Bill of sale · state requirements
Bill of Sale Requirements by State
Which states have an official DMV bill of sale form, which require one for a private vehicle sale, and which require a notary — all 50 states plus DC, verified against official state sources. 33 jurisdictions publish an official form; 30 are downloadable right here.
How to use this table
Find your state, grab the right form.
If your state publishes an official form, download it below (we host verified copies of the current revisions) or get it straight from the state source link. If your state has no official form — 18 of them don’t, including Texas, Pennsylvania, and Ohio — any complete bill of sale is acceptable, and our free builder makes one with your vehicle photos embedded.
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Add up to two photos of the vehicle, then fill in the details right in the PDF. Works in every state that accepts a generic bill of sale.
All 50 states + DC
Official forms, requirements, and notary rules.
| State | Official form | Required? | Notary? | Get the form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | None published County offices publish their own forms; the state rule only sets minimum contents. | Conditional — title-exempt vehicles (35+ years) and registration inspection | County-dependent | |
| Alaska | None published DMV recommends a bill of sale as good practice. | No — title assignment transfers ownership | No | |
| Arizona | 48-2004 | Optional supporting document for title transfer | No — requirement dropped in 2022 | |
| Arkansas | 10-313 Combined bill of sale + federal odometer disclosure. | Yes — documents the price for sales tax at titling | No | |
| California | REG 135 Covers vessels; generic bills of sale are also accepted. | Conditional — chain-of-ownership cases; endorsed title normally suffices | No | |
| Colorado | DR 2173 (secure) / DR 2116 The primary DR 2173 is a secure counter-issued form; the download here is DR 2116 (purged-records variant). | Conditional — if price is not on the title; carry one under the 36-hour drive-home rule | No | |
| Connecticut | H-31 Form also covers vessels. | Yes — the seller must complete one and give it to the buyer | No | |
| Delaware | None published The seller's Report of Sale is printed on the title itself. | No — title assignment handles private transfers | No | |
| Florida | HSMV 82050 Doubles as the notice of sale; covers vessels, mobile homes, OHVs. | Conditional — seller files it to end registration liability | No — recommended only | |
| Georgia | T-7 Includes the odometer declaration; submit to the county tag office. | Conditional — chiefly for title-exempt older vehicles | No | |
| Hawaii | CS-L(MVR)40 (Honolulu) Registration is county-run; Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai counties publish their own forms. | Conditional — when the title can't fully document the transfer | No | |
| Idaho | ITD 3738 Covers vessels (Hull ID field). | Conditional — documents price/date at titling (30-day window) | No | |
| Illinois | None published VSD-703 is a seller's report of sale, not a bill of sale. | No — title assignment plus tax form RUT-50 | No | |
| Indiana | State Form 44237 Bill-of-sale title applications also need physical-inspection form 39530. | Conditional — ownership by bill of sale only in limited cases | No | |
| Iowa | None published The Iowa title itself contains a bill-of-sale section; a separate generic form is also accepted. | Yes — price documentation required since 2022 | No | |
| Kansas | TR-312 Also transfers untitled antique vehicles (35+ years) with an MVE-1 inspection. | Conditional — price affidavit when the price isn't on the title | No | |
| Kentucky | None published Official bill-of-sale forms exist only for special cases (impound, mechanic's lien). | No — the notarized title assignment is the sale document | Yes — on the title assignment itself | |
| Louisiana | OMV Bill of Sale of a Movable | Conditional — unless the price is on the notarized title assignment | Yes — bill of sale must be notarized | |
| Maine | BMV Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale Includes odometer disclosure and lien certification. | Yes — to register a privately purchased used vehicle | No | |
| Maryland | VR-181 | Conditional — vehicle under 7 years old sold well below book value | Conditional — required when the form establishes the price | |
| Massachusetts | None published The RMV publishes no motor-vehicle bill of sale. | Conditional — title-exempt older vehicles | No | |
| Michigan | TR-207 | No — optional purchase record; the title assignment transfers ownership | No | |
| Minnesota | None published DVS lists suggested contents but publishes no form. | No — recommended; transfer happens on the title | No | |
| Mississippi | None published | Conditional — the county tax collector may request one for casual-sales tax | No | |
| Missouri | Form 1957 | Conditional — seller's report of sale and even-trade tax claims | Conditional — only in rare cases | |
| Montana | MV24 | Conditional — supporting document county treasurers request | No — requirement removed October 2025 | |
| Nebraska | DMV Bill of Sale | Yes — seller must give the buyer a bill of sale (or DOR Form 6) | No | |
| Nevada | VP-104 | Conditional — supporting document; never transfers ownership alone | No | |
| New Hampshire | TDMV 22A NH's site blocks automated downloads — get the form from the state link. | Conditional — required to register title-exempt vehicles (1999 and older) | No | |
| New Jersey | None published Must show buyer name/address, sale date, odometer, and price. | Yes — but the state publishes no form; any compliant bill of sale works | No | |
| New Mexico | MVD-10009 Covers vessels; includes odometer disclosure. | Conditional — when the title assignment is incomplete | No | |
| New York | MV-912 MV-912 is the official format but any complete bill of sale is accepted; NY's site blocks automated downloads — use the state link. | Yes — proof of purchase for private-sale registration | No | |
| North Carolina | None published | Conditional — private sales transfer via the notarized title assignment | Title assignment must be notarized | |
| North Dakota | SFN 2888 | No — supporting proof, used when the title can't be furnished | Yes — seller signs before a notary | |
| Ohio | None published | No — ownership transfers via the notarized title assignment | Title assignment must be notarized | |
| Oklahoma | SOK 718 (electronic titles) Paper-title sales use the title assignment plus Form 722-1 (purchase price). | Conditional — Form 718 applies only when the current title is electronic | Yes — on Form 718 | |
| Oregon | 735-501 Generic equivalents accepted; seller must notify DMV within 10 days. | Conditional — when the title can't document the release of interest | No | |
| Pennsylvania | None published | No — transfer happens on the title before a notary or authorized agent | Title process is notarized | |
| Rhode Island | DMV Bill of Sale Alterations or erasures void the form. | Yes — required for private-sale registration | No | |
| South Carolina | Form 4031 The web PDF is watermarked; SCDMV branches issue the official secured copy. | Conditional — needed for titles issued before June 1989 | No | |
| South Dakota | Form 1025 Online e-form on the state portal (no downloadable PDF); covers boats. | Conditional — 45-day seller's permit and no-assigned-title cases | No | |
| Tennessee | None published Some county clerks offer their own forms. | Conditional — affidavit required only for gift / low-price transfers | No | |
| Texas | None published TxDMV recommends a bill of sale but publishes no general form. | No — Form 130-U (title application) carries the sale price | No | |
| Utah | TC-843 A self-written bill of sale is also acceptable. | Conditional — proof of price and odometer for title transfer | No | |
| Vermont | VT-005 Combined bill of sale + odometer disclosure. | Yes — private-sale registration and tax; sole ownership document for title-exempt vehicles | No | |
| Virginia | None published The closest official form, SUT-1, is a price certification — not a true bill of sale; handwritten bills of sale are accepted. | Conditional — older vehicles when the price isn't on the title | No | |
| Washington | TD-420-065 Covers vessels; the seller's report of sale is separate (5 days). | Yes — bring it with the title to the licensing office within 15 days | No | |
| West Virginia | DMV-7-TR Covers trailers and boats. | Conditional — establishes the price for privilege tax | Yes — printed as mandatory on the form | |
| Wisconsin | MV2928 (instructions + BOS) The bill of sale is embedded in a Word instructions document. | No — title transfer plus online seller notification are the requirements | No | |
| Wyoming | None published Titling is county-run; county clerks publish their own forms. | Conditional — counties use it for sales tax; a notarized one lets you drive during the 45-day title window | Conditional — for the drive-home window | |
| Washington, DC | None published Any complete bill of sale is accepted. | Yes — listed in DC DMV registration checklists, but no standard form exists | No |
Every form link on this page was downloaded from the state’s official site and verified on July 17, 2026. We re-verify the whole table twice a year (January and July). State forms change — when in doubt, the state source link always has the newest revision.
Common questions
Bill of sale basics, state by state.
Do I need a bill of sale to sell a car privately?
It depends on the state. Roughly a dozen states (New York, Connecticut, Nebraska, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Arkansas, Iowa, New Jersey, and DC among them) require one for a private sale or registration. In most other states the assigned title is the legal transfer document and the bill of sale is a strongly recommended receipt that protects both parties.
What if my state has no official bill of sale form?
Eighteen jurisdictions — including Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, and Massachusetts — publish no official form. Any complete bill of sale that identifies the vehicle (VIN, make, model, year), the price, the date, and both parties is acceptable in these states. Our free motor vehicle bill of sale builder produces exactly that, with optional photos of the vehicle embedded in the document.
Does a bill of sale need to be notarized?
Only in a handful of states. Louisiana and West Virginia require a notarized bill of sale, North Dakota's and Oklahoma's official forms include mandatory notary blocks, and Maryland requires notarization when the form is used to establish the purchase price. Montana and Arizona both dropped their notary requirements in recent years. Everywhere else, plain signatures are enough.
Is a bill of sale enough to transfer ownership of a vehicle?
Usually not by itself. In nearly every state the certificate of title is the ownership document and must be assigned to the buyer; the bill of sale documents the transaction and price. The main exceptions are older title-exempt vehicles (for example 35+ years old in Alabama and Kansas, model year 1999 and older in New Hampshire), where a bill of sale can serve as the primary proof of ownership.
Disclaimer
Not legal advice.
This table summarizes each state’s published guidance as of the verification date above. Requirements change, and county-level rules can add to state rules. Confirm with your state’s DMV (the source links above) before completing a transfer. See our legal disclaimer.