New Jersey Title Transfer

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

When a vehicle changes ownership in New Jersey, the buyer and seller complete a title transfer through NJ MVC. The state requires the transaction to be filed within 10 working days of the sale. Late filing brings a $25 penalty and continues to accrue at $2 per day to a $25 maximum.

Seller's responsibilities

The seller must:

Sign and date the back of the New Jersey title (the assignment block).
Complete the odometer disclosure on the title for vehicles under 20 years old (federally required).
Provide a bill of sale, if one is not printed on the title, listing buyer name, sale price, vehicle VIN, and date.
Remove the license plates and surrender them at any NJ MVC vehicle agency unless transferring them to a replacement vehicle.
Notify their insurance carrier within 14 days that the vehicle has been sold.

Buyer's responsibilities

The buyer must:

Take the assigned title to a NJ MVC vehicle agency within 10 working days.
Complete form OS/SS-2 (Application for Certificate of Ownership).
Pay 6.625% sales tax on the purchase price (or NJ's published value, whichever is higher).
Pay the title fee (see below).
Provide six points of identity documentation and proof of NJ address.
Show proof of NJ-compliant insurance to register the vehicle at the same visit.

Title fees

$60 — title with no lien recorded.
$85 — title with one lien recorded.
$110 — title with two liens recorded.

The title fee is in addition to the registration fee, sales tax, and NJ MVC's $3.50 processing fee.

Odometer disclosure

Federal law requires odometer disclosure at every transfer of a vehicle less than 20 years old as of the model year. The disclosure prints on the back of the New Jersey title. The seller writes the current mileage at sale, signs the disclosure, and the buyer countersigns. False odometer disclosure is a felony in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 56:8-21.4.

Lien releases

If the seller's vehicle had a lien recorded on the title, the seller must obtain a lien release from the financial institution before transferring the title. The lien release can be a separate document on the lender's letterhead or, more commonly, a stamp/signature directly on the title. New Jersey's Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) system allows lenders to release liens electronically; the title prints when the loan is paid off.

Out-of-state title transfers

A buyer who purchases a vehicle out-of-state and brings it to New Jersey for titling pays NJ sales tax of 6.625% (less any out-of-state tax already paid, if the other state's rate is lower). The out-of-state title is surrendered to NJ MVC, which issues a New Jersey title in the buyer's name. The vehicle must also pass a one-time NJ inspection within 14 days — see NJ vehicle registration.

Family transfers and gifts

Vehicle transfers between immediate family members (spouse, parent/child, grandparent/grandchild, sibling) are exempt from sales tax in New Jersey when the transfer is documented as a gift. The buyer completes form SU-7 (Affidavit of Family Transfer) at NJ MVC and presents the assigned title. The title fee still applies.

Inheritance transfers

Inherited vehicles transfer using a death certificate, the original title (if available), and a Surrogate's Court probate document or Affidavit of Heirship. Spouses inheriting a NJ vehicle without probate use the SS-72 Surviving Spouse Affidavit. Vehicles in an estate continue to be insured during probate; lapses can complicate the transfer.

Salvage and rebuilt titles

NJ MVC issues a Salvage Title when an insurer declares a vehicle a total loss. After the vehicle is repaired, an inspection at a designated NJ MVC reconstructed-vehicle inspection station can re-title the vehicle as Reconstructed. Reconstructed titles disclose the salvage history permanently and reduce resale value materially.

Once the title is processed, NJ MVC issues a paper title within 6-8 weeks. The buyer leaves the agency with a temporary registration and a confirmation receipt for the title application. See NJ duplicate title if the original is later lost.