Question 1

Does a bill of sale have to be notarized?

Accepted Answer

In 47 of 51 US jurisdictions, no — you can sign a valid vehicle bill of sale without a notary. Only Louisiana, Maryland, West Virginia require notarization, and in Wyoming it depends on the county. Check your state's row below for the DMV source.

Question 2

Why do some sites say my state requires a notary?

Accepted Answer

A common mix-up: Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wyoming require notarizing the TITLE assignment when transferring a vehicle — that is a different document from the bill of sale. In those states the bill of sale itself still doesn't need a notary.

Question 3

Should I notarize it anyway?

Accepted Answer

It never hurts: a notarized signature is harder to dispute if the sale ever ends up contested. For expensive vehicles or out-of-state deals, many buyers and sellers choose to notarize even where it is optional.

Question 4

Does my state have an official bill of sale form?

Accepted Answer

28 states publish an official DMV form — where one exists, the DMV may prefer or require it for title transfer. Our state pages link the official form and provide a fillable general-purpose template.

Does a Bill of Sale Need to Be Notarized?

The 3 states that require a notarized bill of sale

The classic mix-up: title notarization ≠ bill of sale notarization

The 47 states where no notary is needed

How to read this (methodology)