How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Massachusetts in 2026

In Massachusetts, a transfer of vehicle ownership between family members is handled through the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). The transaction is completed through the RMV title and registration process, together with any tax-exemption affidavit required by the Department of Revenue for a qualifying gift or qualifying family transfer.

Massachusetts title law codified in M.G.L. c. 90D governs motor vehicle certificates of title, and the RMV's Vehicle Certificate of Title guidance states that vehicles subject to titling must be titled within 10 days of purchase.

What Does Transferring a Car Title to a Family Member in Massachusetts Mean?

Transferring a car title to a family member in Massachusetts means changing the legal owner of record in the RMV title system. For a titled vehicle, the certificate of title is the state-issued ownership document, and under M.G.L. c. 90D, § 10 it is prima facie evidence of the facts shown on it.

Until the existing title has been properly assigned and the new application has been processed, the current titled owner remains the owner of record. Massachusetts also uses both paper titles and electronic title records through the Electronic Lien and Title program, so a vehicle with a participating lienholder may have an electronic title instead of a paper certificate until the lien is released or a paper title is issued.

Eligible Family Members for Title Transfers in Massachusetts

Massachusetts provides limited special tax treatment for certain family transfers, but it does not create a general exemption for all relatives. Under 830 CMR 64H.25.1, the sales and use tax exemption for an intra-family casual sale or transfer applies only if the transferee is the parent, spouse, child, brother, or sister of the transferor and the transferor previously registered the vehicle in Massachusetts.

Common family transfers, therefore, include spouses, parents, children, and siblings. Transfers involving grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws may still be processed through the ordinary RMV title procedure, but those relationships do not qualify for the specific family-transfer exemption claimed on Form MVU-26.

If a transfer does not qualify for the family exemption and does not qualify as a true gift, Massachusetts generally imposes motor vehicle sales or use tax at 6.25%. For a casual sale, the tax is based on the greater of the actual sales price or the clean trade-in value described in the state's motor vehicle sales and use tax guide.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Gift to a Family Member in Massachusetts

Step 1 — Confirm That the Transfer Qualifies as a Gift
Massachusetts recognizes a separate gift exemption for motor vehicle transfers. To claim that exemption, the donor must have previously paid Massachusetts sales or use tax on the vehicle; no payment may be made or expected, no debt may be assumed, and the transfer must be intended as a gift at the time of transfer. Those certifications are made on Form MVU-24.

Step 2 — Review the Title and Lien Status
The current owner should review the title before the transfer. If the vehicle is still subject to a lien, the lien must be released or otherwise resolved before a clear reassignment can be completed. Massachusetts lien-release requirements are set out in M.G.L. c. 90D, § 24.

Step 3 — Complete the Title Assignment
The transferor must complete the assignment section on the back of the title with the date of transfer, the recipient's information, the odometer reading, and the transfer price entered as "gift" where applicable. The RMV states that in all family/gift transfers, both parties must sign the back of the title. If the vehicle is exempt from title due to age, the prior registration and a bill of sale are used in place of a certificate of title.

Step 4 — Complete the Title and Registration Application
The recipient must prepare the Registration and Title Application. When registration is being issued at the same time, the owner must sign the form, and the insurance company must stamp and sign it. The completed MVU-24 affidavit must also be included with the transfer documents.

Step 5 — Handle the Registration Plates
In Massachusetts, registration plates remain with the registered owner rather than with the vehicle. If the former owner will not transfer the current registration to another eligible vehicle under the RMV's 7-day transfer rule, the registration should be canceled and the plates destroyed or recycled in accordance with the RMV's registration cancellation instructions.

Step 6 — Submit the Transaction to the RMV
A standard family gift transfer must be submitted in person at an RMV Service Center. The filing package includes the assigned title, the completed application, the applicable title and registration fees, the MVU-24 exemption form, and the non-refundable gift transfer fee. After registration, a Massachusetts inspection sticker must be obtained within 7 days.

How To Transfer a Car Title as a Sale to a Family Member in Massachusetts

Step 1 — Determine Whether the Family Exemption Applies
A transfer between a parent, spouse, child, brother, or sister may qualify for exemption from sales or use tax if the statutory conditions are met and the parties complete the required family affidavit. If those conditions are not met, the transfer is treated as a taxable casual sale under the state's motor vehicle sales and use tax guide.

Step 2 — Assign the Title and Document the Purchase Price
The seller must complete the title assignment with the date of sale, the purchase price, the odometer reading, and the names and signatures of both parties. The RMV's individual-purchase titling instructions state that the mileage must be disclosed upon transfer of ownership and that, if the prior title does not contain a space for the sales price, a bill of sale showing the sales price must be submitted.

Step 3 — Prepare the Family-Transfer Tax Affidavit If Eligible
If the transaction qualifies for the intra-family exemption, the parties should complete Form MVU-26. If the exemption does not apply, Massachusetts generally calculates tax on the greater of the stated price or the vehicle's clean trade-in value.

Step 4 — Obtain Any Required Lien Release
If the title reflects an active lien, the seller should secure the release material needed for transfer before the application is submitted. Massachusetts requires lienholders to execute releases in accordance with M.G.L. c. 90D, § 24.

Step 5 — Complete the Registration Application and Insurance Certification
The buyer must obtain Massachusetts insurance and have the RMV registration and title form completed accordingly. Massachusetts also requires proof of identity for registration transactions, including new registrations and registration transfers, under the RMV's identity requirements.

Step 6 — Submit the Sale Transfer and Address Registration Matters
The completed application and supporting ownership documents must be presented at an RMV Service Center. If the buyer has an existing eligible registration from a disposed vehicle, the RMV's 7-day transfer rule may allow temporary use of that registration on the newly acquired vehicle if all conditions are met. If no transfer applies, new plates are issued, and the seller should cancel any registration that will not be reassigned.

What Documents Are Needed To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Massachusetts

Massachusetts routine title-transfer forms are signed under penalties of perjury, and the ordinary family-transfer process does not require notarization on the standard RMV and Department of Revenue forms used for gifts and family sales.

Required for All Transfers

• Assigned certificate of title — The existing title is the principal ownership document for a titled vehicle and must be properly assigned to the new owner. If the vehicle is title-exempt because of age, the prior registration and a bill of sale are used instead, as described on the RMV's Vehicle Certificate of Title page.
• Registration and Title Application — The Registration and Title Application is the RMV form used to apply for the new title and, if applicable, registration. When registration is being issued, the form must include the insurance stamp and the insurance company's signature.
• Proof of identity — The RMV requires proof of identity for registration transactions, and if a vehicle has two owners, both owners must provide identification under the state's identity requirements.
• Odometer disclosure on the transfer document — Massachusetts requires the mileage to be stated on the ownership transfer paperwork for the transaction described in the RMV's individual-purchase titling instructions).

Additional Documents for Sale Transfers

• Bill of sale or title price entry — For a sale, the transfer papers must document the purchase price. If the title has a sales-price field, that field must be completed. If the title does not include such a field, a bill of sale showing the sales price is required under the RMV's private-party sale guidance.
• Form MVU-26 — A qualifying transfer between a parent, spouse, child, brother, or sister uses Form MVU-26 to support the claim for exemption from sales or use tax.

Documents Required in Specific Circumstances

• Form MVU-24 — A transfer claimed as a true gift uses Form MVU-24 to certify that no payment was made or promised, no debt was assumed, and the donor intended a gift.
• Lien release documentation — If the vehicle is still encumbered, the transfer may require the release material or title-handling steps required by M.G.L. c. 90D, § 24.
• Prior registration and bill of sale for title-exempt vehicles — Passenger vehicles with a model year of 1980 and older that were purchased before November 26, 1990 are exempt from titling, and the RMV accepts prior registration and a bill of sale as proof of ownership for those vehicles, as stated on the Vehicle Certificate of Title page.
• Duplicate title application — If the title is unavailable, the current owner may need to obtain a replacement before reassignment through the RMV's duplicate title process.

How To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member Online in Massachusetts

Massachusetts does not provide a fully online process for a standard family title transfer. A transaction that changes ownership and results in a new title and registration still requires submission of the assigned ownership document, the registration-and-title form, and any required tax affidavit through the RMV.

A prior owner may cancel a registration online through the RMV's registration cancellation service, and a replacement title may be requested through the RMV's duplicate title process if the current title is missing. Those services do not replace the in-person filing required for the actual family transfer of ownership.

What's the Cost To Transfer a Car Title to a Family Member in Massachusetts?

The main RMV charges for a Massachusetts family transfer come from the official RMV Schedule of Fees, while the tax result depends on whether the transfer qualifies as a gift exemption, a qualifying family exemption, or a taxable casual sale.

A qualifying gift documented with MVU-24 is exempt from sales or use tax, but the non-refundable $25 gift transfer fee still applies. A qualifying transfer between a parent, spouse, child, brother, or sister documented with MVU-26 is exempt from sales or use tax. A non-exempt family sale is taxable at 6.25% of the greater of the actual sales price or the clean trade-in value under the Commonwealth's motor vehicle sales and use tax guide.

Massachusetts also imposes an annual motor vehicle excise after registration. Under the state's motor vehicle excise guidance, the excise rate is $25 per $1,000 of value, based on a statutory percentage of the manufacturer's list price according to vehicle age, with a minimum excise of $5. Unpaid excise can lead to 12% annual interest and collection charges.

Contact Information

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
25 Newport Avenue Extension, Quincy, MA 02171
Phone: (857) 368-8000
Official Website: Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles