West Virginia DMV-7-TR — Bill of Sale

About DMV-7-TR

Official name: West Virginia Form DMV-7-TR — Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat

Issued by: West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles

Purpose: Documents a private vehicle sale in West Virginia and, when notarized, supports the tax basis in the below-50%-of-book scenario. Submitted with the DMV-1-TR title application at a DMV regional office.

When required: A notarized DMV-7-TR is required when buying from an individual below 50% of NADA Clean Loan Book value. West Virginia sets no fixed day count: the buyer must register and apply for title before driving on a highway (up to 10 days on the seller's registration with written consent); the title fee is $15.

What DMV-7-TR is

DMV-7-TR is the West Virginia DMV's Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat. The copy we read is revised 12/16. Its top line says the seller and buyer must complete the whole form, sign it and have it notarized.

The form does not move ownership by itself. It states that ownership does not change until the buyer applies for, and is issued, a certificate of title.

What it asks for

• Section 1: year, make, body type, model, color, title number, and the VIN, hull or serial number.
• Section 2: the seller's printed name and address, under the line "I/we do hereby sell, or have sold and delivered" the vehicle to the buyer.
• Section 3: the buyer's printed name and address, the date of sale and the selling price.
• Section 4: the odometer reading with no tenths (motor vehicles only), with boxes for "in excess of its mechanical limits" and "not the actual mileage".
• Section 5: signatures, printed names and dates for the seller, co-seller, buyer and co-buyer, followed by the notary's certification.

When West Virginia needs it

• You paid an individual less than 50% of the NADA Clean Loan Book value. A notarized bill of sale signed by both parties must go with the title application (Form DMV-1-TR), or tax is charged on the full book value.
• You paid 50% or more. The 6% tax is charged on the declared price, and the DMV lists a bill of sale only for the below-50% case.
• The vehicle is two years old or newer and not from a registered dealer. The tax is on the book value, and no bill of sale can lower it.
• Any notarized bill of sale or DMV-7-TR must come with a legible copy of both the buyer's and the seller's driver's licenses.

Title rules that trip people up

• Both the seller and the buyer sign the back of a West Virginia title. The seller writes the exact mileage in the assignment section; if the title has no such section, use Form DMV-TM-1.
• A title with an altered or conflicting price, sent in with a second bill of sale, is rejected. The owner must then get a duplicate title and start again.
• If the owners' names are joined by "AND", both must sign. With "OR" or "AND/OR", either one can.
• Buy only from a seller whose own name is printed on the title, and check that the VIN on the vehicle matches the title exactly.

Tax, fees and timing

• The titling tax is 6% on a net price over $500, or a flat $30 when the net price is under $500.
• The title fee is $15, recording a lien costs $10, and registration fees are extra.
• A trade-in lowers the taxable price only if it is in exactly the same name as the vehicle you are buying.
• There is no fixed number of days for a private buyer: you must title and register the vehicle before driving it on a highway.

What to Include in a West Virginia 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
• Notarization (when the below-50%-of-book rule applies)