Free Utah As-Is Bill of Sale
Utah's lemon law (Utah Code § 13-20-1) applies only to new vehicles purchased from licensed dealers — private as-is sales receive no lemon law protection. Under the UT UCC (Utah Code § 70A-2-316), an "AS IS" disclaimer must be conspicuous to effectively waive implied warranties. Utah's Consumer Sales Practices Act (Utah Code § 13-11-4) applies to "suppliers" in trade, and courts have generally found that private individual sellers making casual one-time sales are not covered, but sellers who repeatedly sell vehicles may be treated as suppliers.
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Utah As-Is Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
Utah imposes a 4.85% state sales tax on private vehicle sales. Local option taxes may increase the total rate depending on the buyer's county of residence. Tax is collected at the DMV at title transfer.
Inspection Requirements
Utah requires a safety inspection at the time of registration — this applies to the buyer after purchase. Emissions testing is additionally required in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Cache, Utah, and Box Elder counties. A vehicle sold as-is may fail inspection after purchase, which is the buyer's responsibility; the seller has no obligation to provide a passing inspection certificate.
Utah As-Is Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Prepare a written as-is bill of sale using Form TC-843 or an equivalent document; include "AS IS — NO WARRANTIES" in conspicuous (bold or capitalized) text.
- Sign the reverse of the Utah certificate of title, completing the odometer disclosure, sale price, buyer information, and seller signature.
- Record the full VIN, year, make, model, odometer reading, sale price, and transaction date on both the bill of sale and the title.
- Both parties sign the bill of sale; each retains a copy.
- Seller removes Utah license plates — plates stay with the seller unless both parties agree to a plate transfer.
- Disclose in writing any known issues that could cause the vehicle to fail the mandatory safety inspection — failure to disclose can lead to post-sale disputes even under an as-is clause if active concealment is alleged.
- Buyer submits Form TC-656, signed title, and 4.85% tax to a Utah DMV office before driving the vehicle on a highway.
Common Pitfalls
- Inspection failure risk for buyer: Utah mandates a safety inspection before registration. A vehicle sold as-is may fail, leaving the buyer responsible for repair costs. Sellers should be transparent about known mechanical issues upfront and buyers should consider a pre-purchase inspection before finalizing an as-is deal.
- AS IS conspicuousness: under Utah Code § 70A-2-316, the disclaimer must be visually prominent. A clause buried in small print alongside other boilerplate text will not effectively waive implied warranties.
- Emissions county surprise: if the buyer lives in one of the six northern Utah emissions-testing counties, the vehicle must also pass an OBD-II emissions scan. Vehicles with check engine lights or catalytic converter issues will fail, creating post-sale conflict in as-is transactions.
- Supplier classification risk: private sellers who make multiple vehicle sales per year risk being classified as a "supplier" under the Consumer Sales Practices Act, which would impose consumer protection obligations. Utah courts have not set a hard numerical threshold — consult an attorney if you sell vehicles regularly.
- Odometer disclosure omission: federal law requires a written odometer disclosure for most vehicles of model year 2011 or newer. Omitting this from the title or bill of sale exposes the seller to federal civil penalties regardless of the as-is clause.
Pro Tip
Utah's mandatory post-purchase safety inspection is the critical variable buyers must plan for in as-is transactions — always factor potential inspection repair costs into the purchase price, and sellers should document known defects in writing to avoid any allegation of fraudulent concealment.