“ASK A TROOPER” by Sgt. Jesse Grabow of the Minnesota State Patrol

Question: I got rid of my vehicle a while ago. It needed some work and I gave it to my nephew to fix along with the title. I have no idea what he ended up doing with it. Now I’m getting contacted by a Law Enforcement Agency from another state due to the vehicle getting caught on their speed and stop light cameras. What can I do about this?

Answer: If the vehicle you sold/got rid of is involved in these types of incidents you will need to contact those law enforcement agencies and explain the situation. You should also contact your nephew. Here is what you should have done before the entire situation or anytime you sell/get rid of a vehicle. The steps below will help protect you as the seller or buyer of a vehicle from a private party.

When you sell a vehicle, you (owner/seller) are responsible for filing the “Notice of Sale” within ten days of the sale. This is located in the lower portion of the Certificate of Title. Doing this in a timely manner protects you and helps law enforcement to have access to the most current registered owner information.  It is also helpful to create a receipt that contains the buyer’s contact information and date of sale.  This will serve as proof of when you sold the vehicle and to whom.

When purchasing a vehicle from a private party it is important that the vehicle title is transferred as soon as possible. Minnesota state law says that you have to transfer the vehicle’s title within ten days of the date of sale, other than a sale by or to a licensed motor vehicle dealer.

New residents have a 60-day grace period in which to register their cars, passenger vans, 3/4 ton or less pickups, motorcycles, utility trailers, or house trailers as long as the displayed license plates are current. If your registration expires before the 60-day grace period is up, you must obtain Minnesota registration at the time of expiration.

For additional information visit: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/forms-documents/documents/buyingorsellingmotorvehicle_just_the_facts.pdf

You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober.  Help us drive Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths.

A portion of state statutes were used with permission from the Office of the Revisor of Statutes. If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501-2205.  (You can follow him on Twitter @MSPPIO_NW or reach him at, jesse.grabow@state.mn.us).