Vermont VT-005 — Bill of Sale

About VT-005

Official name: Vermont Form VT-005 — Bill of Sale and Odometer Disclosure

Issued by: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles

Purpose: Documents a private vehicle sale in Vermont and the odometer reading. Filed with VD-119 (the registration/tax/title application) at the DMV; sets the 6% Purchase and Use Tax base.

When required: The DMV's private-sale document list includes a Bill of Sale & Odometer Disclosure Statement. The buyer must register the vehicle before operating it on Vermont roads; the title fee is $42. New residents have 60 days from moving.

VT-005 and VD-119: which is which

• VT-005 is the Bill of Sale and Odometer Disclosure Statement (01/2022). The seller and buyer use it to record the sale and the mileage.
• VD-119 is the Vermont Registration, Tax and Title Application (10/2024). The DMV uses it for new registrations, transfers, renewals, titles, tax, adding or removing an owner, and lease buyouts.
• In a private sale you need both: VT-005 from the seller, and VD-119 filled out by you, the buyer.

What VT-005 asks for

• The seller or sellers (or a company name), who sell, assign or transfer the vehicle or vessel.
• Year, make, model, body or hull type, color, vessel length, and the VIN or hull number.
• The odometer reading (vehicles only, no tenths), in miles, kilometers or hours.
• The new owner and any co-owner, the date and the price.
• Whether the vehicle failed an emissions test and got a time-extension waiver in the past 12 months. A vehicle may not have two waivers in a row.
• Signatures, addresses, phone numbers and emails for the sellers and buyers. If the vehicle is jointly owned, both owners sign as sellers.

Promises and warnings on VT-005

• The seller states the vehicle is free of all liens, and the statements are certified under penalty of 23 V.S.A. §§ 202, 203, 2082 and 3829(4).
• If the vehicle is salvage, salvage and rebuilt, or declared a total loss, the seller must tell the buyer both out loud and in writing. If not, the buyer can demand a refund of the price, taxes and fees (23 V.S.A. § 2093).
• The back of the form is the odometer statement, needed for self-propelled vehicles of model year 2011 or newer registered at 16,000 lbs or less. Model year 2011 and newer vehicles need it for 20 years.

What VD-119 asks for

• Sections 1 to 3: the owners (name, license number or FEIN, date of birth, contact details and addresses), the vehicle, and how co-owners hold it (spouses, joint tenants, tenants in common, business partners, or transfer on death with form VT-007).
• Sections 4 and 5: the odometer reading and any lender, or "NONE".
• Section 6: the seller and the purchase date. The seller's signature here is only needed if no other bill of sale exists.
• Section 7: the transaction and plate type, and a registration term of 1 or 2 years (5 for trailers and municipal vehicles).
• Sections 8 and 9: the purchase price, the J.D. Power value, any trade-in credit, and the taxable amount.
• You sign under penalty of perjury that the vehicle is properly equipped and in good mechanical condition, and that liability insurance is in effect.

Tax, fees and title rules

• The Purchase and Use Tax is 6% of the price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is greater, minus any trade-in or allowed credit.
• If the vehicle is worth less than the J.D. Power value, you may file a Vermont Dealer Appraisal (VD-012). Exemptions, such as tax paid to another state or some gifts, are claimed on form VT-014.
• A car, truck, trailer or motorcycle title costs $42, and each lien adds $14.
• A salvage-branded title also needs a VIN verification (VT-010). Vermont sets no fixed day count for a private buyer, but you must register the vehicle before driving it on a highway.

What to Include in a Vermont 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
• Both signatures