Montana Bill of Sale for a Car
A bill of sale may be required for a private car sale in Montana, depending on the situation. For a standard private sale the seller assigns the Montana title and the MV24 Bill of Sale is recommended, but the MV24 is required (and must be notarized) when the seller is not in possession of the paper title and transfers ownership via electronic record transfer under MCA 61-3-220.
Verified against official Montana sources · 2026-07-08 · Reviewed by the CarWhere Vehicle Data Team
Bill of sale
Conditional
Bill of sale notary
Conditional
Official form
Form MV24 — Bill of Sale
Official form: Form MV24 — Bill of Sale (Montana Motor Vehicle Division, Vehicle Services Bureau) · Free printable Montana template →
What a Montana car bill of sale must include
- Sale price/consideration received
- Purchaser name, address, and ID number (DL/FEIN/Tribal ID/Corp ID)
- Vehicle/vessel year, make, model, and VIN/HIN
- Sold-for-parts-only and title-available checkboxes
- Mechanically-functional certification and current value if not functional
- Odometer certification acknowledgment (MV90A for MY 2011+)
- Purchaser signature, printed name, and date
- Seller signature (all owners must sign), printed name, address, ID number, and date
- Electronic title acknowledgement section (when title not in seller's possession)
- Notary block (only for MV10 bonded title or electronic records transfer)
The MV24 directs sellers to use the Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form MV90A) for vehicles of model year 2011 or newer, consistent with the federal rule covering vehicles under 20 model years old.
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 Montana?
Sometimes. For a standard private sale the seller assigns the Montana title and the MV24 Bill of Sale is recommended, but the MV24 is required (and must be notarized) when the seller is not in possession of the paper title and transfers ownership via electronic record transfer under MCA 61-3-220.
Does a Montana car bill of sale have to be notarized?
In some cases. The current MV24 (rev. 2/24) states notarization is 'required only when used in conjunction with Application for Bra(ke)/Bond Title (MV10) or an Electronic Records Transfer occurs' — the historical blanket notarization requirement (which also applied to title assignments) no longer applies to a routine bill of sale.
Is there an official Montana bill of sale form?
Yes — Form MV24 — Bill of Sale (Montana Motor Vehicle Division, Vehicle Services Bureau) (linked above). You can also use any document that contains the same information.
What should a Montana car bill of sale include?
At minimum: sale price/consideration received; purchaser name, address, and id number (dl/fein/tribal id/corp id); vehicle/vessel year, make, model, and vin/hin; sold-for-parts-only and title-available checkboxes; mechanically-functional certification and current value if not functional; odometer certification acknowledgment (mv90a for my 2011+). The MV24 directs sellers to use the Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form MV90A) for vehicles of model year 2011 or newer, consistent with the federal rule covering vehicles under 20 model years old.
What should I check before signing the Montana 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 Montana DMV/DOR/DOT guidance (linked above). Requirements change by statute — confirm with the state before you sign. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Montana Bill of Sale for a Car," carwhere.com/titles/bill-of-sale/montana, verified 2026-07-08.