High Mileage vehicle bill of sale
Selling a high mileage heavy equipment in Michigan? High mileage vehicle sale — generate the right bill of sale for your transaction.
When selling a high mileage heavy equipment through a private party sale in Michigan, a bill of sale protects both the buyer and seller by documenting the transaction details and the vehicle's condition at the time of sale.
Michigan private sellers must accurately complete the odometer disclosure statement on the certificate of title before delivery under MCL 257.233a. The seller must certify whether the reading is actual mileage, exceeds the mechanical odometer limit, or is not actual mileage. The buyer must sign the title's odometer statement; a person may not sign as both transferor and transferee.
Under MCL 257.233a, the transferor must present written odometer disclosure before delivery, stating: the odometer reading at time of transfer; the date of transfer; vehicle identity including VIN, make, model, year; and a certification that the reading is actual mileage or a statement of discrepancy. For private sales, completing the odometer section on the certificate of title suffices. Odometer disclosure exemptions apply to vehicles manufactured in 2010 or earlier that are at least 10 years old, or vehicles manufactured in 2011 or later that are at least 20 years old.
Michigan law requires the seller to certify the odometer reading as actual mileage or disclose any known discrepancy. A false odometer disclosure gives the buyer a civil claim for triple actual damages or $1,500 minimum plus attorney fees under MCL 257.233a. For 2011-and-newer vehicles, odometer disclosure is required until the vehicle is 20 years old — meaning a high-mileage late-model vehicle requires a certified odometer statement regardless of mileage.
In Michigan, the title transfer fee is $15 and registration costs Based on vehicle list price; varies widely. Heavy Equipment sales are subject to 6% use tax on purchase price. Michigan does not require notarization for private-party heavy equipment transfers. Michigan does not require emission testing for private-party heavy equipment sales.
Michigan has a 6% state sales tax rate. Flat 6% use tax statewide. Private-party heavy equipment sales in Michigan are subject to sales tax. Use tax applies to private party vehicle purchases. The title transfer fee is $15.
The most common heavy equipment makes in private-party sales are Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu, Volvo, Case. Average private-party heavy equipment prices range from $10,000–$300,000. Heavy equipments average 0.7 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Hydraulic System, Electrical, ROPS/FOPS.
Before completing a heavy equipment bill of sale in Michigan, verify these safety items:
Equipment floater or inland marine policy required. Costs vary widely: $500–$5,000/year depending on value and use. Caterpillar and Komatsu machines hold value well — 50–60% retention after 5,000 hours. Peak season for private heavy equipment sales is spring when construction season begins, with an average of 60 days on market.
Heavy Equipments are classified as "Construction equipment (not registered for road use; transported on flatbed/lowboy)" for registration purposes. Heavy equipment is valued by engine hours, not mileage. Machines over 80,000 lbs require special transport permits. Federal odometer disclosure does not apply to heavy equipments.
Heavy equipment (excavators, bulldozers, loaders, etc.) transfers rely on a bill of sale and serial number documentation. Most states do not title heavy equipment that is not driven on public roads. Heavy equipment is generally not titled by states. A bill of sale is the primary transfer document. Equipment with a road-travel capability (e.g., motor graders) may require registration in some states.
When selling a heavy equipment in Michigan, the following disclosures apply:
BillOfSaleNow has generated 2,419 bill of sale documents for Michigan transactions, with 65 generated this month alone. The most popular vehicle type is car.
Generate a Michigan heavy equipment bill of sale with condition details included.
Create Michigan Heavy Equipment Bill of SaleMichigan requires a bill of sale for all private party vehicle sales. A high mileage heavy equipment may have additional disclosure requirements around condition, mileage, or title status.
Include buyer and seller details, vehicle identifiers (VIN, year, make, model), sale price, date, signatures, and a clear description of the vehicle condition as high mileage.
Yes. A properly completed bill of sale is a legal document in Michigan. For high mileage vehicles, disclosing the condition protects both buyer and seller.
Michigan charges a $15 title transfer fee. Registration costs Based on vehicle list price; varies widely. Sales tax: 6% use tax on purchase price. Notarization is not required.
Average private-party heavy equipment prices range from $10,000–$300,000. High Mileage vehicles typically fall in the lower range. The most common makes are Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu, Volvo, Case.
Verify ROPS/FOPS (Rollover/Falling Object Protective Structure) certification Check engine hours — the primary value indicator for heavy equipment
45% faster sale
Vehicles whose listings include a history report spend ~45% less time on site before selling, and report-viewers are 5x more likely to become a lead.
Source: Experian / AutoCheck
$4,000 avg loss
NHTSA estimates 450,000+ vehicles per year are sold with rolled-back odometers — the average victim loses about $4,000 in downstream repair costs.
Source: NHTSA
17.5M private sales/yr
About 17.5 million private-party vehicle transactions happen in the U.S. each year — roughly 47% of the used market.
Source: Cox Automotive 2024
1 in 3 buyers
Roughly 1 in 3 used-car buyers say they suspect private sellers are hiding mechanical problems — documentation closes that trust gap.
Source: JW Surety Bonds (n=3,000)
$60–$85 mobile notary
Mobile notary visit minimums run $60–$85 — higher on weekends, plus per-mile travel fees. State-formatted documents skip the trip.
Source: Thumbtack / NNA