Maryland Bill of Sale
Maryland's VR-181 is a conditional-notary form: plain signatures usually, notarized when your bargain price needs defending. Here are the 2025 numbers — 6.5% excise, the $640 floor, the $200 title — and the inspection that gates registration.
Notarize only when the price needs a defense.
| Official form | VR-181 — Maryland MVA Bill of Sale |
| Notary | Only if under 7 years old AND sold $500+ below book value |
| Excise tax | 6.5% (since July 2025) on price or book — $640 minimum basis |
| Title fee | $200 (doubled July 2025) |
| Inspection | MD Safety Inspection Certificate required before registration |
| Bridge | $50 30-day temporary registration to reach the inspection |
Maryland specifics, answered.
When does a Maryland bill of sale need to be notarized?
Only when it's doing tax work: for a vehicle under 7 years old sold more than $500 below the book value (NADA clean retail, mileage-adjusted), a notarized VR-181 is what makes the MVA tax your real price instead of the book. Sales within $500 of book, or older vehicles, need no notary at all.
What changed in Maryland in July 2025?
The costs. The vehicle excise tax rose from 6% to 6.5% (your contract date decides which rate applies), and the title fee doubled from $100 to $200 — now among the highest in the country. Budget both when pricing a deal.
Why did my cheap car still get taxed like it cost $640?
Maryland's statutory floor: the excise tax is computed on at least $640 no matter how little you paid — for 7-year-plus vehicles it's the greater of your price or $640. A $200 beater still generates tax on $640. There's also no trade-in credit in a private sale; that allowance is dealers-only.
What stands between the sale and the road in Maryland?
The safety inspection. A privately purchased used vehicle needs a Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate from a state-certified station before registration (plus VEIP emissions later). The buyer can bridge with a 30-day temporary registration — now $50 — to drive to the inspection. Plates otherwise stay with the seller.
Not legal advice. Verified against Maryland MVA sources and 2025 legislative bulletins in July 2026 — official links in our 50-state requirements table.