Free Louisiana Bill of Sale Template & Generator

Louisiana Bill of Sale Requirements

Additional Forms Required in Louisiana

• Vehicle Application (Form DPSMV 1799)

Louisiana approaches vehicle transfers the way it approaches most legal documents — through a notary. What sets it apart from the handful of other title-notarization states is that Louisiana gives you a choice about WHICH document gets notarized. Either the title assignment itself is notarized with the selling price stated on it, or an original notarized bill of sale (an Act of Sale, in Louisiana's civil-law vocabulary) travels with the title. You do not need both. What you generally cannot do is submit a photocopy: if the bill of sale is carrying the price, the OMV wants the original notarized document (a carbon copy is accepted only from a state that does not require notarization).

Because Louisiana's legal culture is notary-heavy, this is less of an obstacle than it sounds. Notaries are common at banks, dealerships, and public tag agencies, and Louisiana notaries have broader authority than their common-law counterparts in other states. Budget a few minutes for the step rather than treating it as a hurdle.

The tax number is where current information matters most. Louisiana's state sales tax on vehicles rose to 5.0% effective January 1, 2025, up from the long-standing 4.45% — and a great many online guides, calculators, and older printed materials still quote the old figure. On top of the state rate, parish and local taxes apply and vary widely across the state, so the combined rate in one parish can differ noticeably from its neighbor. The tax is figured on the sale price less any qualifying trade-in, which is exactly why the price on your notarized paperwork is the number that governs.

Sales tax is due by the 40th day after the sale — the last business day before it if day 40 lands on a weekend or holiday — and it is paid when the buyer applies for title and registration at an OMV office or, often faster, at one of Louisiana's licensed public tag agents, private offices authorized to process titles and registrations for a convenience fee. Miss that due date and penalty and interest start accruing on the tax. The title fee itself is $68.50, on the higher end nationally, and the buyer files Form DPSMV 1799 (the Vehicle Application) alongside the notarized documents.

Sellers should keep their notarized copy, take the plate off the vehicle (Louisiana plates belong to the owner, not the car), and file a Notice of Transfer with the OMV. That notice is technically optional, but it is the record that separates you from the vehicle if the buyer is slow to title or starts collecting citations — cheap insurance for a document you have already had notarized.