Notarized Bill of Sale Form
Pick what you're selling, build the document with its proper fields — VIN, hull ID, serial numbers — and get a two-page PDF: your bill of sale plus a Certificate of Acknowledgment page with separate seller and buyer blocks and a full seal area, ready for any notary's desk.
Add photos, then download and fill out PDF.
A notarized bill of sale is a standard bill of sale whose signatures are certified by a notary public — proof of who signed, added to proof of what sold. The document below keeps every type-specific field and adds the certificate page notaries actually need: correct acknowledgment wording, separate blocks per party, and room for the stamp.
Add up to two photos of the vehicle — drag to reposition, zoom to crop — and they are embedded right in the document. Fill in the seller, buyer, and vehicle details directly in the downloaded PDF, or write them by hand. No paid Acrobat needed.
Which states require a notarized bill of sale?
Verified against official state sources, July 2026 — full details state by state in our 50-state requirements table. Some widely-shared lists are out of date (Montana’s repeal being the common miss) — when it matters, your DMV is the authority.
Acknowledgment, not jurat — and why the wording we print is the strict one.
Our certificate page prints the all-purpose acknowledgment in its strictest published form — California’s, complete with the required consumer-disclaimer box — because a certificate that satisfies the toughest state is accepted nearly everywhere through substantial compliance. And for the states with their own statutory wording, the printed guidance line invites the notary to do what notaries do every day: line through, attach their state’s certificate, stamp, done.
Signatures, seals, and states — answered.
Does a bill of sale have to be notarized?
In most states, no — plain signatures make a valid bill of sale. The clear exceptions for private vehicle sales are Louisiana (notarized bill of sale or notarized title assignment) and West Virginia (the official DMV-7-TR form requires it). A handful of states notarize in specific situations: Maryland when the form establishes the price of a newer vehicle, North Dakota's and Oklahoma's official forms carry notary blocks, and Wyoming rewards it — a notarized bill of sale is a legal 60-day driving document there. Note that some popular sites still list Montana as a notary state; Montana repealed that requirement effective October 1, 2025.
Acknowledgment or jurat — which does a bill of sale need?
An acknowledgment. Jurats are for sworn statements of fact like affidavits; an acknowledgment is the act for documents that transfer property by voluntary signature, which is exactly what a bill of sale is. Our certificate page prints an all-purpose acknowledgment — and because the signer, not the notary, chooses the act, printing the right one matters.
Do both buyer and seller have to appear before the notary?
Only the people whose signatures are being notarized, and each must appear in person (or by approved online notarization) with ID. Our certificate page carries separate seller and buyer acknowledgment blocks, so one party can be notarized without the other — or both, which is the safest practice in required states.
Where can I get a bill of sale notarized, and what does it cost?
Banks and credit unions often notarize free for customers; UPS stores, libraries, and courthouses typically charge a few dollars — most states cap fees around $5 to $15 per signature. Online notarization (RON) services run about $25 and are legal in most states, though a few DMVs still prefer ink — when the document is bound for a title office, ask them first.
Is a notarized bill of sale as good as a title?
No — notarization proves who signed, not who owns. For titled property the title transfer is still the ownership change, and a notarized bill of sale supports it. Where it shines is untitled property and no-title situations: several states accept a notarized bill of sale as the operating or ownership evidence while paperwork catches up, Wyoming's 60-day rule being the clearest example.
Does a bill of sale need a witness?
Almost never in the US — witnesses are a different formality from notarization, and no state's standard vehicle sale requires witness signatures on a bill of sale. The notable tradition is Louisiana, where a fully authentic act is executed before a notary and two witnesses. If your buyer wants extra formality, the notary route is the one with legal weight.
Not legal advice — notarial law is state law, and the guidance above reflects the rules as verified in July 2026.