Free Ontario Car Bill of Sale
Ontario's rules list what a car bill of sale must say, not which form to use. A handwritten one is fine if you hand over the original. You can also use the bill of sale section at the bottom of the Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP), which the seller must give the buyer. The buyer then gets 6 days to put the car in their name at ServiceOntario, where the 13% retail sales tax (RST) is paid.
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Ontario Car Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Tax Details
The buyer pays 13% RST at ServiceOntario when registering, never to the seller. For a car, the base is the price or the UVIP's Red Book wholesale value, whichever is more. If Red Book is under $1,000, only the price counts. The value of any trade is part of the price.
Exemption: Some transfers pay no RST. These include a true gift from a qualifying family member, a car left to an estate beneficiary, and a sale to an eligible First Nations buyer. RST also does not apply if the seller is registered for GST/HST.
Inspection Requirements
Plates need a Safety Standards Certificate from a DriveON Vehicle Inspection Centre licensed by the Ministry of Transportation. It lasts 36 calendar days after the inspection, and each shop sets its own price. The buyer can register the car without it but cannot plate it. A transfer to a spouse needs no SSC.
Ontario Car Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Seller: get the $20 UVIP early. A ServiceOntario centre issues it the same day. An online order ships within 5 business days, plus up to 10 days in the mail.
- Seller: confirm the VIN on the car matches your green ownership permit, and that the UVIP shows no money owing.
- Together: write the VIN, year, make, model, body type, colour and fuel type (gas, diesel or electric).
- Add the price, the sale date, both names and addresses, and the odometer reading, which ServiceOntario asks for at registration. Then each of you signs and dates the page.
- Seller: sign the Application for Transfer on the back of the permit's vehicle portion. Hand it over with the UVIP and the original bill of sale.
- Seller: remove your plates and keep the plate portion of the permit for your next vehicle.
- Buyer: within 6 days, take the signed permit, UVIP, bill of sale, proof of insurance, your Ontario driver's licence and any needed Safety Standards Certificate to ServiceOntario.
Common Pitfalls
- Handing over a photocopy. ServiceOntario needs the original. A copy only works if staff see the original, or if the seller faxes it straight to the centre.
- Leaving a trade off the paper. Anything given as part of the deal counts toward the price for RST, so write the whole deal down.
- Buying over a lien. If the UVIP lists one, the lien holder can claim the car, or the amount owed, from the new owner once the transfer is done. Get proof it is paid off before you pay.
- Not comparing the papers. Stolen cars often have UVIP errors, like the wrong colour or odometer reading. Compare the UVIP, the permit and the VIN on the car itself.
- Using a damaged UVIP. It must be the original, with the serial number unchanged and the tear-off stub on page 1 still attached.
- Letting the SSC expire. It lasts 36 calendar days from the inspection. Then a new paid inspection is needed.
Pro Tip
Before you meet, the seller should have the UVIP and the buyer should have insurance. Fill in the bill of sale together at the handover. The buyer takes the original, and the seller keeps a signed copy or a clear photo.