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Vermont title transfer fees
How much is the title fee in Vermont?
$42
In plain English
The Vermont DMV's title fee list shows a new Certificate of Title at $42.00. A lender's claim recorded on the title is listed at $14.00 for each lien.
“Certificate of Title, New - $42.00”
The official words for the rest
“Lien (each) - $14.00”
Worked example
Example: a $12,000 used car bought from a private seller in Vermont. Title fee: $42. 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?
- Lien fee$14added if there is a loan
“Lien (each) - $14.00”
What are the steps in Vermont, and by when?
In plain English
The DMV's registration fee page sets out registration fees for cars, trucks, motorcycles, trailers and other vehicles by renewal term and fuel type.
The official words
“Registration fees for cars, trucks, motorcycles, motorboats, snowmobiles, trailers, and other vehicles registered in Vermont, by renewal term and fuel type.”
What if the car comes from another state?
New residents have
60 days
“A Resident who has moved to Vermont from another jurisdiction must register their motor vehicles within 60 days of moving to Vermont.”
In plain English
A resident who has moved to Vermont from another jurisdiction must register their motor vehicles within 60 days of moving.
The official words
“A Resident who has moved to Vermont from another jurisdiction must register their motor vehicles within 60 days of moving to Vermont.”
If the vehicle is registered or titled out of state to the applicant or the applicant's spouse, the tax is based on the J. D. Power clean trade-in book value and is due unless exempt.
The official words
“If the vehicle is registered/titled to you or your spouse out-of-state, tax is based on J. D. Power clean trade‑in book value and is due unless exempt”
Verification of the vehicle identification number is required for vehicles with salvage documentation, vehicles being titled under bond, and vehicles with registrations from any foreign country, including Canada.
The official words
“When Verification is Required Vehicles with Salvage Documentation . Vehicles that are being titled under bond. Vehicles with registrations from any foreign country, including Canada.”
What about tax on the purchase in Vermont?
In plain English
Purchase and Use Tax is due at the time of registration or title, or both, at 6% of the purchase price or the J. D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is greater.
The official words
“Purchase and Use Tax is due at the time of registration and/or title at the rate of 6% of the purchase price or the J. D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is greater”
We don’t work out tax for Vermont.
A calculator on a state or county government site: Tax Estimator on mydmv.vermont.gov (mydmv.vermont.gov).
What does a gift or family transfer change in Vermont?
In plain English
The DMV's taxation page lists receiving a vehicle as a gift among the reasons for requesting an exemption from the tax. The other reasons listed are tax paid to another state, a vehicle with altered controls or a mechanical lifting device for a disabled person, and a transfer to a business controlled by the person transferring it.
The official words
“To request exemption of tax because the tax was paid to another state, the vehicle was received as a gift, the vehicle is equipped with altered controls or a mechanical lifting device for a disabled person, or the vehicle was transferred from an individual or business to a business controlled by the transferor.”
What happens if the transfer is late in Vermont?
Nothing on this in the official pages we read for Vermont. That is about our reading, not about Vermont’s rules.
What the pages we read do not cover
The quotes we hold do not give a deadline for a buyer to title a vehicle after a purchase, or a penalty for doing it late.
The pages we read do not say what papers to bring or how the gift exemption is requested.
The quotes do not say which relatives, if any, a gift exemption is limited to.
How Vermont compares
The title fee quoted for Vermont is $42. Of the other 37 states with a figure, 30 states quote less and 7 states quote more. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
LowerHigher
The states whose flat title fee sits closest to Vermont’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 Vermont
Reference only, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the agency. Full statement
Sources
8 quoted lines from 5 official sources, each matched word for word on November 12, 2026. The state’s own titling page is dmv.vermont.gov.
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, Title Fees · dmv.vermont.gov
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Taxation · dmv.vermont.gov
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) · dmv.vermont.gov
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, New Registrations · dmv.vermont.gov
- Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, Registration Fees · dmv.vermont.gov