Bill of Sale Requirements in Texas

A bill of sale is not required when buying and selling a car in Texas. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't use one. Learn about the importance of a bill of sale, and the information you need to provide in one.

NOTE: A proper title transfer must take place for a vehicle sale to be complete in Texas. Visit our Title Transfer in Texas page for more information.

Bill of Sale in Texas

A bill of sale states that a vehicle (or other item) has been sold. This is a useful document when you're buying or selling a car privately, when there isn't as much of a paper trail as there is at a dealership. Texas does not require a bill of sale for most transactions, but it's still handy to fill out and keep as a receipt. A bill of sale is one more way of verifying a sale has taken place, and in some cases this may be useful in proving you are no longer liable for the vehicle.

A Bill of sale generally:

• Provides the seller and buyer's contact information.
• Includes the vehicle identification number (VIN) and vehicle description:
  • Make.
  • Model.
  • Model year.
• Includes known ownership history.
• Provides the transaction date and purchase amount.
• Has room for both parties to sign.

Finding a Form

Your local County Tax Assessor-Collectors office may have a ready-to-use bill of sale for vehicles. Jefferson County has a bare-bones bill of sale, for example, that you can use in any county.

Generic Bill of Sale

If you have trouble downloading the Texas bill of sale form, we provide a free, printable bill of sale form on our site.