Rhode Island Vehicle Bill of Sale Form

About This Form

Covers: Rhode Island Bill of Sale

Agency: Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles

Purpose: Proves the sale and its price to the Rhode Island DMV, which needs it to register a car bought from a private seller.

When required: Required for every private-party sale: it is on the RI DMV registration checklist, and the seller must give one to the buyer. Apply for title promptly after delivery (there is no fixed day count); the 7% sales/use tax is due by the 20th of the month following the sale. The title fee is $53.50.

The Rhode Island DMV Bill of Sale

The Rhode Island DMV's Bill of Sale is a one-page form; the edition we read is rev. 11-3-2023. The DMV lists it on its checklist for registering a car bought from a private party.

• The date of sale and the sale price.
• The seller's printed name, signature and address. If there are two owners, both print and sign.
• The vehicle: year, make, model, body type, cylinders, color and VIN.
• The buyer's printed name, signature and address, again with both owners if there are two.
• An odometer statement with no tenths, marked as actual mileage unless it is over the odometer's mechanical limits (the odometer started again at zero) or is not the actual mileage.
• Every field must be filled in, and any change or erasure voids the bill of sale.

Registering a car bought privately

• The sales tax form (T-334) and the Application for Registration (TR-1).
• Rhode Island insurance, and your Rhode Island license or ID.
• The original title, signed on the back by the seller for model year 2001 or newer. An older vehicle from a state that does not title it can use proof of the previous owner, such as a registration.
• The bill of sale, and the gross vehicle weight rating from the VIN plate on the driver's door.
• A VIN check if the title is from another state or the car was registered elsewhere.
• Both owners at the counter, or the absent owner's signature notarized on the TR-1.

How the 7% sales tax is figured

• A car 7 years old or less: 7% of the NADA Clean Retail value or the price, whichever is greater.
• A car 8 to 29 years old: 7% of the price, unless it is on the Cars of Particular Interest list.
• A listed car, or one 30 years or older: 7% of the book value or the price, whichever is greater.
• Pay by the 20th of the month after the sale, even if the car is not registered yet, and before or at registration.

Deadlines

Rhode Island sets no fixed number of days to apply for the title. The law says the buyer applies promptly after the car is delivered (R.I. Gen. Laws 31-3.1-12(b)).

The tax has a firm date: the 20th of the month after the month of the sale, whether or not the car is registered yet. Paying later adds charges.

Gifted cars

A car given by a member of your immediate family needs a gift letter. A gift from anyone else needs a notarized gift letter plus a gift affidavit; the DMV notes that the affidavit on its website is not a gift letter.

What to Include in a Rhode Island Bill of Sale

A complete bill of sale usually includes:

• Seller name, address
• Buyer name, address
• Year, make, model
• VIN
• Odometer
• Sale price
• Date of sale
• Seller signature