Fill Out Vehicle Bill of Sale Online

What is a vehicle bill of sale

A vehicle bill of sale documents the transfer of a motor vehicle from one private party to another. It works alongside the certificate of title: the title transfers legal ownership, while the bill of sale records the terms of the deal, including the price, the payment method, the vehicle's condition, and the odometer reading on the day of sale.

Many states ask for a bill of sale when the buyer registers the vehicle or when sales tax is calculated on the purchase price. Even where it is not required, both sides benefit from having one. The seller can show the exact date the vehicle left their hands, which matters if the buyer later gets parking tickets or is in an accident before re-registering, and the buyer has written proof of what was paid and what condition was disclosed.

What to include in a vehicle bill of sale

A complete vehicle bill of sale covers the parties, the vehicle, and the money, and this template has a labeled blank for each item.

• Full legal names and addresses of the seller and the buyer.
• Vehicle details: year, make, model, body type, color, and the full 17-character VIN.
• The odometer reading and the odometer disclosure statement.
• The sale price, the payment method, and whether the price was paid in full or a balance remains.
• Condition terms: an as-is sale or a written warranty from the seller.
• The seller's statement that they own the vehicle and that no liens are outstanding against it, or a note of any exceptions.
• Dated signatures from both the seller and the buyer, with an optional notary block.

How to fill out the vehicle bill of sale template

Open the template in the Universal PDF editor and work from top to bottom. Copy the VIN directly from the dashboard plate or the door jamb sticker rather than from an old document, since a single wrong character can cause problems at registration. Record the odometer reading on the day of sale, not the day the ad was posted.

In the payment section, check the box for how the buyer is paying and whether the full price changed hands. If the buyer is paying a deposit now and the balance later, fill in both amounts and the due date. When every blank is complete, download the PDF and print two copies so the seller and the buyer can each keep a fully signed original.

The odometer disclosure statement

Federal and state rules generally require the seller of a motor vehicle to disclose the odometer reading to the buyer at the time of transfer. The template includes a disclosure paragraph where the seller records the mileage and checks one of three statements: the reading is accurate, the reading has rolled over past the odometer's mechanical limit, or the reading is known to be wrong.

Fill this section honestly. Knowingly giving a false odometer statement can carry serious legal consequences, and the disclosure protects an honest seller by putting the reading on record the day the vehicle was sold. Some states also require a separate odometer statement on the title itself; complete that too if your title has one.

Signing, notarization, and next steps

Both the seller and the buyer sign and date the bill of sale, and each keeps a copy. The template ends with an optional notary acknowledgment: most states do not require a notarized bill of sale for a vehicle, but a few do, and some buyers and sellers prefer the extra layer of verification. Check your state's motor vehicle agency requirements before deciding to skip it.

After signing, the seller signs over the certificate of title and the buyer takes it, along with the bill of sale, to register the vehicle. The seller should also notify their state's motor vehicle agency of the sale where that is required, and cancel or transfer the insurance on the vehicle.

Common mistakes to avoid

Small errors on a bill of sale tend to surface at the worst time, usually at the registration counter or during a dispute.

• A VIN that is incomplete or has a transposed character.
• Leaving the odometer disclosure blank or estimating the mileage from memory.
• Not stating whether the sale is as-is, which invites arguments if the vehicle breaks down soon after.
• Forgetting to record the payment method, especially for cash sales with no bank record.
• Only preparing one signed copy, leaving one party with nothing to show later.