USVI Title Transfer

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

Transferring a USVI vehicle title between buyer and seller is handled at the BMV office on the buyer's home island. The territory gives the buyer 30 days to complete the transfer, and the title fee is a flat $35 regardless of vehicle value.

Seller's responsibilities

USVI requires the seller to:

Sign and date the back of the existing title in the assignment section.
Print the buyer's name and address.
Disclose the current odometer reading on the title (federal law requires odometer disclosure for vehicles less than 20 model years old; USVI follows the federal rule).
Provide a bill of sale showing the purchase price.
Remove the license plates — USVI plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle.
Notify the BMV of the sale to release liability.

Sellers should keep a copy of the bill of sale and the front and back of the assigned title for at least 3 years.

Buyer's responsibilities

The buyer has 30 days from the date of purchase to complete the title transfer at the BMV office on their home island. Driving the newly purchased vehicle without registration during the 30-day window is allowed only with a temporary permit from a USVI dealer or a temporary BMV permit. After 30 days, late penalties apply.

To complete the transfer, the buyer brings:

The properly assigned title from the seller.
A bill of sale showing the purchase price.
A completed BMV-2 Application for Certificate of Title.
A completed BMV-3 Vehicle Registration Application.
Proof of USVI auto insurance meeting the 25/50/10 plus 25/50 UM minimum.
The buyer's USVI driver's license or other government ID.
A passing safety inspection certificate from a BMV-approved station.
Payment for the $35 title fee, registration fees, and the inspection fee.

Lien on the previous title

If the seller's title shows a lien from a previous loan, the lien must be released before the title can be transferred. Common scenarios:

The seller paid off the loan and received a lien release letter from the lender. The buyer presents the release letter and the title at the BMV; the BMV processes the title with the lien removed.
The lender holds the title (paper or electronic). The seller pays off the loan, the lender releases the lien, and the seller obtains a paper title from the BMV before selling.
The seller has not paid off the loan. The transaction cannot complete in this form — the loan must be satisfied before the title can be assigned to a new buyer.

Excise tax for buyers of imported vehicles

If the seller is the original importer of the vehicle and the buyer's purchase is the first transfer of the vehicle within USVI after import, the original importer should already have paid the 4% excise tax. The buyer is generally not re-taxed on the transfer. However, if the buyer is importing a vehicle into USVI for the first time (for example, from the U.S. mainland), the 4% excise tax applies and is paid to the USVI Bureau of Internal Revenue at customs before the BMV will register the vehicle.

Family transfers and gift transfers

A vehicle gifted between family members (parent, child, spouse, sibling) is subject to a reduced or waived fee structure in USVI, but the title fee, registration fees, and inspection fee still apply. The transferor signs an affidavit on the BMV-2 attesting to the family relationship and the gift status. Other relationships (cousin, friend) are taxed as ordinary sales.

Out-of-territory title transfers

If you're moving to USVI with a vehicle titled in a U.S. state, the BMV handles the title swap. Bring the U.S. mainland title, your bill of sale (if recently purchased), proof of USVI residency and insurance, the BMV-2, a current odometer reading, and a passing USVI safety inspection certificate. The 4% excise tax applies on imported vehicles unless they qualify for a personal-effects exemption (which generally requires the importer to have owned the vehicle for at least 12 months prior to import). See vehicle registration for the new-resident sequence.