Free Bill of Sale Generator

How to make a bill of sale in 3 steps

1. 1

   Choose what you are selling

   A car, truck or SUV, a motorcycle, a boat, a trailer or any other item. The form shows only the details that matter for it: the VIN and odometer for a car, the hull ID for a boat, a description for everything else.

2. 2

   Fill in the seller, the buyer and the sale

   Add both names and addresses, the price (it is written out in words for you) and the date. The “as is” and ownership clauses are on by default; add a notary block or your own terms if you need them. The page updates as you type.

3. 3

   Print two copies and sign both

   Print two copies, or save a PDF. The seller and the buyer each sign both copies and keep one. On a phone, both of you can also sign on screen before you download the PDF.

Bill of sale or title: which one changes the owner?

For a titled vehicle or boat, ownership changes hands through the certificate of title: the seller signs it over to the buyer, and the buyer applies for a new title and registration. A bill of sale does not replace the title.

What a bill of sale does is record the deal: who sold what to whom, when, and for how much. Many DMVs ask for one, for example to work out sales tax, when the title has no space for the price, or when the vehicle or item has no title at all. For a sale between two people it is also the record both of you keep.

Some states have their own bill of sale form, such as California’s REG 135 or Florida’s HSMV 82050. If your DMV asks for its own form, use it; you can still keep this one as your own record. Many states also ask the seller to report the sale and keep or return the license plates, so check your DMV’s website before the sale.

What a bill of sale should include

• The full names and addresses of the seller and the buyer
• A description of what is sold: year, make, model, color, and the VIN, hull ID or serial number
• For a motor vehicle, the odometer reading
• The price, in figures and in words, or a note that it is a gift
• The date of the sale, and how it was paid
• Whether it is sold “as is”, and a statement that the seller owns it free of any loan or lien
• The signatures of both people, with their printed names and the date

The odometer disclosure (US)

US federal law requires the seller of a motor vehicle to state the odometer reading when ownership changes, and to certify whether it is the actual mileage, more than the odometer can show, or not the actual mileage (49 CFR 580.5).

This applies to vehicles of model year 2011 and newer, for 20 years: a 2011 vehicle is exempt from January 1, 2031. Vehicles of model year 2010 and older are already exempt. Trailers and other vehicles that are not self-propelled are exempt too (49 CFR 580.17).

The official disclosure is made on the title itself (or on the state’s own odometer form). The statement this tool prints for US cars and motorcycles is an extra record for both of you, not a replacement: fill in the odometer section of the title as well.

Selling “as is”

“As is” means the buyer takes the vehicle or item in its present condition, with any faults, and the seller does not promise anything about how it runs or how long it will last. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, words like “as is” or “with all faults” exclude the implied warranties (UCC § 2-316).

Most private sales are made this way, so the clause is on by default. It does not protect a seller who hides a problem they know about or says something untrue about the vehicle, and some states have extra rules for dealers.

If you agree to something else, for example that the seller will fix the brakes before handover, turn the clause off or write it in the terms box.

Does a bill of sale need to be notarized?

Most states do not require a bill of sale to be notarized. A few do in some situations. In Louisiana, for example, the sale is usually notarized: either a notarized bill of sale, or the price written on a notarized title assignment.

These rules change. Maryland, for instance, dropped its notarized bill of sale requirement for used vehicles on October 1, 2026 (House Bill 251). Check your state’s DMV before the sale.

If you need it, turn on “Notary block” and sign in front of the notary. Notaries often attach their own certificate wording, which is fine.

Buying? Check the VIN first

Before paying, compare the VIN on the title with the VIN on the vehicle itself (usually on the dashboard by the windshield and on the driver’s door frame). They must match.

A vehicle history report built on the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), run for the US Department of Justice, shows title brands such as salvage or flood, total-loss records and past odometer readings. Reports come from approved providers listed on the official NMVTIS website.

The form checks the VIN as you type it: modern VINs have 17 characters, never use I, O or Q, and in North America the 9th character is a check digit. A warning usually means a typo.

Checked in October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ from state to state and change over time.

• 49 CFR 580.5: Disclosure of odometer information (Cornell Law School)
• 49 CFR 580.17: Exemptions (Cornell Law School)
• UCC § 2-316: Exclusion or modification of warranties (Cornell Law School)
• NMVTIS: approved vehicle history providers (US Department of Justice)
• Florida HSMV 82050: Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale (FLHSMV)