Wisconsin title answers · Inherited and family
How do you gift a car to a family member in Wisconsin?
Short answer
You sign the title over as the seller with the price as zero, and your relative applies for a new title on form MV1. The $214.50 title fee still applies, because Wisconsin only waives it for transfers after a death. Sales tax is separate: WisDOT lists a no-money gift and certain family transfers as exemptions the new owner claims on the MV1. You keep your plates unless the new owner is your spouse or domestic partner.
What the giver does
A gift is still a transfer of ownership in Wisconsin; the title law defines transfer as a change of ownership by purchase, gift or any other means. So you fill out the back of the title the same way a seller would. Sign and date it in the seller area, and if the title lists two owners joined by AND, both of you sign.
For a vehicle that is model year 2011 or newer, WisDOT says to write the mileage on the title and mark it actual, not actual, or in excess of mechanical limits. Fill in the brand disclosure if one applies, and write in your relative's name and address. For the price, WisDOT's eMV guidance says that if no money, property or services changed hands, the purchase price is zero.
- If there is a loan, pay it off first. The new owner needs the lien release along with the title.
- Take your plates off a car or light truck. WisDOT says not to leave them on.
- Complete WisDOT's seller notification within 30 days. Wis. Stat. 342.41 requires it for a transfer from one individual to another, and WisDOT asks for it when you sold or gave a vehicle to someone.
What your relative does
Your relative fills out MV1, the Title and License Plate Application, and sends it to WisDOT with the signed title and the fees. WisDOT says the new owner should title and register the vehicle within two business days if they will drive it.
The title fee is $214.50. Wis. Stat. 342.14 waives it only when a decedent's vehicle goes to a surviving spouse, domestic partner or immediate family member. A gift between living relatives does not qualify, even between a parent and child.
Sales tax on a family gift
Wisconsin charges 5% state sales tax plus any county or local tax on vehicle purchases unless an exemption applies. WisDOT's purchase price FAQ lists two that matter here.
The first is a family transfer of a vehicle with a current Wisconsin title. WisDOT's list covers a spouse, an ex-spouse with a divorce decree, a parent, a child or child's spouse, a mother-in-law or father-in-law, a stepparent and a stepchild. The second is a separate exemption for a vehicle given to you with no money exchanged.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue reviews every exemption claimed, and WisDOT warns that fraudulent entries can be penalized. Questions about whether yours applies go to DOR at (608) 266-2776.
Where family gifts go wrong
Most family transfers are simple. These are the spots that cause a return or a tax bill:
- Assuming every relative is on the family list. Brothers, sisters, grandparents and grandchildren are not on WisDOT's family transfer list. A true no-money gift to them may still fit the separate gift exemption.
- Writing a token price. If your nephew hands you $500, it is a sale, not a gift, and tax is due on the $500. Put the real number on the title.
- An out-of-state title. WisDOT says the family transfer exemption only works with a current Wisconsin title.
- A parent's trust. WisDOT's tax FAQ says a vehicle moving from a parent's trust to a child is taxable unless the parents first title it in their own names and then transfer it.
Plates and registration
Wisconsin plates belong to the owner, not the car, for autos and light trucks. MV1 says plates can move between spouses or domestic partners, but not between other family members. So a gift to your son or sister means they get their own plates on the MV1, and you keep yours for another vehicle or destroy them.
MV1 says a car or light truck must display plates within two business days of purchase to be driven legally, and that an authorized agent can issue a temporary plate if there is none to move over.
Step by step
- Pay off any loan and get the lien release.
- Sign the title as seller, fill in mileage and the recipient's name, and enter the price as zero for a true gift.
- Remove your plates and complete the seller notification.
- Your relative completes MV1, claims any exemption that honestly applies, and mails it with the title and fees.
Common questions
Do I need a bill of sale for a gift?
WisDOT says a bill of sale is optional. If you write one, list the vehicle, VIN, mileage, both names, addresses and signatures, the date and the price.
Is the gift exemption only for family?
WisDOT lists the no-money gift as its own exemption, separate from the family list. DOR reviews it either way.
Can I gift a car titled in another state this way?
WisDOT says the family transfer tax exemptions apply only to vehicles with a current Wisconsin title. Other rules apply to out-of-state titles.
Can I gift a car that I cannot find the title for?
If it is titled in your name, replace the title first with form MV2119 for $20, then sign the replacement over.
Want us to do the paperwork?
You tell us your situation. We fill out the WisDOT forms for it and give you a checklist of what to include. You review, sign and mail the package yourself.
If the state asks for a bond, you buy it from a licensed surety of your choosing. We take no commission.
- ✓ $299, one flat fee, bonded titles included
- ✓ Track your case online
- ✓ The application is in your name from the start
State fees are paid to WisDOT. Any bond premium is paid to the surety you choose.
Prefer to fill out the forms yourself? The $97 do-it-yourself kit walks you through every form field, the real costs, and the 12 reasons packets get rejected.
Related answers
Do you pay a title fee to transfer a car to family in Wisconsin?
Between living relatives: $214.50, but close family can skip sales tax. After a death: $0 for qualifying family with MV2300. Here is the split.
Read this guide →Do you pay sales tax on a private car sale in Wisconsin?
Yes. The buyer pays 5% state sales tax plus county and city tax when titling the car. In the City of Milwaukee that totals 7.9%.
Read this guide →How do you add someone to a car title in Wisconsin?
There is no add-a-name form. Sign the title over to both names, file form MV1, pick AND or OR, and pay the $214.50 title fee.
Read this guide →How do you sign over a car title in Wisconsin?
Seller signs and dates the back of the title, writes mileage (2011 or newer), price and buyer's name, and gives a lien release if a loan is listed.
Read this guide →What do you do after selling a car in Wisconsin?
Take your plates off, file seller notification within 30 days (VIN, buyer, price, date), keep copies, and cancel plates with MV2514 if you left them on.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: Selling your vehicle · WisDOT: Selling a vehicle, points to remember · WisDOT: eMV Public FAQs, purchase price and tax exemptions · WisDOT form MV1, Title and License Plate Application (PDF) · Wis. Stat. 342.14 (title fees and waivers) · WisDOT: Seller notification. Rules can change; confirm with WisDOT before you file.
TitleSolved is a document-preparation and title-recovery assistance service operated by Nuvent66 LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any DMV or government agency, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). We do not guarantee that any agency will approve or issue a title. Information on this page is provided for general reference, was verified against official WisDOT sources on the date shown, and is not legal advice.