Louisiana Bill of Sale for a Car
A bill of sale may be required for a private car sale in Louisiana, depending on the situation. Louisiana OMV requires an original notarized bill of sale or invoice stating the actual price and full vehicle description, but a separate bill of sale is not required if the selling price is included on the notarized title assignment.
Verified against official Louisiana sources · 2026-07-08 · Reviewed by the CarWhere Vehicle Data Team
Bill of sale
Conditional
Bill of sale notary
Required
Official form
Bill of Sale of a Motor Vehicle
Official form: Bill of Sale of a Motor Vehicle (Louisiana OMV) · Free printable Louisiana template →
What a Louisiana car bill of sale must include
- Actual consideration (sale price)
- Full description of the vehicle (year, make, VIN)
- Seller and buyer names and signatures
- Notary acknowledgment (or financial-institution witness where permitted)
- Odometer disclosure if not on the title
If the vehicle is not exempt from federal odometer requirements (generally under 20 model years old) and the title's back lacks an Odometer Disclosure Statement, a supplemental Odometer Disclosure Statement must be submitted.
Before you sign: run the VIN
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, in about a minute. One-time, no subscription. Run the report →
FAQ
Do you need a bill of sale to sell a car privately in Louisiana?
Sometimes. Louisiana OMV requires an original notarized bill of sale or invoice stating the actual price and full vehicle description, but a separate bill of sale is not required if the selling price is included on the notarized title assignment.
Does a Louisiana car bill of sale have to be notarized?
Yes. When a separate bill of sale is used it must be an original notarized document (an authorized agent of a federally insured financial institution may witness the assignment instead of a notary in limited cases, and an act of donation must always be notarized).
Is there an official Louisiana bill of sale form?
Yes — Bill of Sale of a Motor Vehicle (Louisiana OMV) (linked above). You can also use any document that contains the same information.
What should a Louisiana car bill of sale include?
At minimum: actual consideration (sale price); full description of the vehicle (year, make, vin); seller and buyer names and signatures; notary acknowledgment (or financial-institution witness where permitted); odometer disclosure if not on the title. If the vehicle is not exempt from federal odometer requirements (generally under 20 model years old) and the title's back lacks an Odometer Disclosure Statement, a supplemental Odometer Disclosure Statement must be submitted.
What should I check before signing the Louisiana bill of sale?
Confirm the VIN on the document matches the dashboard and door-jamb VIN character-for-character, and check the vehicle's history first: the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report shows open recalls for that VIN, plus complaints and service bulletins for the model and the original window sticker where available. Once you sign, the car — and its problems — are yours, so they're cheaper to find before you sign.
Sources: bill-of-sale, notarization, and odometer requirements from Louisiana DMV/DOR/DOT guidance (linked above). Requirements change by statute — confirm with the state before you sign. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Louisiana Bill of Sale for a Car," carwhere.com/titles/bill-of-sale/louisiana, verified 2026-07-08.