Report of Sale in Minnesota — Report a Vehicle Sale to MN DVS.

A Minnesota Report of Sale is a notice the seller gives to Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) to record that a vehicle has been sold or transferred. It tells the state that you are no longer the owner as of the sale date, so citations, tolls, and civil claims that arise after the sale are directed at the buyer rather than you. Minnesota titles include a record-of-sale (notice-of-sale) section the seller completes at the time of transfer, and you can also report the sale online through DVS at dvs.dps.mn.gov. It is strictly a seller step to release liability and is unrelated to a VIN-based vehicle history report, which is what a buyer runs to research the car's past.

The fastest way is online at Minnesota DVS, dvs.dps.mn.gov, using the report-of-sale or notice-of-sale option, which records the transfer and gives you confirmation immediately. You should also complete the record-of-sale section printed on the Minnesota title when the vehicle changes hands. Whichever route you use, you provide the vehicle's VIN, the buyer's full name and address, the sale date, the odometer reading at sale, and the sale price. Keep your confirmation or the retained title stub — that dated proof is what shows DVS was notified and that your liability ended on the sale date.

Signing the title transfers ownership between you and the buyer, but it does not update the state's records by itself. Until the buyer completes the title transfer and registration at DVS — which they may put off — Minnesota can still show you as the registered owner. Reporting the sale independently closes that gap: it notifies DVS directly that you sold the vehicle on a specific date, so you are released from liability right away rather than waiting on the buyer. Completing the title's record-of-sale section and reporting the sale to DVS are two protections, and you want both in place.

You need the vehicle's 17-character VIN, the buyer's full legal name and current address, the exact date of sale, the odometer reading at the time of sale, and the sale price. All of the vehicle details are printed on the Minnesota title, so keep it in front of you as you complete the record-of-sale section or the online report. The buyer's name and address are especially important, because that is who DVS will associate with the vehicle after the transfer. Verify the VIN and buyer's name before you submit — those are the fields most likely to cause a problem if entered incorrectly.

You report the sale online through Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services at dvs.dps.mn.gov, which is the official DVS website. Look for the report-of-sale or notice-of-sale option, enter the vehicle and buyer information along with the sale date, odometer, and price, and submit. Filing online is the quickest way to make sure the state records the transfer promptly and gives you an immediate record that you notified DVS. Because DVS sets the process and any fees, confirm the current steps on dvs.dps.mn.gov before you start so nothing is missing.

Yes. Reporting the sale protects you as the seller by releasing your liability, but it does not complete the transaction on the buyer's side. The buyer must transfer the Minnesota title into their own name and register the vehicle at DVS, paying the applicable motor vehicle taxes and fees. That is a separate step the buyer is responsible for. Your notice of sale simply ensures the state knows you are no longer the owner in the interim, which matters if the buyer delays their part of the paperwork.

No — they are entirely different things done by different people for different reasons. Reporting the sale is a seller task: you notify Minnesota DVS that you sold the vehicle so you are released from liability. A vehicle history report is a buyer task: you enter the VIN to see the car's recorded past — title brands, reported accidents, odometer readings, theft status, and open recalls — before deciding to buy. One protects the seller from future claims; the other protects the buyer from a bad purchase. In a private sale, each side may need its own document.