Do I need a special bill of sale for a junk electric vehicle in Texas?
Texas requires a bill of sale for all private party vehicle sales. A junk electric vehicle may have additional disclosure requirements around condition, mileage, or title status.
Junk vehicle bill of sale
Selling a junk electric vehicle in Texas? Junk or scrap vehicle sale — generate the right bill of sale for your transaction.
When selling a junk electric vehicle through a private party sale in Texas, 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.
Texas issues a Certificate of Authority to Dispose of a Motor Vehicle for junk vehicles. Form VTR-71-2 must be submitted to TxDMV. A junk title in Texas means the vehicle is valued only for its scrap metal or parts.
Texas Transportation Code Section 501.091 requires disclosure of a junk vehicle designation. The bill of sale must clearly state the vehicle is sold for scrap or parts only.
Texas requires Form VTR-71-2 for junk vehicle transactions. No additional state inspection is required.
A Texas junk vehicle with a Certificate of Authority to Dispose cannot be rebuilt or re-titled. It may only be sold to a licensed salvage dealer or used for parts. Verify the title status carefully.
In Texas, the title transfer fee is $33 and registration costs $50.75 per year. Electric Vehicle sales are subject to 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on purchase price. Texas does not require notarization for private-party electric vehicle transfers. Emission testing is required in Texas — verify the electric vehicle passes before completing the sale.
Texas has a 6.25% state sales tax rate. Flat 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax statewide. Private-party electric vehicle sales in Texas are subject to sales tax. Tax based on Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) or purchase price, whichever is higher. The title transfer fee is $33.
The most common electric vehicle makes in private-party sales are Tesla, Chevrolet, Ford, Rivian, Hyundai. Average private-party electric vehicle prices range from $12,000–$60,000. The average NCAP safety rating for recent electric vehicle models is 4.6 out of 5 stars. Electric vehicles average 2.8 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Battery/High Voltage, Software/OTA Updates, Charging System.
Before completing a electric vehicle bill of sale in Texas, verify these safety items:
EV insurance costs 10–25% more than comparable gas cars due to higher repair costs and battery replacement risk. EV depreciation is volatile — Tesla holds value best, while some models lose 50–60% in 3 years. Battery warranty transfer is a key value factor. Peak season for private electric vehicle sales is spring when gas prices typically rise and ev incentive programs refresh, with an average of 28 days on market.
Electric Vehicles are classified as "Passenger vehicle (EV-specific registration fees apply in 30+ states to offset lost fuel tax revenue)" for registration purposes. EVs weigh 20–30% more than comparable gas vehicles due to battery packs. Some states have proposed weight-based surcharges. Federal odometer disclosure is required for electric vehicles under 20 years old.
Electric vehicle title transfer follows standard passenger vehicle rules with two key differences: most states require disclosure of remaining battery warranty (typically 8 years / 100,000 miles federally mandated for EV battery components) and some states have additional registration fees that offset gas-tax revenue. EV titles look identical to ICE-vehicle titles in most states. A growing number of states list "Electric" or "BEV" in the fuel-type field; this can affect annual registration fees and HOV-lane eligibility for the buyer.
When selling a electric vehicle in Texas, the following disclosures apply:
BillOfSaleNow has generated 10,842 bill of sale documents for Texas transactions, with 292 generated this month alone. The most popular vehicle type is car.
Generate a Texas electric vehicle bill of sale with condition details included.
Create Texas Electric Vehicle Bill of SaleTexas requires a bill of sale for all private party vehicle sales. A junk electric vehicle 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 junk.
Yes. A properly completed bill of sale is a legal document in Texas. For junk vehicles, disclosing the condition protects both buyer and seller.
Texas charges a $33 title transfer fee. Registration costs $50.75 per year. Sales tax: 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on purchase price. Notarization is not required.
Average private-party electric vehicle prices range from $12,000–$60,000. Junk vehicles typically fall in the lower range. The most common makes are Tesla, Chevrolet, Ford, Rivian, Hyundai.
Check battery State of Health (SOH) — capacity degradation below 70% significantly reduces value Verify full charge range matches manufacturer specifications for the model year
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