Free West Virginia Bill of Sale Template & Generator

West Virginia Bill of Sale Requirements

Additional Forms Required in West Virginia

• DMV-1-TR (Application for Certificate of Title)
• DMV-7-TR (Bill of Sale — notarized when the price is below 50% of NADA Clean Loan value)

West Virginia is one of the states that publishes its own bill of sale, and the form matters more than usual here. Form DMV-7-TR (Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat) is printed with the words "NOTARY IS REQUIRED," and it ties directly into how the state taxes your purchase. When you buy a vehicle from an individual for less than 50% of its NADA Clean Loan Book value, a notarized DMV-7-TR signed by both parties must accompany your title application — without it, the 6% titling tax is calculated on the NADA book value instead of your low price. Pay at least half of book value, and the tax is figured on the price you actually paid, with no notarization trigger — unless the vehicle is 2 years old or newer and not bought from a registered dealer, which is taxed on NADA Clean Loan Book value whatever the price. For genuinely small sales, under $500, West Virginia charges a flat $30 fee rather than the percentage.

The 6% figure is the state's consumers sales and use tax applied to vehicles, and it is a single statewide rate — there is no county or municipal add-on, which makes West Virginia refreshingly simple to budget for once you know whether the NADA rule applies. The title fee itself is $15, plus $10 per lien.

West Virginia's inspection rules changed recently and old guidance is misleading. As of January 1, 2024, the state safety inspection is biennial — required every 24 months rather than annually. If you buy a vehicle in-state that does not carry a valid inspection sticker, you must have it inspected within 10 days. There is no separate emissions test anywhere in West Virginia.

The rest of the process is standard: before driving the vehicle on a highway, the buyer registers it and applies for title at a DMV regional office using Form DMV-1-TR, the seller-assigned title, proof of insurance, and the notarized DMV-7-TR where required. West Virginia sets no fixed day count for this; the buyer may drive up to 10 days on the seller's registration with the seller's written consent. Plates belong to the seller and come off at the sale; they can be transferred to another vehicle or surrendered. Odometer disclosure follows the federal rule for model-year-2011-and-newer vehicles and is recorded on the title (and on the bill of sale when one is used).