Bill of Sale

The Basics

The secret to a smooth registration at the DMV is all in the paperwork and documentation. You may need to register a custom built car made from the remains of four or five different cars, a motorhome from Canada, a boat or even just a routine car registration. Any and all of these registrations will go so much easier if you have the proper documents ready when you go to your local DMV office.

What a Bill of Sale Does

The Bill of Sale offers protection for both the buyer and the seller. It is the proof of the sale, showing the date of the sale, the amount paid for the vehicle, any terms associated with the sale, and effectively releases the seller from liability for the vehicle. A Bill of Sale, along with an odometer reading are required for a transfer of title, and the lack of this document could hold up the registration and titling of your new vehicle.

Do The Paperwork

People are never thrilled about doing a lot of official paperwork, but it is important. Reassure the other party that you are just doing what is necessary to get the ownership changed and everything recorded properly with the DMV. Thinking that a simple handwritten note will suffice is not true; a Bill of Sale document contains all the details that might otherwise be overlooked.

Generic Bill of Sale

To assist you in finding a form, we provide links to generic forms from our sponsors.