Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements in North Dakota

At a glance

Requirements one by one

The title assignment and the Motor Vehicle Division filing

North Dakota moves ownership through the certificate of title. Under § 39-05-17(1) the owner "shall endorse an assignment and warranty of title upon the certificate of title," filling in the transferee's name and the selling price, and § 39-05-17(2) has the owner "deliver the endorsed certificate of title to the transferee within thirty days of the date the vehicle was purchased." On the title itself, Part 1 is signed by the seller or transferor and Part 3 by the new owner. Where the front joins owners with "and," both sign; with "or," either may sign; a company title is countersigned by an officer.

Unlike most states, North Dakota does not process the transfer at a county office. The buyer submits the endorsed title to the Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division — central office, a branch site, or a kiosk. If the title shows a lien, the lienholder must first execute a release of the security interest (§ 39-05-16.1).

No notarization of the title

Nothing in an ordinary North Dakota title assignment is notarized. Section 39-05-17 asks only that the owner endorse the assignment on the certificate, and the Motor Vehicle Division's title-transfer procedure lists only signatures — the seller on Part 1, the new owner on Part 3. The only notarized document in the process is the Seller's Certificate and Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 2888), and that form is used "as proof of ownership if no certificate of title is available" — a substitute for a missing title, not a step in the ordinary titled sale.

The bill of sale and the purchaser's certificate

North Dakota does not require a bill of sale when the endorsed title accompanies the transfer. It does require a motor vehicle purchaser's certificate: § 57-40.3-05 has "any person purchasing a motor vehicle" complete a certificate showing the vehicle, the seller's and buyer's names and addresses, and "the full purchase price of the vehicle." That price drives the 5% excise tax, and a gift or nominal price is booked to the average value of similar vehicles (§ 57-40.3-01(5)). The notarized SFN 2888 comes into play only when the seller cannot furnish the title.

Odometer and body-damage disclosure

The application may carry a federal odometer disclosure (§ 39-05-05(1)(g)), and the new owner signs certifying the mileage; under the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay a 2011-or-newer vehicle discloses for its first 20 years. North Dakota adds a body-damage disclosure of its own: § 39-05-17.2 provides a damage disclosure statement from seller to buyer and bars the department from transferring title without it, for a vehicle of the current model year or the seven preceding model years where the damage "equals or exceeds the greater of ten thousand dollars or twenty-five percent of the predamage retail value." Salvage vehicles use a separate process.

The seller removes the plates

North Dakota plates belong to the owner, not the car. When the vehicle is transferred the seller removes the license plates and may carry the unused registration months as a credit toward a replacement vehicle. There is no report-of-sale form and no separate release-of-liability filing; delivering the endorsed title (and keeping a copy of it and the purchaser's certificate) is the seller's core duty and practical protection.

The buyer's 30 days, 5% excise tax, and fees

The buyer must, "within thirty days of receiving the title," deliver the endorsed title to the Motor Vehicle Division with a $5 transfer fee and apply for a new certificate of title (§ 39-05-17(4)); an application received within 30 days of purchase is presumed to be for in-state use (§ 57-40.3-08(2)). North Dakota charges no general sales tax on the sale; instead § 57-40.3-02 imposes "an excise tax at the rate of five percent on the purchase price." Common exemptions cover a gift between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or siblings (§ 57-40.3-04(5)(c)), inheritance (§ 57-40.3-04(5)(a)), a vehicle surrendered to an insurer in a claim settlement (§ 57-40.3-04(19)), and a divorce-decree transfer within one year (§ 57-40.3-04(21)). Add the $5 title fee (§ 39-05-05(5)) and weight- and age-based registration, and bring proof of liability insurance.

Inspection, insurance, and driving before you register

North Dakota runs no periodic safety inspection and no emissions test for an ordinary passenger vehicle — titling and registration turn on the endorsed title, the purchaser's certificate, the excise tax, and insurance, not an inspection. Liability insurance is mandatory: state law requires at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (§§ 26.1-41-02, 39-08-20, 39-16.1-11). Because the seller removes the plates, the buyer registers for plates before driving, or may operate on a temporary permit valid 75 days from acquisition while completing registration.

What trips people up

• Thinking the North Dakota title must be notarized. It does not. Only the SFN 2888 bill-of-sale substitute is notarized, and it is used when there is no title to sign — the ordinary title assignment takes only signatures.
• Looking for a county treasurer. North Dakota titles and registers through the state Motor Vehicle Division and its branch sites and kiosks, not a county office.
• Missing the 30-day window. A transferee who does not apply within 30 days of receiving the title may have the registration suspended or revoked, and the violation is a class B misdemeanor (§ 39-05-17(4)-(5)).
• Leaving the plates on the car. Plates stay with the seller, who can credit the unused months; the buyer needs new plates or a temporary permit before driving.
• Writing a low price to cut tax. The purchaser's certificate reports the full purchase price, and a gift or nominal figure is booked to average value (§ 57-40.3-01(5)); a false or missing certificate carries its own penalty, and non-payment of the excise tax is a class B misdemeanor (§ 57-40.3-11).

Common questions

Does the North Dakota title have to be notarized? No. The assignment on the title takes only the seller's and buyer's signatures. A notary appears only on the SFN 2888 bill-of-sale substitute used when no title is available.

Where do I take the paperwork? To the Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division — its central office, a branch site, or a kiosk — not a county treasurer.

Is there sales tax on a private car sale? No general sales tax. North Dakota charges a 5% motor-vehicle excise tax on the purchase price (§ 57-40.3-02), with gifts between close relatives, inheritances, insurance settlements, and divorce transfers exempt.

How long does the buyer have, and what happens if I'm late? Thirty days from receiving the title to apply (§ 39-05-17(4)). Miss it and the registration can be suspended or revoked, and the violation is a class B misdemeanor.

Statutes and sources

• N.D.C.C. § 39-05-17 — the transfer: the owner's endorsed assignment and warranty of title, delivery within 30 days, the buyer's 30-day application and $5 fee, registration suspension, and the class B misdemeanor. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c05.pdf (accessed 2026-07-23)
• N.D.C.C. § 39-05-02.1 — certificate of title required for an untitled in-state vehicle. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c05.pdf (accessed 2026-07-23)
• N.D.C.C. § 39-05-05 — application contents, federal odometer authority, and the $5 title fee. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c05.pdf (accessed 2026-07-23)
• N.D.C.C. § 39-05-16.1 — lienholder release of the security interest. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c05.pdf (accessed 2026-07-23)
• N.D.C.C. § 39-05-17.2 — body-damage disclosure for the current and seven preceding model years. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c05.pdf (accessed 2026-08-16)
• N.D.C.C. § 39-05-20.1 — the separate salvage-certificate process. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c05.pdf (accessed 2026-08-16)
• N.D.C.C. § 39-05-33 — general penalty (class B misdemeanor). https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c05.pdf (accessed 2026-07-23)
• N.D.C.C. §§ 57-40.3-01, -02, -04, -05, -08, -11 — the 5% motor-vehicle excise tax, purchase-price definition, exemptions, purchaser's certificate, the 30-day presumption, and penalties. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t57c40-3.pdf (accessed 2026-08-16)
• N.D.C.C. § 26.1-41-02 — continuous security for no-fault benefits and motor-vehicle liability coverage. https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t26-1c41.pdf (accessed 2026-08-16)
• North Dakota DOT — Motor Vehicle Registration Manual — the title-transfer procedure, plate-with-owner credit, liability-insurance minimums, and the SFN 2888 substitute. https://www.dot.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/Motor%20Vehicle%20Services/registration-manual.pdf (accessed 2026-07-23)