US Bill of Sale Template by State

How it works

1. Pick your state above.
2. Fill in the seller, buyer, item, price, and date — the preview updates as you type.
3. Click Download / Print PDF, then both parties sign. Keep a copy each.

What a bill of sale is — and when you need one

A bill of sale is a short written contract that records a completed transfer of personal property from a seller to a buyer. It names both parties, describes the item precisely, states the price and the date, and is signed. It is the private-sale equivalent of a store receipt — except that it also fixes the terms of the deal (usually "as-is") and the exact moment the item changed hands.

That last point is why it matters. For a car, the state records ownership through the title, not the bill of sale. But the title says nothing about the price, the odometer at the time of sale, or whether the seller promised anything. When the buyer is later asked to pay sales tax, when a toll or parking ticket arrives in the seller's name after the sale, or when the buyer claims the engine "was supposed to be fine," the bill of sale is the document that settles it.

You need one whenever you:

• Sell or buy a vehicle privately — car, motorcycle, trailer, RV, or boat. Many DMVs ask for it at registration; every buyer should want it for the price and odometer record.
• Sell an item with real value — equipment, a horse, furniture, a phone, a firearm where private sales are lawful — so the buyer can prove ownership and the seller can prove the item left their hands. (Firearms: in a number of states a private sale must go through a licensed dealer with a background check — a bill of sale alone does not make the transfer legal there; check your state’s law first.)
• Transfer property between family or friends, even for $0 or a nominal amount. A gift still changes ownership, and the DMV or an insurer may ask when and from whom.
• Sell something "as-is" and want that agreed in writing rather than remembered differently by each side.

A bill of sale is not the right document for real estate (that requires a deed — see our quitclaim deed), for a loan (use a promissory note), or for ongoing services (use a service agreement).

What a bill of sale must include, clause by clause

There is no single national form, but every DMV-accepted bill of sale carries the same core fields. Each one exists for a reason — leave one out and you weaken the document exactly where it is likely to be tested.

• Seller and buyer. Full legal names and addresses as they appear on ID. The DMV matches the buyer's name against the title application; a nickname or a missing middle initial can send the buyer back for a corrected form.
• Description of the item. For a vehicle: year, make, model, body type, color, and the VIN (17 characters on modern vehicles). For a boat: the hull identification number (HIN) and registration number. For anything else: make, model, and serial number if one exists. The identifier is what ties this paper to this specific object and no other.
• Odometer reading (motor vehicles). Federal law requires the seller of most motor vehicles to disclose the mileage in writing at transfer, and requires the buyer to acknowledge it (49 CFR Part 580). The disclosure normally goes on the title itself, but repeating it on the bill of sale — with a note if the mileage is "not actual" or "exceeds mechanical limits" — protects both sides. Vehicles over a certain age are exempt from the federal rule; the title form for your state will say whether the field applies.
• Price and payment. The exact amount in dollars, how it was paid (cash, cashier's check, transfer), and whether it was paid in full or in installments. States that charge sales or use tax on private vehicle sales generally assess it on this figure, so it must be truthful; a token "$1" on a car worth $8,000 invites a reassessment and, in some states, a penalty.
• Date of sale. The day possession and risk pass. It marks when the seller's liability for tickets, tolls, and accidents ends, and when the buyer's obligation to register and insure begins.
• "As-is" clause. A statement that the item is sold in its present condition without warranty. This is the clause that stops a buyer from later claiming an implied promise. It does not protect a seller who conceals a known defect or misrepresents the vehicle.
• Liens and title status. The seller's statement that they own the item free of liens, or a disclosure of any loan still secured against it. A car with an unpaid loan cannot be cleanly retitled until the lender releases its lien.
• Signatures. Both parties sign and date. Some states also want the signatures notarized or witnessed — see the table below.

How to complete and sign it

1. Check your state's row in the table below. Find out whether the DMV publishes an official form and whether the bill of sale must be notarized. Where an official form exists, the DMV will generally accept either that form or a bill of sale that carries the same fields; where the row says "Varies," call the county office that handles titles before the sale.
2. Gather the identifiers before you meet. Copy the VIN from the title or the dashboard plate, not from a listing. Photograph the odometer. Have both parties' IDs on hand so names and addresses are spelled exactly as on the title application.
3. Fill in the form online and print two copies. Complete every field; write "N/A" rather than leaving blanks that could be filled in later by someone else.
4. Sign at the moment of exchange. Both parties sign and date both copies when payment and keys change hands. If your state requires notarization, sign in front of the notary, not before — a notary certifies that they watched you sign. Where notarization is optional, it is still a reasonable extra step for a high-value sale.
5. Complete the title and the DMV notices. The seller signs the title over, and in states that require it, files a notice of sale or release of liability with the DMV. The buyer takes the title, the bill of sale, and proof of insurance to register — usually within a deadline set by the state. Deadlines and notice forms differ by state; each state page on this site lists what applies.
6. Keep your copy. The seller should keep the bill of sale for at least as long as the buyer might fail to register the vehicle; the buyer should keep it with the title and registration.

Not sure how many days the buyer has, which agency handles the title, or whether your state publishes an official form? Use the vehicle title transfer checklist: pick the state, enter the sale date, and print a checklist with the deadline date, the agency link and the odometer, lien and notary rules — each item cited to the official source.

Common mistakes

• Understating the price. Writing a lower figure to reduce the buyer's sales tax is tax fraud, and the seller signs it too. Several states cross-check declared prices against market value.
• Skipping the VIN or copying it wrong. A single transposed character makes the document describe a vehicle that does not exist. Read it off the car and check it against the title.
• Signing the bill of sale but leaving the title unsigned — or the reverse. The DMV needs the title assignment; the buyer needs the bill of sale. Do both at the same sitting.
• The seller never notifying the DMV. Until the state knows the car changed hands, the seller is the registered owner of record for tickets, tolls, and impound fees. Where a release-of-liability notice exists, file it the same day.
• Selling with an open lien. If a lender still holds the title, the buyer cannot register the car until the loan is paid off and the lien is released. Settle the loan first or complete the sale at the lender's office.
• Handwritten side deals. "Seller will fix the AC next week" on a napkin is unenforceable in practice. Anything promised belongs in the document above the signatures, or it was not part of the deal.

Bill of Sale rules in all 50 states + DC

The table below is built from our 2026 review of each state's official DMV, MVD, or OMV guidance for private vehicle sales. The pattern is clear: notarizing the bill of sale itself is the exception, not the rule. Only3 of 51 jurisdictions (Louisiana, Maryland, West Virginia) require a notarized bill of sale to transfer a title; in 1 (Wyoming) the answer depends on the county; the other 47 do not require it. Note that a handful of states notarize the title assignment instead — that is a different signature on a different document, and it is covered on each state's page.

Official forms are more common: 28 states publish a DMV bill of sale form,18 leave the format to the parties, and 5(Hawaii, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, Wyoming) handle it at the county level or could not be confirmed. Where a state has no official form, any document with the fields listed above is accepted. Click a state for its full page and template.

Source per row: the state's DMV page or form listed in the last column. Rules change; verify with your DMV before relying on a row. For the notary question in depth, see which states require a notarized bill of sale.

Related documents

• Bill of sale notarization by state — the full study behind the notary column.
• Promissory note — when the buyer pays in installments, document the debt separately from the sale.
• Quitclaim deed — for transferring real estate, which a bill of sale cannot do.
• Demand letter and small claims limits — if a private sale goes wrong and you need to recover money.
• Power of attorney — if someone is signing a vehicle sale on another person's behalf.
• Invoice — for business sales of goods where you bill rather than record a one-off transfer.

Frequently asked questions

Is a bill of sale legally binding?

Yes. A signed bill of sale is a written record of a completed sale — it documents who sold what to whom, for how much, and on what date. It is evidence of the transfer, not a substitute for a vehicle title: for cars, boats, and other titled property the title (or registration) transfer is what the state records, and the bill of sale supports it.

Does a bill of sale have to be notarized?

In most states, no. Based on our 2026 review of official DMV guidance, only 3 of 51 jurisdictions (Louisiana, Maryland, West Virginia) require a notarized bill of sale to transfer a vehicle title, 1 (Wyoming) handles it county by county, and the remaining 47 do not require it. Notarizing is still allowed anywhere and adds proof that the signatures are genuine.

Do I need a bill of sale if the title is already signed over?

Often you should have one anyway. The signed title proves ownership changed; the bill of sale records the price, the date, the odometer reading, and the "as-is" terms — the details you need for sales tax, for a liability dispute, or if the buyer never registers the car. Some state DMVs require a bill of sale in addition to the title; check the row for your state in the table above.

Who keeps the bill of sale?

Both parties. Sign two originals (or make a copy of the signed original) so the buyer has one for registration and taxes and the seller has one as proof of the sale date, the price, and the release of liability.

Can I use one bill of sale for a car, a boat, or a trailer?

The structure is the same — parties, item, price, date, signatures — but the identifiers differ: a VIN and odometer reading for a motor vehicle, a hull identification number (HIN) for a boat, and a VIN or serial number for a trailer. Our templates include the vehicle fields; fill in the identifier that applies to what you are selling.

What does "sold as-is" mean?

"As-is" means the buyer accepts the item in its current condition, with no warranty from the seller about its condition or fitness. It does not excuse a seller who lies about a known defect or misstates the odometer, but it does prevent the buyer from later claiming the seller promised the item would work.