Free Virginia Bill of Sale Template & Generator

Virginia Bill of Sale Requirements

Additional Forms Required in Virginia

• VSA 17A (Application for Certificate of Title & Registration)
• SUT 1 / SUT 1A (Vehicle Price Certification, when needed)

Virginia keeps its vehicle tax rate low at 4.15%, but two details change the real cost. First, there is a $75 minimum: no matter how little you pay, the Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax on a taxable sale is never less than $75. Second, the tax base is your sale price only if that price holds up — if it is more than $1,500 below the vehicle's NADA trade-in value, the DMV can require a price document (Form SUT 1A for vehicles 5 model years old or less, SUT 1 or a similar bill of sale for older ones) and reassess the tax on book value. A bill of sale is required in Virginia when the seller does not record the sale price on the title; even when it is not required, it is the simplest proof of the price, and it should not be confused with VSA 17A, which is the title and registration application.

The family exemption is where Virginia sellers most often go wrong, and the mistake is expensive. Only transfers between a spouse, son, daughter, or parent are exempt from the tax. Siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren are not covered — so gifting a car to a brother or a grandchild and assuming it is tax-free can leave the recipient owing 4.15% plus penalties. When in doubt, treat only the immediate spouse/parent/child chain as exempt.

Virginia is a genuine inspection state. Every registered vehicle needs an annual safety inspection through the State Police, and driving on an expired sticker is a ticketable offense — so a current inspection is worth confirming before you buy. Emissions testing is a Northern Virginia matter only: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park require a biennial OBD emissions test on 1996-and-newer gas vehicles, while the rest of the state has none. Vehicles 25 model years and older are exempt from both.

The transfer itself runs on a 30-day clock: the buyer files VSA 17A with the assigned title, insurance, and ID at a DMV office, and the seller notifies DMV of the sale to shed liability. Odometer disclosure uses Form VSA 5 (not VSA 24), following the federal rule for 2011-and-newer vehicles. Plates stay with the seller and can be transferred to a next vehicle — even a different type — for a small fee.