Bill of Sale Requirements in Connecticut

The bill of sale records specific transaction details whenever you buy or sell a used car. It's frequently used in private party sales—that is, when you're buying or selling from a person or business other than a car dealership. Connecticut requires a bill of sale for registering a car, but it's also a good document to create and keep for tax purposes, or to protect the seller in the event that the buyer fails to register the vehicle or abandons it at a later date.

Note that a bill of sale is not a title and completing a bill of sale does not replace a title transfer. In addition to completing the bill of sale, you must complete a title transfer with the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Only a title transfer proves change of ownership.

Connecticut Bill of Sale

Connecticut provides a state-approved, printable bill of sale form, but also allows residents to create their own bill of sale if they choose.

State-Provided Bill of Sale

The CT DMV website provides the Bill of Sale (Form H-31) for download, however, you may write up your own bill of sale. Buyers need the bill of sale for title transfers, but the CT DMV recommends that sellers keep copies for their records, too.

You'll need the following information to complete the bill of sale:

  • Buyer and seller names and addresses.
  • Details about the motor vehicle or vessel, including:
    • Make, model, and year.
    • Body style.
    • Vehicle identification number (for vehicles) or hull identification number (for vessels; you also must know where the vessel was last numbered).
    • Odometer reading.
  • Details about the sale, including the sale price and date.
  • The seller's signature and date signed.

The CT DMV document doesn't include a space for the buyer's signature, but the DMV recommends the buyer sign the bill of sale, too.

Create a Bill of Sale

You can create your own bill of sale form; the state requires only that you include all of the same information as you would on the CT DMV bill of sale. DMV.ORG provides a free, printable Bill of Sale Form for use.

NOTE: While the state bill of sale doesn't ask for the buyer's signature on the state form, the CT DMV DOES require the buyer to sign any other bill of sale version.

Replacement Bills of Sale

You can order an original copy of your bill of sale if yours becomes lost, damaged, or if you decide you want one on record after all.

To request a replacement bill of sale:

  • Print a Title Records Request (Form J-23T).
  • Select the “Bill of Sale" box on the form.
  • Complete the applicable sections. Make sure to fill out the Request section.

Mail the completed form and the following items to the address on the form:

  • Copy of 1 document proving identification (must be current). Documents accepted are:
    • Driver's license.
    • Identification card.
    • Passport.
  • A check or money order for the $20 fee.
  • A copy of the original registration, if you have it. This helps agents know at what date to begin the search.

You should receive your replacement bill of sale in 4 to 6 weeks.

Replacement bills of sale are NOT the same as replacement titles. If you need to replace your car title, visit our page Replacing a Lost Title.

Forms

H-31
Bill of Sale
Use this bill of sale as proof of purchase when you sell a vehicle or vessel in Connecticut.
J-23T
Title Records Request
Request Connecticut vehicle title records from the DMV for purposes allowed by law.
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