How much does it cost to transfer a car title in North Carolina?

Certificate of Title: $66.75 (MVR-106 fee table). Highway Use Tax: dealer sale 3% of sale price plus any administrative/document fee less trade-in; casual sale 3% of computer value; out-of-state up to $250 maximum.

Does North Carolina require an odometer disclosure when transferring a title?

Seller shall disclose the mileage to the buyer in writing on the application (MVR-180) with signatures and hand-printed name. If a vehicle is 10 years old or older, odometer reading is not required (MVR-106).

What happens to a lien when transferring a car title in North Carolina?

All liens must be declared in order of their priority on Form MVR-1. If the title is in the possession of a lienholder who can produce evidence of registration and lien, the Division will accept the application without the title and will issue a plate.

How to Transfer a Car Title in North Carolina

The North Carolina transfer in one table

Step	North Carolina rule
Title transfer fee	Certificate of Title: $66.75 (MVR-106 fee table). Highway Use Tax: dealer sale 3% of sale price plus any administrative/document fee less trade-in; casual sale 3% of computer value; out-of-state up to $250 maximum. Plate fees stated on MVR-106: private passenger $46.25.
Deadline and late penalty	none stated
Application form	Title Application, Form MVR-1; Odometer Disclosure Statement, Form MVR-180
Odometer	Seller shall disclose the mileage to the buyer in writing on the application (MVR-180) with signatures and hand-printed name. If a vehicle is 10 years old or older, odometer reading is not required (MVR-106). Odometer reading required if the vehicle is less than 10 years old (Special Cases page, bonded/leased/trust tables).
Lien	All liens must be declared in order of their priority on Form MVR-1. If the title is in the possession of a lienholder who can produce evidence of registration and lien, the Division will accept the application without the title and will issue a plate. Bonds are not acceptable if there is an outstanding lien for which a lien cancellation cannot be furnished (Special Cases page, bonded-vehicle section).

What makes North Carolina different

The opened MVR-106 form, revised April 2026, states an odometer reading is not required if the vehicle is 10 years old or older, and the Special Cases page requires the Odometer Disclosure Statement for a vehicle less than 10 years old. This guide follows the 10-year threshold stated on the opened pages.

The transfer, step by step

Buyer steps:

Submit the Title Application (Form MVR-1), signed before a notary (witness must be a notary public or other authorized person), declaring all liens in order of priority.
Present a valid North Carolina driver license or Special Identification Card (name must match the application); out-of-state residents moving to NC must obtain an NC driver license prior to titling.
Provide the certificate of title in the applicant's name, properly assigned, including purchaser name/address, date of sale/delivery, seller signature and notarization (for title-state vehicles).
Seller discloses mileage to the buyer in writing on the application (Odometer Disclosure Statement, MVR-180) with signatures and hand-printed names.
Furnish proof of financial responsibility (NC-licensed insurer) at application; pay the Certificate of Title fee and Highway Use Tax.

Seller steps:

Assign the certificate of title to the buyer: purchaser name and address, date of sale or date of delivery, seller signature and notarization (MVR-106, title-state vehicles).
Disclose mileage to the buyer in writing on the application (MVR-180) with signature and hand-printed name.
Declare all liens in order of priority on the MVR-1 application (the application is completed with the buyer; the seller's assignment and notarization are the seller's acts).

Check the requirements before you go

Run your state through the Title Transfer Requirements Checker: pick your state and see the fee, the deadline, the forms, and the odometer rule as the official pages state them. Then compare how the other states do it in the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Coming from another state

Out-of-state residents moving to NC must obtain an NC driver license prior to titling. For new/used vehicles registered in certificate-of-title states: the certificate of title in the applicant's name (properly assigned, with purchaser name/address, date of sale/delivery, seller signature and notarization) is required; if a lienholder holds the title and can produce evidence of registration and lien, the application is accepted without the title and a plate is issued. For vehicles from non-title states: current registration certificate, proof of purchase, and evidence of registration for three consecutive years. Highway Use Tax for out-of-state vehicles: up to $250 maximum (credit may be allowed if tax was paid to another taxing jurisdiction within 90 days, with proof).

Renewing is not transferring

If the owner is staying the same and only the registration needs renewing, see Vehicle Registration Renewal in North Carolina for deadlines, grace periods, and late fees.

Transferring a title somewhere else

See Transferring a title in New York.

See Transferring a title in Ohio.

For all states side by side, see the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Source

Facts verified 2026-10-29.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency.