What Minnesota charges to put a new car on the road, from the statutes and state fee pages

The short answer

We asked one question: what does the state charge to buy and first register a new car in Minnesota? Every rate comes from the state statutes or the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) fee pages, and every dollar figure below is computed from those rates. For a new gas car with a $40,000 sticker price, bought at that price, the state charges come to $3,431.50, or 8.58% of the price. County and local charges are extra.

Three findings

1. Sales tax is most of the bill. At $40,000 the 6.88% motor vehicle sales tax is $2,750. The first year's registration tax is $640 (18.65% of the total). Title, filing and plate fees add $41.50.
2. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars pay more at registration. At $40,000 the added registration tax is $200 for an electric car and $100 for a plug-in hybrid, which makes the first-year totals $3,631.50 and $3,531.50. The added tax is 0.5% of the sticker price for electric and 0.25% for plug-in hybrid, with minimums of $150 and $75. The minimums apply at or below a $30,000 sticker price. The statute lowers them to $100 and $50 for registration periods starting on or after July 1, 2027.
3. The county adds $10 to $20, or nothing. 55 counties list a wheelage tax: 28 at $10, 4 at $15 and 23 at $20. The other 32 list none. In the seven-county metro, Hennepin, Ramsey, Carver and Washington charge $20, Dakota and Scott $10, and Anoka none. Dakota, Isanti and Mower move to $20 on 2027-01-01.

Registration tax falls as the car ages

Sales tax is paid once. The registration tax comes back each year, and the statute reduces it on a schedule as the vehicle ages. For a $40,000 sticker price a gas car pays $640 in year 1 and $30 in year 11. Our year-11 figure follows our reading of the statute ($10 plus a flat $20) and should be checked by a person.

County wheelage tax

Each county board sets its wheelage tax, and it is due at registration. At the highest rate ($20) the $40,000 gas car above comes to $3,451.50.

How we did this

Sources

The 2026 Minnesota Statutes (168.013 for registration tax and 297B.02 for sales tax) and three DVS pages: fees, sales tax and wheelage tax. All were read on 2026-11-06.

Rule for numbers

Each rate was matched to an exact phrase in the source text by a script, and the script stops if a phrase is missing. Every dollar figure is computed from those rates, with no estimates.

Assumptions

A new car bought for its sticker price, with no trade-in, registered for 12 months with double plates. The first registration period starts between January 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.

Sticker prices

$20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000, $60,000 and $80,000. These are round values chosen to show the pattern, not average prices.

Limits

• Our reading of the rules. Two points are our reading: the $26 bundle of title-related fees (taken from the DVS fee list) and the flat $20 part in year 11.
• Sticker price versus purchase price. Registration tax uses the manufacturer's suggested retail price. Sales tax uses the purchase price. We set them equal.
• One kind of vehicle. This covers new passenger cars only. Other vehicle types, leased cars and used cars were not checked.
• Rates change. These are the rates on the date collected, and the registration-tax minimums for electric and plug-in hybrid cars are written to change in July 2027.

What we could not collect

• City and local option sales taxes and any other local charges.
• Trade-in credit, financing costs, insurance and dealer fees.
• How a deputy registrar applies the age schedule in a particular case. We read the statute and fee pages and did not test a counter transaction.
• Costs for used cars, leased cars and other vehicle types.