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Pennsylvania title transfer fees
How much is the title fee in Pennsylvania?
$72
In plain English
PennDOT's fee schedule lists a certificate of title at $72.00. Recording a lien, a lender's claim on the title, is $36.00 for each lien recorded, in addition to the title fee.
“Certificate of Title $72.00”
The official words for the rest
“Recording a Lien (Fee is per lien recorded in addition to title fee) $36.00”
Worked example
Example: a $12,000 used car bought from a private seller in Pennsylvania. Title fee: $72. 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
“VIN verification is required for out of state vehicles.”
- Lien fee$36added if there is a loan
“Recording a Lien (Fee is per lien recorded in addition to title fee) $36.00”
What are the steps in Pennsylvania, and by when?
In plain English
The seller's signature on a Pennsylvania title must be notarized or verified.
The official words
“The seller’s signature is required to be notarized or verified on the Pennsylvania title.”
A newly registered vehicle must pass a safety inspection within ten days.
The official words
“In Pennsylvania, a newly registered vehicle must pass a safety inspection within ten days.”
What if the car comes from another state?
New residents have
20 days
“All new residents are required to make application for Pennsylvania title and registration of their vehicle(s) within 20 days of establishing residency in Pennsylvania.”
In plain English
VIN verification, a check of the vehicle identification number, is required for out of state vehicles.
The official words
“VIN verification is required for out of state vehicles.”
A new resident must apply for a Pennsylvania title and registration within 20 days of establishing residency.
The official words
“All new residents are required to make application for Pennsylvania title and registration of their vehicle(s) within 20 days of establishing residency in Pennsylvania.”
A new resident does not need to pay sales tax when holding a valid out-of-state title and having owned the vehicle for six months before moving to Pennsylvania.
The official words
“You won't need to pay sales tax if you have a valid out-of-state title and owned the vehicle for six months before moving to Pennsylvania.”
What about tax on the purchase in Pennsylvania?
In plain English
The Department of Revenue's general sales tax page, which is not specific to vehicles, gives a Pennsylvania rate of 6 percent. It says a 1 percent local tax is added to purchases made in Allegheny County and a 2 percent local tax to purchases made in Philadelphia.
The official words
“The Pennsylvania sales tax rate is 6 percent.”
“By law, a 1 percent local tax is added to purchases made in Allegheny County, and 2 percent local tax is added to purchases made in Philadelphia.”
We don’t work out tax for Pennsylvania.
What does a gift or family transfer change in Pennsylvania?
In plain English
Vehicles received as gifts are not subject to sales tax. To claim the gift exemption (Exemption 13), a form must be completed by everyone giving and everyone receiving the vehicle and attached to Form MV-1 or MV-4ST. The sentence we hold does not name that form.
The official words
“Vehicles received as gifts are not subject to sales tax.”
“This form must be completed by all transferees and transferors and attached to Form MV-1 or MV-4ST for any transfer for which a gift exemption (Exemption 13) for purposes of Pennsylvania Sales and Use Tax is claimed.”
What happens if the transfer is late in Pennsylvania?
Nothing on this in the official pages we read for Pennsylvania. That is about our reading, not about Pennsylvania’s rules.
What the pages we read do not cover
The quotes we hold give no deadline for a buyer and no late penalty.
The pages we read do not say where to apply.
The tax rate we hold comes from a general sales tax page, not a page about vehicles.
How Pennsylvania compares
The title fee quoted for Pennsylvania is $72. Of the other 37 states with a figure, 35 states quote less and 2 states quote more. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
LowerHigher
The states whose flat title fee sits closest to Pennsylvania’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 Pennsylvania
Reference only, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the agency. Full statement
More from Pennsylvania’s official pages
Registration and plates
“NOTE: Registration fees include the cost of a standard registration plate for first time issuance. Additional fees apply for specialty registration plates.”
Sources
12 quoted lines from 5 official sources, each matched word for word on November 12, 2026. The state’s own titling page is pa.gov.
- PennDOT Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Schedule of Fees (form MV-70S) (PDF) · pa.gov
- PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services, Motor Vehicle Information for New Residents · pa.gov
- PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services, Buying or Selling a Vehicle · pa.gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Sales, Use and Hotel Occupancy Tax · pa.gov
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Understated Value Program · pa.gov