Free Ohio As-Is Bill of Sale
Ohio's lemon law (ORC § 1345.71) covers new vehicles sold by dealers only — private as-is sellers have no lemon-law exposure. Under Ohio UCC (ORC § 1302.29), as-is language must be conspicuous to waive implied warranties. The most nuanced risk in Ohio is the Consumer Sales Practices Act (ORC § 1345.02): courts are split on whether private individuals qualify as 'suppliers,' but individuals who sell multiple vehicles in a year can be found to be in trade or commerce and therefore subject to CSPA liability.
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Ohio As-Is Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Ohio sales tax ranges from 5.75% to 8% depending on the county; assessed on the purchase price at title transfer
Inspection Requirements
Ohio eliminated its E-check emissions inspection program in 2019; there is no longer any statewide or county-level inspection requirement for private vehicle sales
Ohio As-Is Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Print 'AS IS — NO WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED' in bold, conspicuous text at the top of the bill of sale to satisfy ORC § 1302.29
- Record the full VIN, year, make, model, and odometer reading on the bill of sale
- Assign the title with the actual sale price, date, and buyer's information — the county sales tax is based on this figure
- Disclose all known material defects in writing; repeat sellers especially should document disclosures to avoid CSPA 'supplier' classification
- Confirm no emissions inspection is required — Ohio's E-check program was eliminated in 2019; no inspection is needed before or after the sale
- Provide the buyer a signed bill of sale; keep a copy for your records
- Remind the buyer of the 30-day window to transfer the title at the county BMV
Common Pitfalls
- Selling multiple vehicles per year without treating each transaction as a business sale — Ohio courts have found individual sellers who sell three or more cars annually to be 'suppliers' under ORC § 1345.02, subjecting them to Consumer Sales Practices Act liability
- Using non-conspicuous as-is language — small print or buried text fails the ORC § 1302.29 standard and the disclaimer may be invalidated
- Underreporting the sale price — Ohio county auditors can challenge purchase prices that appear below market value; the BMV may use book value to assess tax if the reported price is suspiciously low
- Assuming emissions is still an issue — Ohio ended E-check in 2019; don't delay a sale or add conditions around emissions testing that no longer exists
Pro Tip
Ohio's elimination of E-check in 2019 simplified private as-is sales considerably. The main ongoing risk is CSPA supplier status for repeat sellers. Keep your as-is clause conspicuous, document any disclosed defects, and record the true sale price to close a clean transaction.