If you recently moved to New Jersey, you must transfer your out-of-state license and your vehicle title and registration within 60 days of the move, or before the current license and registration expire, whichever comes first. For the vehicle itself, the Motor Vehicle Commission says you must transfer the title and registration, with or without a lien, within 60 days, or within 120 days during a public health emergency. You need an appointment. You leave with plates and a temporary inspection card.
What do I do, in order?
- Make a new-title or registration appointment. You can transfer the license and the registration in one visit if you book a transfer from out of state and bring the documents.
- If the vehicle is financed or leased, send Form OS/SS-54 to the lienholder. Wait for the MVC to tell you the title has arrived, then return to finish.
- Complete Universal Title Application OS/SS-UTA and Vehicle Registration Application BA-49.
- Bring proof of identification, usually a valid driver's license, the original title, and insurance information.
- Pay the title fee and the registration fee. If you qualify for a sales-tax exemption, the page says tax will not be charged.
- If there is no lien, you receive the title, unless the mailing address is a post office box. In that case the title is held 10 days and then mailed. You also receive plates, the registration, and a temporary inspection card.
What documents do I bring?
The moving page lists proof of identification, the original title, insurance information, Form OS/SS-UTA, and Form BA-49. A business owner applies for an entity identification number, formerly called a CorpCode. A financed or leased vehicle starts with Form OS/SS-54. All lienholders and leasing companies must have an entity identification number for the higher title fees.
If you are transferring from a state that does not issue titles, the page says to follow the guidelines for that transfer. It does not restate them on the moving page.
Which inspections apply?
Titles without liens, and titles with liens, both come with a temporary inspection card, along with the plates and registration. The moving page does not state how long the card is valid, what is inspected, or whether emissions are included. The agency's page does not state this. Confirm with the Motor Vehicle Commission.
Do I owe tax on a car from another state?
The moving page says tax will not be charged if you are eligible for a sales-tax exemption. It does not say who is eligible. It does not say whether tax paid to another state is credited if you are not exempt. Confirm with the Division of Taxation before the appointment. See sales tax and use tax when a car moves.
What insurance must the car have?
The moving page says to bring insurance information and does not print the limits. Bulletin 25-06 from the Department of Banking and Insurance, retrieved November 10, 2026, says the second phase of the 2022 law applies to new and renewal policies issued on or after January 1, 2026. Those minimums are $35,000 per person, $70,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage. The bulletin says the act does not apply to the basic automobile policy in the statute. See insurance proof before registration.
Can I drive it before it is registered?
The moving page does not describe a trip permit for the days before the appointment. It does issue a temporary inspection card with the new plates at the end of the transaction. The deadline is 60 days from the move, or sooner if the old registration expires first. See temporary tags and trip permits.
What fees does the agency list?
On the moving page, the title fee is $60 for a standard vehicle, $85 for a financed vehicle with one lien, and $110 for a financed vehicle with two liens. A registration fee is also due. The page does not print that amount. It points to fee information for the driver's license, which is a separate charge.
What special cases does the agency describe?
A financed or leased vehicle uses Form OS/SS-54. The title is mailed to the lienholder or leasing company. You keep a title receipt, the registration, the plates, and the temporary inspection card. See shipping a leased car.
During a public health emergency, the vehicle transfer period stated on the page is 120 days rather than 60.
A transfer from a state that does not issue titles, and a transfer of a vehicle from another country, are pointed to other MVC instructions. The moving page does not restate them.
The page does not describe a military or student exemption from the 60 days. Confirm those with the MVC.
What if the car arrives on a truck?
The 60-day period, or the earlier expiration of the old registration, still applies if a carrier delivers the car. The temporary inspection card is issued when you complete the transfer, not when the truck arrives. Car shipping in New Jersey and the cost page cover the haul. RideShipper does not title the car or decide the sales-tax exemption. A sample sedan range is $376–$573 as of , model v1 RideShipper estimate, updated 2026-11-09, based on 3,588 prices that customers reported paying in MoveAdvisor reviews, adjusted for U.S. diesel at $6.13 a gallon for that week (U.S. Energy Information Administration). In testing, the typical difference between an estimate and a reported price was about 20% of the estimate. This is an estimate, not a quote: the carrier sets the price. No pickup date was supplied, so this estimate uses November 2026. There is no seasonal direction adjustment for this route and month.. Change cities on the calculator.