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Bill of sale · Washington, DC

Washington, DC Bill of Sale

The District taxes your car by how much it weighs and what mileage it gets — 1% for the lightest EVs, 11% for the thirstiest trucks. The no-notary transfer, the ROSA 60-day rule, and the permanent salvage brand, explained.

The District answer

No notary, no state form — and an excise that reads the window sticker.

A DC private sale runs on the signed title plus a bill of sale — the DMV’s titling checklist asks for one, though any complete document qualifies. The money question is the excise: fair market value (assessed from the NADA guide) times a rate the DC DMV looks up from the vehicle’s weight and city MPG. Document the price with a bill of sale, check the title face for a salvage brand — in DC it never comes off — and mind ROSA’s 60-day residency clock.
No official DC form
Build a DC bill of sale — free, with photos
The price record the DMV compares to fair market value — typed, signed, and photo-documented.
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Capital questions

District specifics, answered.

How does DC's excise tax work after the 2025 overhaul?

Since February 2025, DC computes the excise as fair market value times a rate keyed to BOTH the vehicle's weight class AND its city MPG. A heavy low-MPG vehicle can pay 9–11%; efficient EVs pay as little as 1–3% by weight; the hybrid break applies only at 40+ MPG city. The base is the vehicle's fair market value (DC uses the NADA guide) — and an older flat schedule (6/7/8%) remains available as an election for EITC-eligible buyers.

Does DC require a bill of sale or a notary?

No notary — but yes, bring a bill of sale: DC DMV's titling checklist lists one among the required documents, even though the District publishes no official form. Any complete bill of sale (both parties, vehicle description with VIN, price, date, signatures) is accepted, which is exactly what our free builder produces.

What is ROSA and when does it bite?

Registration of Out-of-State Automobiles — DC's rule that a vehicle regularly parked in the District more than 60 days must be DC-registered. Enforcement typically starts with a warning ticket rather than a fine, but the clock is real for anyone moving into the city with a freshly bought car.

Anything else DC-specific to know?

Two items: DC runs its own emissions inspection program (the only 'state' where the inspection station and the DMV are the same government), and a salvage brand on a DC title is permanent — it never washes out through subsequent transfers, so check the title face before money moves.

Not legal advice. Verified against DC DMV sources in July 2026 — official links in our 50-state requirements table.