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Massachusetts Guide

How to Title a Private Car Sale in Massachusetts

Last verified: October 2026 against Massachusetts RMV and DOR sources

When you buy a car from a private seller in Massachusetts, you register and title it through an insurance agent and the RMV and pay the 6.25% tax there.

Here is the order to do it in, what it costs, and what to bring.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Get the signed title and the price in writing

    The seller gives you the certificate of title. Both of you sign, hand print your names, and date the transfer, and the seller states the mileage.

    If the title has a space for the sale price, fill it in. If not, get a bill of sale showing the price. For a vehicle exempt from title because of its age, you need the seller’s registration and a bill of sale.

  2. 2

    Get insurance and the RTA form

    Go to a licensed Massachusetts insurance agent. The agent completes, stamps, and signs the Registration and Title Application (RTA form). Make sure any lienholder information is complete.

  3. 3

    Register within 10 days

    File the application and pay the tax within 10 days of the purchase. Take it to an RMV Service Center (appointments are prioritized) or work through your insurance agent.

  4. 4

    Pay the tax and fees

    The tax is 6.25% of the price or the vehicle’s clean trade-in value (NADA book value), whichever is higher. The book value is adjusted for mileage, not for condition, and a trade-in does not lower the tax on a private sale.

    The title is $75 and standard passenger plates are $60 for two years. You receive your registration, plates, and a decal; the title arrives in about 6 to 8 weeks.

  5. 5

    Get the car inspected within 7 days

    You must get a vehicle inspection sticker within 7 days of the registration date.

What to bring

  • The seller’s certificate of title, signed and dated by both of you with the mileage
  • A bill of sale, if the title has no space for the price
  • Registration and Title Application (RTA form), stamped by your insurance agent
  • Proof of identity
  • Payment for the tax, $75 title, and registration
  • An inspection within 7 days of registering

Estimate your Massachusetts costs

The calculator applies 6.25% to the price you enter. If the clean trade-in value is higher, the RMV taxes that instead. The yearly motor vehicle excise from your city or town is not included.

Open the full Massachusetts calculator

Vehicle & Transaction Details

Enter purchase information to calculate true out-of-pocket costs in Massachusetts.

51 Jurisdictions Active
Massachusetts 6.25% tax base
$
7 years old
Massachusetts tag options
2-Year Term (Massachusetts registers for two years)
EV surcharge rules
Lien fee: $0.00
Massachusetts: Non-Deductible
$

Massachusetts Notice: Massachusetts gives no trade-in credit on a private sale. The tax is on the price or the clean trade-in value, whichever is higher.

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Estimated taxes & fees

Estimated taxes & fees

Jurisdiction

Massachusetts

Estimated taxes & fees
$1,072.50

Sales/Excise Tax + Title Certificate + Tags & Registration

Itemized Line ItemEstimated Fee
1Vehicle Sales / Excise Tax (6.25%)

6.25% assessed on vehicle Fair Market Value

$937.50
2Certificate of Title Fee

Standard state title certificate issuance

$75.00
3Lien / Security Filing Fee

Unfinanced / cash purchase (waived $0.00)

$0.00
4Registration & Tag Fee

Base license plates & tags

$60.00

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Massachusetts rates last verified: October 2026
Official Notice & Statutory Disclaimers

Estimates only, not tax or legal advice. Verify with the Massachusetts RMV or Department of Revenue.

The estimate uses the price you enter. Massachusetts taxes the clean trade-in value instead when it is higher than the price, so the tax at the RMV can be more.

The yearly motor vehicle excise billed by your city or town is not included. It is $25 per $1,000 of value, where the value is a share of the manufacturer’s list price (90% in the model year, then 60%, 40%, 25%, and 10% from the fifth year on), with a $5 minimum.

Gifts recorded on Form MVU-24 have a $25 gift transfer fee, which is not included.

A motorcycle is $20 a year, shown here as $40 for the two-year view.

County & Local Tax Note: Massachusetts has no local sales tax on vehicles. Your city or town bills a separate motor vehicle excise every year: $25 per $1,000 of a value set from the original list price, not the price you paid. It is not included here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this Massachusetts RMV and DOR process.

On a private sale the tax is figured on the price or the clean trade-in value, whichever is higher. If you believe the book value was wrong, you can request an abatement from the Department of Revenue.

Sources

Last verified: October 2026. Rules change, so check with Massachusetts RMV and DOR before you go.

More Massachusetts guides

How to Gift a Car in MassachusettsForms MVU-26 and MVU-24, the $25 gift fee, and the paperwork.Titling a Car in Massachusetts After Moving From Another StateRegister right away, Form MVU-29, insurance, and inspection.
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