The out-the-door math.
North Dakota charges a 5% motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price, less any trade-in allowance, instead of sales tax. It's paid when you title the vehicle; dealers collect it for you.
Source: NDCC 57-40.3-02
Start with the advertised price. Leave with a number you can compare.
Estimate = price minus trade-in, plus excise tax, doc fee and title. Excise is 5% of price minus trade-in, with a minimum of $0. Registration, loan payoff, finance charges and optional products are excluded. Ask for the complete out-the-door price in writing.
Buying used? Read the title, damage disclosure and any "as is" terms before you sign.
Source: NDCC 57-40.3-02
Source: NDCC 39-05-05 · title fee
The doc-fee starting point is $288, the North Dakota average. CarEdge shows $281 for Minot. These are October 2026 averages, not a quote for your purchase.
Source: CarEdge · verified out-the-door quotes
Registration is separate.
Passenger vehicles run roughly $49–$274 a year depending on weight and age; EVs add $120 and plug-in hybrids $50.
Source: NDCC 39-04 · registration fees
Buying from a Minot dealer, step by step.
Get the whole price in writing.
Ask for the vehicle price, trade-in allowance, doc fee, tax, title and registration on one written quote. Compare that total before discussing a monthly payment.
Ask about the doc fee.
Negotiate the doc fee as part of your out-the-door price. North Dakota doesn't cap it.
Source: CarEdge · doc fees, Oct 2026
Let the dealer handle the paperwork.
The dealer handles title paperwork and the temporary permit. The permit runs for 75 days. Ask which documents you'll leave with.
Source: NDCC 39-05 · title paperwork
Plan the signing day.
North Dakota law bars dealers from selling a vehicle on Sunday (NDCC 39-22-07.1). You can send Myndauto an Ask or Hold request any day. A person in Minot contacts the dealer for you.
Source: NDCC 39-22-07.1
Buying from a private seller.
Start with the title. Before money changes hands, check for a lien, read any salvage brand and ask for the supporting paperwork.
Source: NDCC 39-05 · titles, liens & brands
Put the paperwork together.
- SFN 2888 ↗Seller's Certificate and Vehicle Bill of Sale
- SFN 62502 ↗Private Party Vehicle Bill of Sale
- SFN 2872 ↗Application for Certificate of Title & Registration
Source: NDDOT · forms directory
Arrange delivery of the signed title with the seller. The buyer must submit the signed title to the Motor Vehicle Division within 30 days of receiving it.
Source: NDCC 39-05-17 · title transfer
The plates don't come with it.
Plates stay with the seller in North Dakota; the buyer registers the vehicle and pays a full year's registration, set by weight and age.
You may drive a newly bought vehicle for five days without plates if you carry dated proof of ownership.
Source: NDCC 39-04 · registration & grace period
If there's a lien, get the release.
Check the title for a lienholder. Ask the seller to arrange the lien release and confirm the paperwork with the lienholder before you finish the purchase. The form is SFN 2876 ↗, Release of Lien by Legal Owner.
Source: NDDOT · lien-release form
Source: NDCC 39-05-16 · release of security interest
Read the title for salvage branding and request the damage disclosure. Use SFN 18609 ↗, Damage/Salvage Disclosure Statement. Then work through the flood and damage checks below.
The office, the kiosks, the right stop.
Minot Motor Vehicle Office
Arrowhead Shopping Center, 1600 2nd Ave SW, Ste 5, MinotMon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. CT
Title-issuing branch (branch fees apply). Walk-ins accepted; appointments get priority at 1-855-633-6835.
Call for an appointment 1-855-633-6835 ↗
Run by the Minot Area Chamber EDC under state contract.
Source: NDDOT · motor vehicle locations · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
For a kiosk visit
- Cash Wise3208 16th St SW, Minot
- Marketplace Foods1600 2nd Ave SW, Minot
Self-service kiosks handle renewals plus 75-day and non-resident temporary registrations.
Source: NDDOT · kiosk locations · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
Driver's licenses are a separate stop.
2001 17th St SE, Minot
Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:45 p.m.
Appointments required (1-855-633-6835). New residents have 60 days to switch to a North Dakota license.
Source: NDDOT · driver license sites · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
Stationed here as a non-resident service member? See the military registration and license rules.
Financing in Minot.
Get pre-approved before you shop. Take that offer with you, then compare the dealer's financing offer to your credit union's. Ask for the rate, term, fees and total cost in writing.
Every lender listed has a Minot branch and offers auto loans. Listed in no particular order. Not an endorsement, and no lender pays to appear.
North Star Community Credit Union ↗
1819 S Broadway · 2150 15th St NW · 210 Summit Dr (Minot AFB)
Source: North Star Community Credit Union ↗ · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
Gate City Bank ↗
924 31st Ave SW · 1017 S Broadway
Source: Gate City Bank ↗ · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
First International Bank & Trust ↗
150 16th St SW · 2150 21st Ave NW · 1600 S Broadway
Source: First International Bank & Trust ↗ · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
First Western Bank & Trust ↗
900 S Broadway · 2200 15th St SW · 2105 16th St NW
Source: First Western Bank & Trust ↗ · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
Old National Bank (formerly Bremer) ↗
15 S Broadway · 1615 36th Ave SW
Source: Old National Bank (formerly Bremer) ↗ · Reviewed Oct 17, 2026
Flood, salvage and damage checks.
Take water damage seriously when you inspect a used car.
Crest: 1,561.72 ft on June 26, 2011, the highest in Minot's history.
Source: City of Minot · flood chronology
Before you sign
- Look for water lines, silt or sand under the carpet, mats and in the spare-tire well.
- Fogging inside headlights and taillights, or new carpet in an older vehicle, are red flags.
- A heavy air-freshener or cleaner smell can be covering mold.
- Run the VIN through NICB VINCheck (free) and an NMVTIS report.
- Have an independent mechanic look before you sign.
Source: FTC · flood-damaged car checklist
Damage disclosure
Sellers must disclose prior damage of at least $10,000 or 25% of the vehicle's value, explicitly including submersion in water, for the current model year plus the seven before it (NDCC 39-05-17.2).
Source: NDCC 39-05-17.2
Salvage and rebuilt titles
A vehicle damaged beyond 75% of its NADA retail value must carry a salvage title, and a rebuilt one is permanently branded 'previously salvaged' (NDCC 39-05-20.2).
Source: NDCC 39-05-20.2
Used cars, "as is", and the lemon law.
North Dakota's lemon law covers new passenger vehicles and light trucks. Used vehicles can be sold 'as is'.
Source: NDCC 51-07 · lemon law
Read the sale terms. Ask which promises are in writing and have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle before you sign.
Source: FTC · inspect before you buy
Buy for the morning it won't start.
A winter-ready checklist belongs beside the price.
Source: NOAA · Minot climate normals · 1991–2020 averages
- Block heater and cord. Ask whether one is fitted, check the cord for damage and have the heater checked before cold weather.
- Battery. Check its age and cold-cranking amps. Ask for a battery test if its condition is uncertain.
- Tires. Inspect winter or all-weather tires for tread depth, wear and damage. Ask a tire shop whether they're ready for winter.
- Remote start. If equipped, test it and make sure you know how it works. Follow the owner's manual and never run the car in an enclosed space.
- Winter kit. Pack warm layers, a blanket, a scraper, a flashlight and a charged phone before you travel.
Practical shopping checks. Have a mechanic check anything you can't confidently assess yourself.
Brands with no Minot dealer.
If you're looking for one of these brands' dealerships, expand the trip.
| Brand | Nearest dealership location |
|---|---|
| Subaru | Mandan (Eide Subaru) |
| Mazda | Fargo (Lunde Mazda) |
| Kia | Mandan (Eide Kia) |
| Volkswagen | Bismarck |
| Mercedes-Benz | Fargo (Valley Imports) |
| Lincoln | Bismarck (Eide Ford Lincoln) |
| Lexus | None in North Dakota |
Confirmed by brand dealer locators and CarEdge, Oct 2026.
Source: CarEdge · Minot dealer directory · Oct 2026; brand locators also checked in the source research
The short answers.
Do I pay sales tax or excise tax?
North Dakota charges a 5% motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price, less any trade-in allowance, instead of sales tax. It's paid when you title the vehicle; dealers collect it for you.
Source: NDCC 57-40.3-02
How long is the dealer's temporary permit?
The temporary permit runs for 75 days.
Source: NDCC 39-04
Can I drive a newly bought vehicle without plates?
You may drive a newly bought vehicle for five days without plates if you carry dated proof of ownership.
Source: NDCC 39-04
Do the seller's plates come with the car?
Plates stay with the seller in North Dakota; the buyer registers the vehicle and pays a full year's registration, set by weight and age.
Source: NDCC 39-04
When do I need to submit the signed title?
The buyer must submit the signed title to the Motor Vehicle Division within 30 days of receiving it.
Source: NDCC 39-05-17
Can a dealer sell me a car on Sunday?
North Dakota law bars dealers from selling a vehicle on Sunday (NDCC 39-22-07.1).
Source: NDCC 39-22-07.1
Does the lemon law cover a used car?
North Dakota's lemon law covers new passenger vehicles and light trucks. Used vehicles can be sold 'as is'.
Source: NDCC 51-07
What if I'm buying here and driving out of state?
Non-residents buying in North Dakota can get a 30-day drive-out permit for $5.
Source: NDCC 39-04