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Idaho title transfer fees
How much is the title fee in Idaho?
$14
In plain English
The Idaho Transportation Department's titles page refers to a $14.00 title fee, and mentions an optional fee on top of it that the quote we hold does not name. The page's county table adds a title admin fee, so that the total title fee is the admin fee plus $14.
“This fee is optional and in addition to the $14.00 title fee.”
The official words for the rest
“County Registration Admin Fee Amount Title Admin Fee Amount Total Title Fee (Admin fee + $14)”
Worked example
Example: a $12,000 used car bought from a private seller in Idaho. Title fee: $14. Tax is left out of this example. Not included: registration and plates, a lien fee, an out-of-state inspection, county or office add-ons, and late fees.
A made-up price; every other figure is from the quotes on this page. It is an illustration, not a bill.
What other fees come with it?
- Out-of-state inspection
“A VIN inspection completed by an officer of the law, DMV employee, military police officer, or Idaho licensed vehicle dealer if the vehicle is coming in from another state or has never been titled in Idaho before.”
- Lien fee$14not added
“To record a lien on an existing Idaho title, the lienholder name and address must be printed in the new lienholder section of the title. The title and an $14.00 fee may be mailed directly to the Idaho Transportation Department”
What are the steps in Idaho, and by when?
In plain English
The buyer files the documents with a county assessor's motor vehicle office within 30 days of the transfer.
The official words
“You must file the following documents with a county assessor’s motor vehicle office within 30 days of transfer to avoid a $20.00 late-filing penalty.”
To record a lender's claim (a lien) on an existing Idaho title, the lienholder's name and address are printed in the new lienholder section of the title. The title and a $14.00 fee may be mailed directly to the Idaho Transportation Department.
The official words
“To record a lien on an existing Idaho title, the lienholder name and address must be printed in the new lienholder section of the title. The title and an $14.00 fee may be mailed directly to the Idaho Transportation Department”
Fees and taxes for registering a vehicle in Idaho vary with the type of vehicle, its age, its purchase price and the owner's county.
The official words
“Fees and taxes for registering a vehicle in Idaho vary depending on what type of vehicle you have, its age, purchase price, and the county in which you live.”
What if the car comes from another state?
New residents have
30 days
“Whether your out of-state vehicle registration has expired or not, you must title and register your vehicle within 30 days of moving to Idaho.”
In plain English
A vehicle coming in from another state, or one never titled in Idaho before, needs a VIN inspection (a check of the vehicle identification number) completed by an officer of the law, a DMV employee, a military police officer or an Idaho licensed vehicle dealer.
The official words
“A VIN inspection completed by an officer of the law, DMV employee, military police officer, or Idaho licensed vehicle dealer if the vehicle is coming in from another state or has never been titled in Idaho before.”
A new resident must title and register the vehicle within 30 days of moving to Idaho, whether or not the out-of-state registration has expired.
The official words
“Whether your out of-state vehicle registration has expired or not, you must title and register your vehicle within 30 days of moving to Idaho.”
The state tax guide treats a registration or title from another state or nation of residence, issued more than 90 days before the move to Idaho, as proof that the vehicle was primarily for use outside Idaho. The quote we hold does not state the tax result.
The official words
“A registration or title from another state or nation of residence issued more than 90 days before moving to Idaho is proof that the vehicle was primarily for use outside Idaho.”
What about tax on the purchase in Idaho?
In plain English
Sales or use tax is due on the sale, lease, rental, transfer, donation, or use of a motor vehicle in Idaho unless a valid exemption applies. Idaho's general sales tax statute sets the rate at six percent (6%) of the sales price of the retail sales it covers.
The official words
“Sales or use tax is due on the sale, lease, rental, transfer, donation, or use of a motor vehicle in Idaho unless a valid exemption applies.”
“An excise tax is hereby imposed upon each sale at retail at the rate of six percent (6%) of the sales price of all retail sales subject to taxation under this chapter”
We don’t work out tax for Idaho.
What does a gift or family transfer change in Idaho?
In plain English
A gift of a vehicle is not subject to tax, and there can be no consideration in money, goods or services. The tax guide also names the only relationships that qualify for the exemption it describes: parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, and brother and sister (siblings).
The official words
“A gift of a vehicle isn’t subject to tax. There can be no consideration either in money, goods, or services.”
“These relationships are parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, and brother and sister (siblings). These are the only relationships that qualify for the exemption.”
What happens if the transfer is late in Idaho?
In plain English
This is about late titling. Filing the documents with a county assessor's motor vehicle office within 30 days of the transfer avoids a $20.00 late-filing penalty.
The official words
“You must file the following documents with a county assessor’s motor vehicle office within 30 days of transfer to avoid a $20.00 late-filing penalty.”
What the pages we read do not cover
The quotes we hold do not list which documents are filed with the county office.
The quotes we hold do not give the county admin fee amounts.
The quote naming the qualifying family relationships does not say which kind of transfer the exemption covers.
How Idaho compares
The title fee quoted for Idaho is $14. Of the other 37 states with a figure, 14 states quote less and 23 states quote more. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
LowerHigher
The states whose flat title fee sits closest to Idaho’s. Each figure is copied from the quote at the top of that state’s page, with its source and read date. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
Every state in one table · How a title transfer works
Add it up for Idaho
Reference only, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the agency. Full statement
Sources
12 quoted lines from 5 official sources, each matched word for word on November 12, 2026. The state’s own titling page is itd.idaho.gov.
- Idaho Transportation Department, Vehicle Titles · itd.idaho.gov
- Idaho Transportation Department, New to Idaho · itd.idaho.gov
- Idaho Code section 63-3619 Imposition and rate of the sales tax · legislature.idaho.gov
- Idaho State Tax Commission, Motor Vehicles: Private Parties and Nondealer Retailers · tax.idaho.gov
- Idaho State Tax Commission, Sales and Use Tax Guide for Vehicle Transactions (PDF) · tax.idaho.gov