Free Car Sale Receipt TemplateWrite down who bought what, for how much and how it was paid. Check the preview, then print two copies or save a PDF. No sign-up, and nothing you type is uploaded.

How to make a car sale receipt

1. 1

   Name the buyer, the seller and the car

   Write both names and contacts. In the “Payment for” box describe the car: year, make, model, color and mileage.

2. 2

   Enter the price and how it was paid

   Type the amount received. It is written out in words for you. Choose cash, cashier’s check or another method and add a reference such as a check number.

3. 3

   Sign and keep a copy

   Print two copies on one page, sign both, and give one to the other person. Or save a PDF and send it.

A receipt records the payment, not the title

A car sale receipt shows that a certain amount of money changed hands on a certain date for a certain vehicle. It does not move ownership of the car. The title transfer is done with your state’s motor vehicle office, which has its own forms and steps, so check with them before you hand over the keys.

Many sellers and buyers use a receipt together with a bill of sale. The receipt is the proof of payment; the bill of sale describes the sale itself.

What a car sale receipt should show

• The date of the sale and a receipt number if you keep several
• The seller’s and the buyer’s full names, with a phone number or email
• The vehicle: year, make, model, color and mileage, and the VIN if you want to include it
• The amount received, in figures and words
• How it was paid: cash, cashier’s check, bank transfer, and a reference number
• Any balance still owed, if the buyer paid only part
• Signatures of the person who received the money

Sample wording for the notes

The notes box is for anything both sides agreed to that day. Write it as plain facts about this sale, and change it to match what really happened.

• “Buyer inspected the car and received both keys.”
• “Sold as is, as discussed.”
• “Paid in full by cashier’s check no. 5521.”
• “Deposit of $500 received. Balance of $12,300 due when the buyer collects the car.”

Tips for a private car sale

• Write the receipt at the moment the money is handed over, not afterward.
• Each side should keep a copy.
• For a large payment, a cashier’s check or bank transfer leaves a record that cash does not.
• Write the mileage and the date so there is no doubt later.
• Ask your state’s motor vehicle office what they need to transfer the title and register the car. Rules about taxes, plates and paperwork differ from state to state.