Car Bill of Sale by State
Whether you need a bill of sale to sell a car depends entirely on your state — and whether it must be notarized almost never does. Only Louisiana and West Virginia require the bill of sale itself to be notarized. This reference covers all 50 states and DC: whether a bill of sale is required, the notary rule, and the official form where one exists — each sourced to the state DMV.
Verified against official state sources · 2026-07-08 · Reviewed by the CarWhere Vehicle Data Team
Required in
8 states
Not required in
11 states
Official form in
34 states
Fast answer
A car bill of sale is required to title a privately bought car in Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island. The bill of sale itself must be notarized in only two states: Louisiana and West Virginia. Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio notarize the title assignment, not the bill of sale. Everywhere else a bill of sale is either not required or conditional — see the table.
| State | Bill of sale | Bill of sale notarized? | Official form | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Conditional | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Alaska | Not required | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Arizona | Conditional | Conditional | 48-2004 | Guide · Template |
| Arkansas | Required | No | 10-313 | Guide · Template |
| California | Conditional | No | REG 135 | Guide · Template |
| Colorado | Conditional | No | DR 2173 | Guide · Template |
| Connecticut | Required | No | H-31 | Guide · Template |
| Delaware | Conditional | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Florida | Not required | No | HSMV 82050 - Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle | Guide · Template |
| Georgia | Conditional | No | Form T-7 - Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Hawaii | Conditional | Conditional | No statewide form; county forms exist | Guide · Template |
| Idaho | Conditional | No | ITD 3738 - Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Illinois | Not required | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Indiana | Not required | No | State Form 44237 - Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Iowa | Required | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Kansas | Conditional | No | TR-312 - Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Kentucky | Not required | No — title only | — | Guide · Template |
| Louisiana | Conditional | Required | Bill of Sale of a Motor Vehicle | Guide · Template |
| Maine | Required | No | Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Maryland | Conditional | Conditional | VR-181 Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Massachusetts | Conditional | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Michigan | Not required | No | TR-207 Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Minnesota | Not required | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Mississippi | Conditional | Conditional | — | Guide · Template |
| Missouri | Conditional | Conditional | Form 1957 — Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Montana | Conditional | Conditional | Form MV24 — Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Nebraska | Required | Conditional | Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Nevada | Conditional | No | VP-104 Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| New Hampshire | Conditional | No | TDMV 22A - Report of Sale or Transfer of a Non-Titled Motor Vehicle | Guide · Template |
| New Jersey | Required | Conditional | — | Guide · Template |
| New Mexico | Conditional | No | MVD-10009 | Guide · Template |
| New York | Required | No | MV-912 | Guide · Template |
| North Carolina | Not required | No — title only | — | Guide · Template |
| North Dakota | Conditional | Conditional | SFN 62502 | Guide · Template |
| Ohio | Not required | No — title only | — | Guide · Template |
| Oklahoma | Conditional | Conditional | Form 718 | Guide · Template |
| Oregon | Conditional | No | Form 735-501 - Vehicle Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Pennsylvania | Conditional | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Rhode Island | Required | No | Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| South Carolina | Conditional | No | Form 4031 - Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| South Dakota | Conditional | No | Form 1025 - Bill of Sale | Guide · Template |
| Tennessee | Conditional | Conditional | — | Guide · Template |
| Texas | Not required | No | — | Guide · Template |
| Utah | Conditional | No | TC-843 | Guide · Template |
| Vermont | Conditional | No | VT-005 | Guide · Template |
| Virginia | Conditional | No | SUT 1 | Guide · Template |
| Washington | Conditional | No | TD-420-065 | Guide · Template |
| West Virginia | Conditional | Required | DMV-7-TR Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle | Guide · Template |
| Wisconsin | Not required | No | MV2928 Instructions for Selling a Vehicle | Guide · Template |
| Wyoming | Conditional | No | — | Guide · Template |
| District of Columbia | Conditional | No | — | Guide · Template |
State names link to the official form where one exists. "Conditional": a bill of sale is required only in specific cases (commonly when the title has no purchase-price field, or for older title-exempt vehicles). The "Bill of sale notarized?" column is about the bill of sale itself — "No — title only" marks states (Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio) that notarize the title assignment instead. "Conditional" there means notarization applies only in narrow situations named on the state's page.
Signing a bill of sale? Check the car first.
Once you sign, the car — and its problems — are yours. The $9.99 Full VIN Report shows open recalls for that VIN, plus complaints and service bulletins for the model, and the original window sticker where available. One-time, no subscription. Run the report →
FAQ
Do you need a bill of sale to sell a car?
It depends on the state. In about 8 states a bill of sale is required to title or register a privately bought car; in roughly 11 states it is not required at all because the signed-over title carries the sale price and transfer; and in the rest it is conditional — usually required only when the title has no space to record the purchase price, or for older title-exempt vehicles. The table below shows every state, each sourced to the state DMV.
Does a car bill of sale have to be notarized?
Almost never. Only Louisiana and West Virginia require the bill of sale itself to be notarized. A handful of other states (Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio) require notarizing the title assignment instead — which people often confuse with the bill of sale — and about a dozen more require notarization only in narrow cases (imported vehicles, electronic titles, below-book-value sales). For a normal private sale in most states, no notary is needed.
Is there an official DMV bill of sale form?
34 of the 51 jurisdictions publish an official bill of sale form with a form number — for example California REG 135, Florida HSMV 82050, New York MV-912, Nevada VP-104, and Washington TD-420-065. The rest accept any document that contains the required information. Third-party "form fee" sites charge for templates the state provides free or does not require at all — CarWhere's per-state printable template is free, and each state page links the official form where one exists.
What information does a car bill of sale need?
Across states, the common required elements are: the VIN; the year, make, and model; the sale price; the date of sale; the buyer's and seller's names, addresses, and signatures; and — for vehicles under 20 model years old — a federal odometer disclosure, which many states capture on the title assignment rather than the bill of sale. Each state page lists its exact requirements.
Where do these facts come from?
Each state's rules are sourced to its DMV, DOR, or DOT page or official form, compiled and verified July 2026. A few states whose sites blocked automated access were confirmed via their official documents surfaced through search and are marked accordingly on their pages. Requirements change by statute — confirm against the linked official source before you sign.
Sources & methodology: each state's bill-of-sale, notarization, and odometer rules are sourced to its DMV/DOR/DOT page or official form, compiled July 2026; states whose sites blocked automated access are confirmed via official documents and flagged on their pages. Requirements change by statute — confirm against the linked official source before filing. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Car Bill of Sale by State," carwhere.com/titles/bill-of-sale, verified 2026-07-08.