Removing a Lien in Minnesota

If you financed your car and are in the process of paying off your loan, there may be a lien on your car title. Your car will not legally be considered your property until the lien on your title is released. You will be able to release the lien through the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) Division as soon as you have satisfied your car loan.

What Is a Car Lien?

A lien is a legal document that secures some type of collateral for a property owner or service provider, in the case that he or she does not receive full payment.

A lien on your car title will allow for the lienholder to repossess the vehicle, should you cease making payments or default on your car loan.

Who Is a Minnesota Lienholder?

The lienholder is the person or entity that would lose out, monetarily, from an unpaid bill or loan. In the case of a car title, your lienholder is the individual or business that issued the car loan. A bank, credit union, or other financial firm is usually the lienholder on a car title.

During the time the loan is being paid off, the lienholder's name will be on the title, and the lienholder may also be in possession of the document. The lienholder may also be referred to as the legal car owner until the loan is satisfied.

Remove a Lien from Your MN Title

In Minnesota, when there is a lien on a car title, the title is mailed to the car buyer, while a lien card is mailed to the lienholder.

Once you've paid off your car loan, you can have the lien released by bringing the following to your local DVS office:

Your lienholder must send out the lien notification card or the Notification of Assignment – Release or Grant of Secured Interest (Form PS2017) within 15 days of the final loan payment. If you lose your title, you must apply for a duplicate title.

The form, the current title, and a filing fee of $12 must be submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) Division to have your title reflect only the owners name with the lien removed.

Forms

PS2017
Notification of Assignment, Release or Grant of Secured Interest
Add, release, OR grant a lien on a Minnesota vehicle title. Must be notarized IF releasing a lien from a title.
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