Buying a New Car in North Dakota

Perched at the top of the central United States, North Dakota borders with Canada to the north and is the third least populous state in the union. As such, citizens of North Dakota often have to drive a considerable distance in order to cross-shop potential new cars. This article acts as a guide to finding the cities and towns in the state that offer the best array of different new car dealerships, making it easier to drive vehicles back to back for comparison purposes. It also talks about the registration fees that must be paid before a new car or truck can be legally registered in North Dakota.

As mentioned above, there are not that many people living in North Dakota, and those who are there are fairly well spread out. Fargo is the largest city in the state, and its proximity to both Minnesota and South Dakota make it an important commercial center. It boasts the largest number of car dealerships in North Dakota, and it is worth the drive for anyone in the eastern part of the state looking to score a serious deal on some new wheels. For those farther west, the capital city of Bismarck offers a decent selection of new car lots, as do Dickinson and the more northern Minot.

North Dakota car dealerships are accustomed to handling the paperwork required to get you behind the wheel of a registered car or truck. They will also gladly roll any associated fees into the overall purchase price of your vehicle. Registration fees for brand new cars and trucks in North Dakota are based on the weight of the vehicle. Any automobile that comes in at less than 3,200 lbs costs $73.00 to register, while anything between 3,200 lbs and 4,499 lbs elicits a fee of $93.00. Cars or trucks between 4,500 lbs and 4,499 lbs cost $111.00 to register, and those between 5,000 lbs and 5,999 lbs cost $142. The remaining four tiers are 6,000 lbs - 6,999 lbs, 7,000 lbs - 7,999 lbs, 8,000 lbs - 8,999 lbs and 9,000 lbs and over. Respectively, their registration fees are $175.00, $208.00, $241.00, and $274.00. A title transfer fee of $5.00 also applies.

North Dakota also imposes a sales tax of 5 percent on all vehicles purchased within the state. The tax is based on the purchase price of the vehicle.