and municipality where the vehicle will be customarily kept — most adopting counties are 0.5%, Milwaukee County is 0.9% and the city of Milwaukee adds a further 2%.The rate is set by where the vehicle is kept, not where it was bought. Not every county has adopted a tax.Official calculator	Buyer
Automobile registration (annual)	$85The annual fee for a passenger automobile plate. Light trucks are charged by gross weight instead — $100 at 4,500 or 6,000 lbs and $116.60 at 8,000 lbs — and an autocycle is $45.	Buyer
License plate issuance fee	$12$6 per plate for the pair of automobile plates. Charged only when new plates are issued.	Buyer
Transfer of a plate already in your name	$0Genuinely no charge: form MV1 states 'There is no charge to transfer current license plates', and the MV1 Online Application Guide repeats 'There is no fee for this service.' A renewal fee still applies if the plate expires within 30 days.	Buyer
Temporary plate	$3Valid 90 days. Charged when there is no plate to transfer; an authorised agent may add its own service fee on top.	Buyer
Counter service fee for applying in person	$5Added to the regular title and registration fees when the transaction is done at a DMV customer service center offering registration services. A private title and registration service agent may instead charge a service fee of up to $38 for a title transaction.	Buyer
Municipal or county wheel tax	VariesVaries by the town, village, city or county where the vehicle is customarily kept — 'State law does not specify the amount of the wheel tax'.Applies to autocycles, automobiles and trucks registered at 8,000 lbs or less, collected with the first registration and every renewal. The DMV page lists the current municipalities and counties charging one.Official calculator	Buyer
Electric or hybrid electric vehicle surcharge (annual)	$75–$175$75 a year for a hybrid, $175 a year for an electric vehicle, for autos and light trucks up to 8,000 lbs except dual purpose farm. Neither applies to a conventional petrol vehicle.	Buyer
Loan filing fee for listing a new lien	$10Charged for each lender listed. Note that eMV Public cannot be used when the buyer is taking a new loan — the lender or dealer files instead.	Buyer

The buyer pays 5% Wisconsin state sales or use tax on the purchase price, plus the county and any city tax for the place the vehicle is customarily kept, and pays it to the DMV when titling — a private seller does not collect it.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Sometimes required
The vehicle carries a salvage brand — it cannot be driven or registered until it passes a salvage inspection, and may only be driven to the inspection site.
The vehicle is homemade, reconstructed, a replica or street modified.
A brand such as 'STFARM NOT INSPECTED' is on the record, which blocks registration until a certified state salvage inspector passes the vehicle.
Wisconsin runs no periodic safety inspection for ordinary cars and light trucks, and a private title transfer does not trigger one — inspection is limited to specific vehicle classes.
Emissions: Sometimes required
The vehicle will be customarily kept in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington or Waukesha county.
It carries auto or light truck plates and is model year 1996-2006 with a GVWR under 8,501 lbs (petrol, natural gas or hybrid), or model year 2007 or newer with a GVWR up to 14,000 lbs (diesel, petrol, natural gas or hybrid).
Where both apply, the test is due within 45 days of purchasing and registering the vehicle.
An emissions test is required only for vehicles customarily kept in seven south-eastern counties — Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha — and there it must be done within 45 days of buying and registering the vehicle.
Notarization: Sometimes required
An owner or co-owner to be listed on the new title is under 18: the parent's, guardian's or legal custodian's Consent to Purchase (MV1 Section H, or form MV2924) must be notarized, unless it is signed in front of an approved DMV employee.
Nothing in an ordinary Wisconsin title transfer is notarized — not the title assignment, not the MV1, not the estate form MV2300. The one notarized signature is a parent's or guardian's consent when an owner will be under 18.
Odometer disclosure: Required, unless you are exempt
Exempt where the vehicle is model year 2010 or older, per the DMV glossary.
Exempt for trailers.
Exempt where the registered or gross vehicle weight rating is over 16,000 pounds.
For a vehicle of model year 2011 or newer the seller must write the odometer reading from the date of sale on the back of the title and state whether it is actual, not actual, or in excess of mechanical limits; the buyer then prints their name and signs the same disclosure.

What happens to the plates

Plates follow the person in Wisconsin, not the vehicle: the seller of a car, light truck, motorcycle or motor home of 8,000 pounds or less must take the plates off, and the buyer either transfers a plate already in their own name or buys a new one.

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

Wis. Stat. s. 342.15(4)(a) makes plate removal the owner's statutory duty for those vehicle types, with a forfeiture of up to $200 under s. 342.15(7) for not doing it. A seller may move unexpired plates to another vehicle of the same type titled to them, their spouse or their domestic partner at no charge; they cannot be transferred to any other family member. Plates not transferred cannot be refunded and should be destroyed rather than returned to the DMV; if they were left on the sold vehicle, the former owner files MV2514 to cancel them. A plate expired more than 90 days can no longer be transferred.

How to submit

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

Wisconsin runs title and registration through one document, form MV1, the Wisconsin Title & License Plate Application — you name the plate you are transferring or the plate you are buying in the same application that transfers the title, and pay both in one total.

Official state links

Source: Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV). Checked July 26, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Wisconsin

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Wisconsin?: Apply for a new certificate of title promptly after the vehicle is delivered to you from delivery of the vehicle to the buyer. Wisconsin publishes no day count for the title application itself. Wis. Stat. s. 342.15(2) says the transferee 'shall, promptly after delivery to him or her of the vehicle, execute the application for a new certificate of title', and s. 342.15(6)(a) allows a forfeiture of up to $200 for failing to apply immediately upon transfer. The application counts as made when it and the fee are delivered to the department or posted. The two-business-day clock that Wisconsin does publish is a separate duty: it is about displaying plates before you drive.
How much does a title transfer cost in Wisconsin?: The base title fee is $214.50. The Wisconsin title fee for an original title or a title transfer, as printed in Section E of form MV1 (rev. 10/2025) and in the DMV's guide for family members of the recently deceased (BDS367, 6/2026). It excludes the 5% state sales tax and any county or city tax, the $85 automobile registration fee, the $12 plate issuance fee, the $10 loan filing fee if a lender is being listed, any wheel tax, and the $5 counter service fee if you apply in person. A low speed vehicle title is $207. The fee is $0 for a transfer to a surviving spouse, registered domestic partner or other qualifying family member of a deceased owner. The buyer pays 5% Wisconsin state sales or use tax on the purchase price, plus the county and any city tax for the place the vehicle is customarily kept, and pays it to the DMV when titling — a private seller does not collect it.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Wisconsin?: Sometimes required. Nothing in an ordinary Wisconsin title transfer is notarized — not the title assignment, not the MV1, not the estate form MV2300. The one notarized signature is a parent's or guardian's consent when an owner will be under 18.
Does the seller have to notify the title authority in Wisconsin?: Yes. Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV). 30 calendar days from the date of the sale. Wis. Stat. s. 342.41(1) forbids an individual selling a motor vehicle to another individual, including transferring a junk vehicle by bill of sale, unless the seller reports the VIN and the buyer's identity to the department within 30 days. The DMV notes that the notification is confirmation for the seller's own records and 'will not be noted on the vehicle record'; it does not replace the seller's other duties, and it does not transfer the title.
What happens to the license plates in Wisconsin?: Plates follow the person in Wisconsin, not the vehicle: the seller of a car, light truck, motorcycle or motor home of 8,000 pounds or less must take the plates off, and the buyer either transfers a plate already in their own name or buys a new 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.

43 official sources · last checked July 26, 2026 · How this was compiled · Report a correction