Bill of sale · Texas

Texas Bill of Sale Form

Texas doesn't publish a bill of sale form — and taxes your deal on the state's own book value if it beats your price. Here's how the 130-U, the SPV rule, and the seller's VTR-346 protection actually fit together, plus a free builder for the receipt Texas doesn't provide.

The Texas answer

No state form — the 130-U carries the deal.

The document Texas actually requires is Form 130-U — the title and registration application both parties sign, with the sales price written on it. The buyer files it at the county tax assessor-collector’s office (not a TxDMV branch) within 30 days; late transfers start at a $25 penalty and climb. No notarization, anywhere in the process.

Texas publishes no bill of sale

Build yours free — VIN, odometer, price, photos

The receipt both parties keep while the 130-U does the county paperwork.

Start

The SPV rule

Texas taxes the book, not your bargain.

Motor vehicle sales tax in Texas is 6.25% of the greater of your actual sales price or 80% of the vehicle’s Standard Presumptive Value — a book value TxDMV computes from regional private-party sales. Score a genuine below-market deal and the county will still tax it near market unless you bring a certified appraisal to rebut the presumption. Two practical moves: look up the SPV before settling on a price, and put the honest number on the paperwork — an understated price doesn’t save tax here, it just creates risk.

Late costs stack in layers: the $25-then-$25-per-month transfer penalty (capped at $250), plus 5% of the tax if paid 1–30 days late, 10% beyond that.

Seller self-defense

Three things Texas sellers do before sunset.

File the Vehicle Transfer Notification (VTR-346, free, online) within 30 days — it’s Texas’s release-of-liability switch for tickets and tolls.
Take your plates off the car; they belong to you, and the buyer can bridge the gap with a five-day Vehicle Transit Permit bought online.
Keep a signed bill of sale with the date, price, and odometer — the record that backs you up if the buyer never files the 130-U.

Not legal advice. Verified against TxDMV and Comptroller sources in July 2026 — official links in our 50-state requirements table.

Lone Star questions

Texas specifics, answered.

Does Texas require a bill of sale?

No — Texas doesn't require or publish one. Form 130-U (the title and registration application, signed by both parties with the sales price shown) is the required document, filed at the county tax assessor-collector's office within 30 days. A bill of sale is still the smart receipt to keep, especially for the seller.

What is Standard Presumptive Value, and why did my tax come out higher than 6.25% of my price?

SPV is TxDMV's book value built from regional private-sale data. Texas charges motor vehicle sales tax of 6.25% on the greater of your actual price or 80% of SPV — so a genuine bargain gets taxed like a near-market deal unless you buy a certified appraisal (typically $100–$300) to prove the price. Check the SPV on TxDMV's calculator before you agree on a number.

How does a Texas seller cut off liability after the sale?

File the free Vehicle Transfer Notification (Form VTR-346, or online at TxDMV) within 30 days of the sale. Once filed, tickets and toll bills belong to the buyer. Keep the plates too — in Texas they stay with the seller, and the buyer can grab a $5-ish five-day Vehicle Transit Permit online to drive home legally.

Do Texas private sales need a notary or an inspection?

Neither, for most vehicles. Nothing in a Texas private sale requires notarization, and the annual safety inspection was eliminated for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025 (replaced by a small fee at registration) — though emissions testing still applies in the DFW, Houston, Austin, and El Paso metro counties, and in Bexar County (San Antonio) from November 1, 2026.

Same state, different item

Whatever's in the driveway or the barn.

The Texas rules above apply to whatever you are selling. Pick the item type to get a form with the right identifying fields on it.