How to get a vehicle title

Typically, if you purchase a vehicle from a New Jersey dealer, it will be titled as part of the sales process. If you did not get a title from a dealer, you must title your vehicle within 10 days of purchase or face a penalty fee.

• Titles may be acquired at 45 MVC Agency locations. The vehicle owner must appear in person
• You must show Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) displaying the sales tax-satisfied stamp. You need to pay sales tax on the actual vehicle price. Certain vehicles are exempt from sales tax
• If the vehicle is financed, you must provide the address and corpcode of the lien holder. The original title will be sent to the lien holder
• 2009 model year and later passenger vehicles or light duty trucks weighing less than 8,500 lbs. are required to meet California Low Emission Vehicle Program standards

Fee payment:

• American Express®, MasterCard®, Visa®, check, money order or cash
• $20 for a standard vehicle
• $40 for a financed vehicle with one lien
• $60 for a financed vehicle with two liens

Used vehicles purchased in New Jersey
You must also provide the former title with the assignment section on the back completed and signed by the previous owner. If you make a mistake on the title, check with MVC to see if it is still acceptable.


Titles for New Jersey residents temporarily out-of-state
If you are a New Jersey resident and purchased your vehicle out-of-state, you will need to follow a special procedure [119k pdf].