Apollo's Templates
HomeBill of SaleTexas
Bill of sale · Texas

Texas Bill of Sale

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.