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Free Bill of Sale Template

Pick what you are selling, fill in the seller, the buyer, the price and the terms, and the bill of sale writes itself in the preview below. Print two copies to sign, or save it as a PDF. Works as a simple bill of sale for a car, boat or trailer, or a generic bill of sale for anything else.

This is a document template, not legal advice. A bill of sale does not replace the title, and many state DMVs ask for their own form or a title transfer as well, so check your state DMV before you sign.

What a bill of sale includes

The parties
The seller's and the buyer's names and addresses, as they appear on their IDs.
The item
Enough to identify it: year, make, model and VIN for a vehicle; hull identification number (HIN) and engine for a boat; a description and serial number for anything else.
The price and payment
The amount in figures and in words, how it was paid, and whether it was paid in full or on terms.
The terms
Sold "as is" or with a warranty from the seller, defects the seller disclosed, what is included, and any lien still on it.
Signatures
Both parties sign and date it. Add a notary block if your state or the buyer asks for one.

A bill of sale is not the title

For a car, truck, motorcycle, titled trailer or titled boat, the certificate of title is what shows who owns it, and the seller signs it over to the buyer. A bill of sale is the written record of the deal: the price, the date, the condition and who agreed to what. Keep both.

Rules differ from state to state. Some DMVs want the sale on their own bill of sale form, some ask for the price to be written on the title, and some states require the bill of sale or the title transfer to be notarized in some cases. The DMV where the vehicle will be titled decides what paperwork it accepts, so look up its forms before the handover.

Find your state's motor vehicle agency on USA.gov's state DMV directory.

Selling a car: the federal odometer statement

Federal rules (49 CFR 580.5) require the seller of a motor vehicle to state the mileage to the buyer when ownership changes hands, on the title itself (or the state's reassignment document), signed by both. The reading is in whole miles, with no tenths, together with the date, both names and addresses, and the vehicle's year, make, model, body type and VIN.

The seller also certifies one of three things: the reading is the actual mileage to the best of their knowledge, the mileage is beyond the odometer's mechanical limits, or the reading is not the actual mileage and should not be relied on.

Since Jan. 1, 2021, vehicles from model year 2011 on need the disclosure for their first 20 years; model year 2010 and older vehicles are exempt (49 CFR 580.17 and NHTSA). Vehicles over 16,000 lb gross vehicle weight rating and vehicles that are not self-propelled, such as trailers, are exempt too.

The odometer statement this template prints is an extra written record that matches those rules. It does not replace the disclosure on the title.

"As is" or with a warranty

Private sales are often made "as is": the buyer looks the item over and takes it in its current condition. The template sets the as-is clause by default. If the seller does promise something, such as a part that works for 30 days, switch to the warranty box and write the promise out in plain words.

Write down the defects the seller pointed out, too. A defect on paper is not a surprise later.

Dealers have extra rules. The FTC's Used Car Rule applies to dealers who sell more than five used vehicles in 12 months; they post a Buyers Guide on each car saying whether it is sold "as is" or with a warranty, and how "as is" works depends on state law.

Tips for a clean handover

  • Match the numbers

    Read the VIN or HIN off the vehicle or boat and check it against the title before anyone signs. NHTSA's advice to buyers: compare the mileage on the title with the odometer.

  • Two signed copies

    Print two, sign both, and each party keeps one. A PDF on your phone is a handy third copy.

  • Settle the payment first

    Cash counted, or a cashier's check confirmed with the issuing bank, before the keys and the signed title change hands.

  • Clear any lien

    If a lender is still on the title, write it in the liens box and agree in writing how and when it is paid off and released.

Buying from a dealer? Estimate the tax on the price with the car sales tax calculator.

Selling equipment to a business that orders on paper? Their side is the purchase order template.

More for car and equipment sellers: car sales tips, capital equipment sales.

Sources

The paper records the sale. The handover is where the terms were agreed.

What comes with it, the defects the seller mentioned, when the money changes hands: those get agreed out loud at the handover. Record that conversation in ParrotNotes and get a summary, so the bill of sale says what you both agreed. The signed document stays the record; the recording is your notes. Free for 100 minutes of recording a month.

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