The Motor Vehicle registration manual tells you how to title a vehicle that comes in on an out-of-state title. Surrender that title with application SFN 2872. Pay a $5 title fee, a $1.50 disposal fee if this is the first North Dakota title, license fees from the fee schedule, and excise tax when the tax section says it is due. The same section does not state how many days a new resident has. The what-to-bring page does not list a safety inspection for an ordinary passenger car.
What do I do, in order?
- Complete Application for Certificate of Title and Registration, SFN 2872. Sign the front.
- Submit it with the out-of-state certificate of title. If ownership is not changing, a lien that is not released stays on the North Dakota title. If ownership is changing, the lien must be released.
- Pay the $5 title fee and, if the vehicle has never been titled in North Dakota, the $1.50 abandoned-vehicle disposal fee.
- Pay license fees based on the type of vehicle. The manual says to use the fee schedule and does not print one passenger amount.
- Pay 5 percent excise tax if you purchased the vehicle outside North Dakota for use in this state, unless a credit or an exemption on the manual's list applies. Bring proof of tax paid if you are claiming the credit.
What documents do I bring?
The out-of-state section lists SFN 2872, signed, and the out-of-state title. A trade-in used to reduce the tax must be identified by year, make, and VIN. Proof of tax paid to another state goes with the application when you claim a credit. The what-to-bring page also lists a valid photo ID for a registration transaction, and a photo of the VIN plate when it is required.
Which inspections apply?
The out-of-state title section does not state a safety inspection, an emissions test, or a VIN inspection. The what-to-bring page says inspection documents are required in the cases it lists, and the case it spells out is a vehicle previously branded salvage, using SFN 2486 or the low-speed and trailer inspection form. The agency's out-of-state section does not state an inspection for an ordinary passenger car. Confirm with the Department of Transportation.
Do I owe tax on a car from another state?
Excise tax of 5 percent is due on a vehicle purchased outside North Dakota for use in this state. It is computed on the full purchase price less any trade-in allowance.
Credit or reciprocity is item 9 on the exemption list. It applies to tax paid to any state that grants a similar credit for tax paid to North Dakota. Submit proof with the application. Reciprocity is not granted for Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Montana, New Hampshire, or Oregon. A vehicle from Canada is taxed at 5 percent of fair market value, with no credit for foreign tax. An imported vehicle from another country is taxed at 5 percent of the purchase price if new, or of fair market value if used, with no credit for tax paid to another country.
The manual does not say that a car you have owned for years in another state is automatically exempt. Read the credit rule against your proof of tax, and confirm with the Motor Vehicle Division. See sales tax and use tax when a car moves.
What insurance must the car have?
The Insurance Department says every motor vehicle registered and operated in the state must carry bodily injury liability of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, property damage liability of $25,000 per accident, uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident, underinsured motorist coverage equal to the uninsured coverage, and basic no-fault, also called personal injury protection, of $30,000 per person. No-fault pays medical expenses and work loss without regard to fault. See insurance proof before registration.
Can I drive it before it is registered?
A drive-out permit, SFN 2940, costs $5 and is valid for 30 days. The manual says it is issued to a nonresident who buys a vehicle in North Dakota and needs registration to return home. It is not valid for a North Dakota resident. The out-of-state section does not describe a permit for a new resident's car. See temporary tags and trip permits.
What fees does the agency list?
On the registration manual, opened November 10, 2026, the title fee is $5 and the first-title disposal fee is $1.50. Excise tax, when it applies, is 5 percent of the taxable price. The drive-out permit is $5. License fees are on the fee schedule, which the manual tells you to use and does not reprint for a passenger car.
What special cases does the agency describe?
A vehicle leased by nonresident military personnel transferring into North Dakota may be titled and registered without excise tax. The manual says the exemption applies only when the vehicle was titled outside North Dakota in the lease company's name and is now being titled in North Dakota.
A lien that stays with the same owner is carried onto the North Dakota title. A lien must be released if ownership is transferring.
The manual's 30-day language for a dealer delivering a title after a sale is a dealer duty. It is not stated as the deadline for a new resident who already holds the title.
What if the car arrives on a truck?
The manual does not change the process because a carrier delivered the car. File SFN 2872 with the out-of-state title. The new-resident day count is the item the manual does not state. Confirm it with the Department of Transportation. Car shipping in North Dakota covers the haul. RideShipper does not title the car. 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.