How to Register and Title an Out-of-State Car in New Jersey

Title and register your car with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission within 60 days of moving. Bring your ID, the original title, New Jersey insurance information and two completed forms, and expect a title fee of $60, or $85 or $110 if the car has liens. If the car is financed or leased, the lender has to release the title to the MVC first, so start that step before you move.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group. People moving to Monmouth and Ocean County ask me about the house, the town and the taxes. Then, a few weeks after closing, they ask me about the car. Here's the answer, built from the MVC's own pages.

How long do you have to register your car in New Jersey?

The MVC gives new residents 60 days from the move to transfer the title and registration (NJ MVC, Moving to New Jersey). Your driver's license runs on the same 60-day clock, and the MVC can do both in one out-of-state transfer appointment. You can also book a separate New Title or Registration appointment.

The license side is covered in how to transfer an out-of-state driver's license to New Jersey.

What do you need to bring?

• Proof of identification, usually a valid driver's license.
• The original title.
• Your New Jersey insurance information.
• A completed Universal Title Application (Form OS/SS-UTA).
• A completed Vehicle Registration Application (Form BA-49).
• An Entity Identification Number, only if a business owns the car.

All of these, with links to the forms, are on the MVC's Moving to New Jersey page.

What if your car is financed or leased?

Then you don't have the title. Your lender or leasing company does. The MVC asks you to send a completed Application for the Release of a Title from Lienholder (Form OS/SS-54). Once the MVC receives the title, it lets you know when you can come back to finish the transfer.

That's the step that eats the calendar, because it depends on someone else. If your car has a loan or a lease, I'd start this before the moving truck shows up. Ask your lender how it handles a title going to another state, and send the form as soon as you have a New Jersey address.

When the paperwork is done, a title with a lien or a lease is mailed to the lender or leasing company. You leave with a title receipt, your registration, New Jersey plates and a temporary inspection card.

How much does it cost to register an out-of-state car in New Jersey?

There are two parts: the title transfer and the registration.

Title transfer fees (NJ MVC):

• $60 for a standard vehicle
• $85 for a financed vehicle with one lien
• $110 for a financed vehicle with two liens

Registration fees depend on the car's model year and weight (NJ MVC, Registration and Title Fees). For a passenger car older than two years, the basic fee is $46.50 under 3,500 pounds and $71.50 over 3,500 pounds. Cars within two years run $59.00 and $84.00. Owners 65 and older and people with a disability pay $7.00 less in the passenger categories if they own or lease the vehicle. Zero emission vehicles also carry an annual fee on top of registration under a law that took effect July 1, 2024.

Sales tax: the MVC lists an exemption for a vehicle that was purchased, titled and registered in another state while the buyer was not a New Jersey resident (NJ MVC, Vehicles Exempt From Sales Tax). For most people bringing the car they already own, that's the one that applies. You claim it at the agency.

What car insurance does New Jersey require?

Every vehicle registered in New Jersey needs three types of coverage: liability, personal injury protection (often called no-fault) and uninsured motorist coverage. Your insurer issues a New Jersey Insurance Identification Card for each vehicle, on paper or electronically, and you have to be able to show it at an inspection, after an accident, at a traffic stop or at a police spot check (NJ MVC, Insurance Requirements).

Call your insurer before the move. The policy has to follow you to New Jersey before you can register, and the coverage choices are a conversation for your agent, not me.

Does your car need a New Jersey inspection?

Yes. After the transfer you get a temporary inspection card. New Jersey inspects vehicles once every two years, except new vehicles, which get a five-year inspection. You can find inspection facilities on the State's map, and you bring a valid driver's license, your registration and your New Jersey insurance card (NJ MVC, How Do I Get My Vehicle Inspected?). Your temporary card is the reminder that a New Jersey inspection comes next.

What if your old state doesn't issue titles?

The MVC has separate guidelines for cars coming from states that don't issue titles, and separate instructions for vehicles from outside the U.S. Both are linked from the Moving to New Jersey page. If that's you, read them before your appointment.

How does this fit with buying a home here?

In practice, the car and the house land in the same few weeks. Here's the order I suggest to out-of-state buyers:

1. Before you move: Start the lienholder release if you have a loan or lease, and line up New Jersey insurance.
2. At or right after closing: Your deed is a proof of address for the MVC. If you're renting first, your lease works.
3. Within the first few weeks: One out-of-state transfer appointment for the license and the car.
4. After that: The car's first New Jersey inspection.

The rest of the first two months is in the moving to New Jersey checklist. If you're still deciding where to land, the relocation guide and my relocation page are the best places to start, and every town is on the Where We Work page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I pay New Jersey sales tax on a car I already own?

The MVC lists a sales tax exemption for a vehicle purchased, titled and registered in another state while the buyer wasn't a New Jersey resident. You claim it at the motor vehicle agency.

How much is the title fee in New Jersey?

$60 for a standard vehicle, $85 with one lien and $110 with two liens, according to the MVC.

Can I register my car and transfer my license at the same time?

Yes. The MVC's out-of-state transfer appointment covers your license and your registration in one transaction.

How often are cars inspected in New Jersey?

Once every two years, except new vehicles, which get a five-year inspection, according to the MVC.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Fees and forms come from the MVC pages linked above, checked October 9, 2026, and can change.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.

Keep reading

• Monmouth County vs. Ocean County: how to choose where to look
• Can you commute to New York City from the Jersey Shore?
• Moving within New Jersey too? Start with a free home value on the home you have now.
• Have a question this didn't answer? Send it to Dennis Mark and it may become the next article.