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Maryland title transfer fees
How much is the title fee in Maryland?
$200
In plain English
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration's fee page lists $200 for a new or used title certificate. Filing a security interest (a lender's claim on the vehicle), new or duplicate, is listed at $40.
“New/Used title certificate $200”
The official words for the rest
“Security interest filing (new or duplicate) $40”
Worked example
Example: a $12,000 used car bought from a private seller in Maryland. Title fee: $200. 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
“You must have a valid Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate to title and register your vehicle in Maryland.”
- Lien fee$40added if there is a loan
“Security interest filing (new or duplicate) $40”
What are the steps in Maryland, and by when?
In plain English
The fee page's registration row lists $120.50 for cars with a shipping weight of 3,500 lbs or less, $125.50 for passenger cars of 3,500 lbs - 3,700 lbs, and $191.50 for passenger cars over 3,700 lbs. The row does not say what period the fee covers.
The official words
“Cars (shipping weight 3,500 lbs or less) $120.50 A Passenger Cars (shipping weight 3,500 lbs - 3,700 lbs) $125.50 A Passenger Cars (shipping weight over 3,700 lbs) $191.50”
What if the car comes from another state?
New residents have
60 days
“You must update the vehicle's title and registration within 60 days of moving to Maryland.”
In plain English
A new resident must update the vehicle's title and registration within 60 days of moving to Maryland.
The official words
“You must update the vehicle's title and registration within 60 days of moving to Maryland.”
The new residents page says a valid Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate is needed to title and register the vehicle in Maryland.
The official words
“You must have a valid Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate to title and register your vehicle in Maryland.”
If the previous state's tax rate is below 6.5%, the new resident pays the difference between the tax paid in the previous state and Maryland's 6.5% tax rate.
The official words
“If your previous state’s tax rate is below 6.5% , you will pay the difference between the tax you paid in your previous state and Maryland’s 6.5% tax rate.”
What about tax on the purchase in Maryland?
In plain English
Maryland's titling tax, which the fee page also calls excise tax, is 6.5% on all vehicles, with a minimum tax of $41.60. The fee page says it is based on fair market value. The excise tax page says it is based on the total purchase price or the valuation shown in a national publication of used car values adopted for use by the MVA.
The official words
“Titling tax - all vehicles (More info on Excise Tax page) 6.5% (Based on fair market value - minimum tax $41.60)”
“The 6.5% excise tax is based on the total purchase price or the valuation shown in a national publication of used car values adopted for use by the MVA.”
We don’t work out tax for Maryland.
What does a gift or family transfer change in Maryland?
In plain English
A gift transfer may be exempt from excise tax, but only if all requirements are met and proper documentation is provided. The quote we hold does not list the requirements.
The official words
“A gift transfer may be exempt from excise tax, but only if all requirements are met and proper documentation is provided.”
What happens if the transfer is late in Maryland?
In plain English
This is about a new resident who misses the 60 days allowed for updating the title and registration. Missing the deadline disqualifies the new resident from a tax credit for any titling tax paid in another state, and the new resident may be subject to a citation for an out-of-state registration.
The official words
“You must update the vehicle's title and registration within 60 days of moving to Maryland.”
“Failure to meet the deadline disqualifies you from a tax credit for any titling tax you paid in another state and you may be subject to a citation for an out-of-state registration.”
What the pages we read do not cover
The quotes we hold do not give a deadline for titling a vehicle bought within the state.
The quotes we hold do not list the requirements or the documents for a tax-exempt gift.
The pages we read do not say what papers to bring or which office to visit.
How Maryland compares
The title fee quoted for Maryland is $200. Of the other 37 states with a figure, 36 states quote less and 1 state quotes more. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
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The states whose flat title fee sits closest to Maryland’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 Maryland
Reference only, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the agency. Full statement
Sources
10 quoted lines from 4 official sources, each matched word for word on November 12, 2026. The state’s own titling page is mva.maryland.gov.
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Fees and payment options · mva.maryland.gov
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Excise Tax · mva.maryland.gov
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, New Maryland residents: Title and register your vehicle · mva.maryland.gov
- Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Giving a vehicle as a gift · mva.maryland.gov