Registering and titling a vehicle in North Dakota: new residents, purchases and renewals

How to title and register a vehicle in North Dakota after buying it or moving from another state, including excise tax, temporary permits, insurance minimums, renewals and plates, from NDDOT's own pages and registration manual.

Guide · North Dakota · Vehicle registration · Titles · updated October 29, 2026

Vehicle titles and registration in North Dakota are handled by the Motor Vehicle Division of the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT). Its central office is in the NDDOT building in Bismarck, and it has branch offices around the state, several of them in county treasurer or chamber offices. Many branches issue titles, but most charge branch fees for their services. You can also handle much of this online, at a kiosk or by mail. NDDOT's Motor Vehicle Registration Manual explains the rules in detail, and this guide summarizes the main points.

The basics

One form covers both title and registration: the Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Vehicle (SFN 2872). It is on NDDOT's title and registration forms page, and NDDOT links to a video on completing it.

According to the registration manual:

  • The North Dakota title fee is $5.
  • A motor vehicle excise tax of 5 percent is due when you apply for a title after a purchase. It is computed on the full purchase price minus any trade-in. It applies to vehicles bought from a dealer or a private seller, and to vehicles bought outside North Dakota for use in the state.
  • An abandoned motor vehicle disposal fee of $1.50 applies when a vehicle is first titled in North Dakota.
  • Registration for a passenger vehicle is an annual fee, based on the year it was first registered and its weight. NDDOT publishes fee schedules for each vehicle type and an online fee and credit calculator.

Some transfers are exempt from excise tax. Examples are gifts between spouses, parent and child, siblings, or grandparent and grandchild, and transfers by inheritance.

To schedule a motor vehicle appointment, use NDDOT's online scheduler or call 1-855-633-6835. Some branches also take walk-ins. See the North Dakota DMV visit guide for details.

Buying a vehicle

NDDOT's appointment checklist for a purchase is:

  • A current state or government-issued photo ID
  • The title or manufacturer's certificate of origin, properly completed. It must have no write-overs, cross-outs or white-out.
  • A secure odometer disclosure for 2011 and newer vehicles, with the mileage completed by the seller. It is usually part of the title.
  • A damage disclosure (SFN 18609), completed by the seller, for vehicles less than nine model years old
  • A bill of sale, for purchases from a dealership
  • Payment

The manual says the seller must deliver the title to the buyer within 15 days. The buyer must then submit it for transfer within 30 days of receiving it. Any liens on the title must be released.

Plates stay with the seller

North Dakota follows a "plate with owner" rule for most vehicles. When you sell or trade a vehicle, you remove the plates, and the vehicle is then unlicensed. The buyer pays a full year's registration when titling it, less any credit. The seller can get a credit toward a replacement vehicle for the unused months.

As a buyer, you may drive the vehicle for up to five days without visible registration if you carry dated proof of ownership, such as a dated bill of sale or title. For longer, NDDOT offers a 75-day temporary permit for North Dakota residents, online or at a kiosk. Within those 75 days you must get the title and registration.

Moving to North Dakota with a vehicle

For a vehicle titled in another state, the manual says to submit:

  • A completed and signed SFN 2872
  • Your out-of-state title

You pay the license fee for the vehicle type and the $5 title fee. Excise tax is due on a vehicle bought outside North Dakota for use in the state. If ownership is not changing, any lien on the out-of-state title carries over to the North Dakota title. NDDOT's appointment checklist also asks for a state or government-issued photo ID. The manual says non-residents and military personnel must include a paper copy of their current driver license or ID card with the title application.

NDDOT's pages do not state a deadline for registering after you move. The registration manual does describe a temporary registration for people who work in North Dakota while their vehicle stays registered elsewhere. It applies if you are gainfully employed in the state and live here for work, or if you stay 90 consecutive days; college students are excluded. NDDOT sells this registration online. For the driver license side of a move, see the North Dakota driver license and ID card guide.

Insurance

The registration manual says state law requires each motor vehicle to carry at least:

  • Liability: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage
  • Uninsured motorist: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
  • Underinsured motorist: limits equal to your uninsured motorist coverage
  • Basic no-fault (personal injury protection): $30,000

The manual links to the North Dakota Insurance Department for more information.

Renewing your registration

You can renew:

  • Online, through NDDOT's Motor Vehicle Online Renewal. NDDOT says your printed online receipt counts as proof of current registration for 15 days.
  • At a kiosk.
  • At a motor vehicle branch office.
  • By mail.

The manual says North Dakota has no grace period for expired registration. With a renewal you receive validation decals and a registration card. If you own several vehicles, NDDOT can often match their renewal due dates; call 701-328-2725 to set this up. Online, you can also order a duplicate registration card (with or without decals) and update the address on your vehicle record.

License plates

North Dakota's standard plate, introduced in November 2016, shows a bison in front of the Badlands. NDDOT also offers personalized plates, blackout plates and a patriotic plate series. You can search whether a personalized combination is available online. According to the manual, a personalized plate can have up to seven characters, including spaces. It costs $25 when ordered, in addition to registration fees, and requests must be made in writing and approved by the Motor Vehicle Division. A set of duplicate plates costs $5 and is requested on SFN 2872.

To find a branch, see the North Dakota DMV office list.

Sources · checked October 29, 2026

We wrote this summary ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency.

Related