How to Sell a Car in Minnesota (2026 Guide)

To sell a car in Minnesota, you sign the title over to the buyer (every owner listed on the title signs), complete the odometer disclosure if the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer, and report the sale to Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) within 10 days. Before you hand over the keys, make sure any loan is paid off and the lien is released, remove your personal items and toll transponder, and cancel your insurance once the sale is final.

The rest of this guide walks through each step in order and helps you decide whether to sell privately or to a cash buyer.

What do you need before you sell a car in Minnesota?

Gather your paperwork first. Most delays in a Minnesota car sale come from a missing title, a lien nobody remembered, or a co-owner who is not available to sign.

Here is what to have in hand:

• The Minnesota certificate of title, in your name. If you can’t find it, read our guide on selling a car without a title in Minnesota before you do anything else.
• Every owner who is listed on the title, or a plan to get each of their signatures.
• Lien status. If a bank or credit union is listed as a lienholder, the lien must be released before ownership can transfer.
• Your loan payoff amount, if you still owe money on the car.
• The current odometer reading, written down exactly as it appears on the dash.
• A bill of sale recording the price, date, vehicle and both parties.

If anything is missing, fix it before a buyer is standing in your driveway.

How do you sign over a title in Minnesota?

Fill in the seller section of the title carefully and completely. Use the buyer’s full legal name and address, the sale date and the selling price, and sign where the title asks for the seller’s signature.

A few rules matter here:

• Every owner on the title signs. If the title lists two owners, both sign. If one owner is unavailable, sort that out before the sale.
• Don’t leave the buyer section blank. An “open” title, signed by the seller with no buyer named, invites trouble. The vehicle can be resold without ever being put in the next person’s name, and you may have a hard time showing you were no longer the owner.
• Don’t use correction fluid or cross things out. Mistakes on a title can create problems at the deputy registrar. If you make an error, check with Minnesota DVS about how to fix it before you hand the title over.

Keep a photo of the signed title for your records.

When is an odometer disclosure required?

In Minnesota, odometer disclosure is required on title transfers for vehicles model year 2011 and newer. You record the mileage at the time of sale and sign the disclosure, and the buyer acknowledges it.

Write the number exactly as the odometer shows it. If you know the odometer is not accurate, because it was replaced, broken or rolled over, do not guess. Check with Minnesota DVS about how to disclose it properly.

How do you report the sale to Minnesota DVS?

Report the sale to Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services within 10 days. You can do it online through DVS or in person at a deputy registrar office.

This is the step sellers skip most often, and it protects you most. It records the date the vehicle left your hands, so tickets or toll bills don’t follow the car back to you.

Have this information ready when you report:

• Vehicle identification number (VIN) and plate number
• Date of sale
• Buyer’s name and address
• Selling price
• Odometer reading, if applicable

Do license plates stay with the car in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, standard license plates generally stay with the vehicle when it is sold. Personalized or special plates can usually be kept by the owner. Because the rules depend on the plate type and your situation, confirm with Minnesota DVS before you sell.

If you are keeping personalized plates, take them off before the buyer leaves and ask DVS what to do with them next.

What should you do about insurance after you sell?

Cancel or change your insurance after the sale is complete, not before. If you cancel early and something happens to the car while it is still yours, you could be on the hook.

Once the vehicle is gone, call your insurer, and move coverage to your next vehicle if you have one.

Should you sell privately or to a cash car buyer?

Both can work. The right choice depends on the car’s condition, how much time you have and how comfortable you are dealing with strangers.

A private sale can make sense for a clean, running, late-model vehicle that will attract a lot of buyers. Expect photos, a listing, messages, test drives and payment risk. Our guide to car selling scams to avoid covers the risks in detail.

Selling to a cash buyer makes more sense when the car:

• Doesn’t run, or has a failed engine or transmission
• Has heavy rust, hail, flood or collision damage
• Is sitting in a driveway or garage and you just want it gone

With Get Cash Cars, you get a free offer, usually in about 15 minutes, with no obligation. We provide free towing anywhere in Minnesota and you are paid on the spot at pickup, before the vehicle leaves. We can also help with the title paperwork and the bill of sale. Read more on how to sell my car or see the full process on our how it works page.

A Minnesota car-selling checklist

Use this list on the day of the sale:

1. Confirm the title is in your name and every owner is ready to sign.
2. Confirm any lien is paid and released, or arrange for the buyer to pay the lender directly.
3. Write down the exact odometer reading.
4. Fill in the seller section of the title completely, with the buyer’s name.
5. Complete the odometer disclosure if the car is model year 2011 or newer.
6. Fill out and sign a bill of sale, and keep a copy.
7. Remove personal items, garage door openers and your toll transponder.
8. Handle plates according to DVS guidance for your plate type.
9. Collect payment before the vehicle leaves.
10. Report the sale to DVS within 10 days.
11. Cancel or transfer your insurance.

For a pickup-specific version, see our junk car pickup checklist.

What if your car has a loan, no title or major damage?

• You still owe money: the lien has to be released before ownership transfers. A cash buyer can often pay the lender directly. See selling a car with a loan in Minnesota.
• You lost the title: you can apply for a duplicate title through DVS or a deputy registrar. Other options depend on the vehicle, so call us to talk it through.

If you are not sure where your car fits, call (763) 226-3586 and we will tell you what we need to make an offer.

Frequently asked questions

Written by the Get Cash Cars team · Last updated November 5, 2026