Free Michigan Motorcycle Bill of Sale
A Michigan motorcycle sale is about as friction-free as titled property gets: a flat 6% tax with zero county or city add-ons, no inspection of any kind (Michigan inspects nothing, bikes included), and a 15-day window to title at any Secretary of State office using the same TR-11L application cars use. The two bike-specific details worth planning for: Michigan plates belong to the seller — they come off the motorcycle at handoff — and the buyer needs the CY motorcycle endorsement on their Michigan license before legally riding the new purchase home. The endorsement comes from a written-plus-skills test at the SOS or a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course; buying the bike first and testing later means trailering it in between.
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Michigan Motorcycle Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Same 6% flat as cars, no local add-ons.
Inspection Requirements
No inspection required for motorcycles (or any vehicle) in Michigan.
Michigan Motorcycle Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Verify the frame-stamped VIN against the Michigan title before paying — bikes carry it on the steering neck or frame, not a dashboard plate.
- Complete the bill of sale with VIN, engine serial, odometer reading, sale price, date, and both signatures.
- Seller: remove your plate at handoff — Michigan plates stay with the owner, and that applies to motorcycle plates too.
- Seller signs the Michigan title over with the odometer disclosure completed.
- Buyer files the TR-11L at any Secretary of State office within 15 days.
- Buyer pays the flat 6% tax — no local additions anywhere in Michigan — plus the title fee.
- Buyer: hold the CY endorsement (SOS written + skills test, or an MSF rider course) before riding on public roads — trailer the bike home if the endorsement is still pending.
Common Pitfalls
- Riding the new bike home without the CY endorsement — an unendorsed rider on a motorcycle is a citation waiting at the first stop, even with a clean bill of sale in the saddlebag.
- Leaving the seller's plate on the motorcycle — Michigan is plates-to-owner, and a plate that rides along keeps the seller's name attached to whatever happens next.
- Budgeting for local tax — there is none; Michigan's 6% is flat statewide, so any "county fee" quote deserves a second look.
- Missing the 15-day SOS deadline — short by Midwest standards, and late-transfer penalties start immediately.
Pro Tip
Michigan motorcycles: flat 6%, no inspections, TR-11L at the SOS inside 15 days, seller keeps the plate — and the CY endorsement decides whether the buyer rides home or trailers.