Bill of Sale by State — All 50 US States
Requirements vary significantly by state: some require notarization, others have unique DMV forms, and tax rates range from 0% to over 10%. Select your state for state-specific requirements, a free PDF generator, and a how-to-fill-out guide.
Notarization Required
These 8 states require a notarized bill of sale for private vehicle transfers:
Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, West Virginia
No Sales Tax
Five states charge no general sales tax on vehicle purchases:
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon
Official DMV Forms
Some states have official bill of sale forms required or strongly preferred by their DMV. Our state pages link to these alongside our generator.
What Varies by State
Notarization Requirements
Most states do not require a notarized bill of sale for a private vehicle transfer. However, eight states — Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, and West Virginia — require or strongly recommend notarization. The notary verifies the identity of both parties and witnesses the signatures, providing an additional layer of legal protection.
Title Transfer Deadlines
After a private vehicle sale, the buyer must transfer the title into their name within a set number of days. Deadlines range from 10 days (California, New Jersey) to 30 days (many states) or longer. Missing the deadline typically results in a late fee, but in some states it can also void the purchase or cause liability issues if the previous owner receives traffic violations in the interim.
Sales Tax Rates
Sales tax on vehicle purchases varies widely. Five states — Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon — have no state sales tax. Others range from around 3% (Colorado) to over 8% (some California counties with local add-ons). Some states also distinguish between trade-ins, gifts, and private sales for tax purposes.
Additional State Forms
Some states have their own official DMV bill of sale forms that are required or preferred in addition to — or instead of — a generic bill of sale. Examples include Ohio (BMV 3774), North Carolina (MVR-1), and Michigan (TR-11L). Our state pages link to these official forms alongside our generator.
Odometer Disclosure
Federal law (the Truth in Mileage Act) requires an odometer disclosure statement for all vehicle transfers involving vehicles under 10 model years old. Many states print this directly on the vehicle title; our bill of sale generator includes it as a built-in section regardless of state.