In a Wisconsin private sale, the seller signs and dates the back of the title, writes in the sale price, your name and address, the odometer reading and any brand disclosure, then takes the plates off. You apply for the new title online through eMV Public, by mail with form MV1, or in person, and you need plates or a temporary plate within two business days to drive it legally. Budget $214.50 for the title, 5 percent state sales tax plus any county or city tax, and $85 for new auto plates. The seller files a separate seller notification within 30 days.
That title fee surprises people. WisDOT's Legislation Affecting DMV page says the 2025-2027 budget (Act 15) raised the base vehicle title fee from $157 to $207, with the new fees effective October 1, 2025, and the current DMV fee page lists $214.50 for an original title or title transfer. Guides quoting less are out of date. I read those pages on the afternoon of October 16, 2026. That afternoon the eMV Public page also carried a banner saying online services that take payment were down for technical problems, so keep a mail or counter backup.
What the seller writes on the title
The DMV's selling your vehicle page lists the seller's jobs. Sign and date in the seller area; if the owners' names are joined by "and," every owner signs, and if it says "or," any one can. Fill in the odometer statement (for model year 2011 and newer), the brand disclosure, the selling price, and the buyer's name and address. The page warns that Revenue investigates suspiciously low sale prices, so a "write $500 on it" offer is a bad idea.
If there is a lien on the front of the title, you need the lien release too, because the buyer needs both documents to get a title. A seller who lost the title has to apply for a replacement and sign that one, even if the original turns up later. A bill of sale is optional (form MV2928 has one), but I would still write one. One correction to a common mix-up: form MV2300 is for transfers to a surviving spouse, domestic partner or heir, not for a normal sale between strangers.
Plates go with the seller
For cars and light trucks, the seller removes the plates. Heavier trucks, mopeds and trailers are the exceptions. That means you show up without plates, so you either apply online (eMV Public can print a temporary plate for autos if you are eligible) or get to a DMV service center or a title/registration agent before you drive anywhere.
Three ways to apply as the buyer
Online, the eMV Public application wants your Wisconsin driver license or ID, the last four digits of your Social Security number and your date of birth. It is not fully online, though. You still print the eApplication/Receipt and mail it with the signed original title (and any lien release) to WisDOT-eMV Public, P.O. Box 7907, Madison. Paying by bank account (ACH) skips the card convenience fee. Any alteration on the title needs a Statement of Intent, form MV2489.
In person, bring the original title and your ID; the DMV charges a $5 counter service fee. By mail, send form MV1 with a check to "Registration Fee Trust" at P.O. Box 7949. The online MV1 tool pre-fills the form and adds up the fees.
What it costs, with a worked example
A private seller of a personal car does not collect tax. Revenue's Fact Sheet 2113 says the buyer pays state, county and city tax when titling, and county and city tax are based on where the car is customarily kept. The state rate is 5 percent. Many counties add 0.5 percent (the sheet uses Dane County as an example), and since January 1, 2024 Milwaukee County is 0.9 percent with a separate 2 percent city of Milwaukee tax.
Then the registration side. The fee page lists $85 a year for an automobile and a $6 issuance fee per new plate, which WisDOT says it started collecting April 13, 2026. Many places add a wheel tax; the wheel tax list shows $40 for the city of Madison plus $40 for Dane County. So an $8,000 car kept in Madison runs about $440 in tax, $214.50 title, $85 registration, $6 plate fee and $80 wheel tax, roughly $825.50.
The seller's 30-day notification
Under Wis. Stat. 342.41, a seller in an individual-to-individual sale has to tell WisDOT within 30 days: the VIN, who bought it, the price and the date. The seller notification page does it online and gives you a confirmation to save. Honestly, keep it, since the DMV says the notice does not show on the vehicle record.
Check the car before money changes hands
Match the VIN on the dash and door to the title with our VIN verification for title transfer steps, then search NMVTIS for brands. Wisconsin brands a title salvage when a car under seven model years old takes damage over 70 percent of its value, and our Wisconsin salvage and rebuilt title rules post covers what that means. CARFAX for private-party sales and our used car sales tax comparison fill in the rest.
A seller who texts you a "clean report" screenshot but stalls on the VIN is a seller to walk away from. CarVins is a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller with no affiliation to CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian; in mid October 2026 our price has been around $5.50 as a guest, $4.50 as a member, or about $6.75 for both reports, against $39.99 to $44.99 retail. Confirm at checkout before you count on it. CARFAX's report overview shows what you get.
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