Do I need a special bill of sale for a junk motorcycle in Arizona?
Arizona requires a bill of sale for all private party vehicle sales. A junk motorcycle may have additional disclosure requirements around condition, mileage, or title status.
Junk vehicle bill of sale
Selling a junk motorcycle in Arizona? Junk or scrap vehicle sale — generate the right bill of sale for your transaction.
When selling a junk motorcycle through a private party sale in Arizona, 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.
Many states prohibit standard title transfer for junk vehicles and require a junk or scrap designation on the title before sale. A bill of sale with explicit junk/scrap language protects the seller from future liability. The seller should notify the DMV of disposal to avoid responsibility for future parking tickets, tolls, or impound fees.
The bill of sale must clearly state the vehicle is sold as junk or scrap, specify that no warranty of fitness or roadworthiness is provided, and note whether the title carries a junk or scrap brand.
A vehicle sold as junk carries no warranty of roadworthiness. In most states, a junked title cannot be reversed to a clean title, meaning the vehicle may never be legally registered for road use again.
In Arizona, the title transfer fee is $4 and registration costs $8 - $32 based on vehicle weight. Motorcycle sales are subject to 5.6% state tax plus county excise tax; private party tax is $20 flat. Arizona does not require notarization for private-party motorcycle transfers. Emission testing is required in Arizona — verify the motorcycle passes before completing the sale.
Arizona has a 5.6% state sales tax rate. Dealer sales: 5.6% + county. Private sales: flat $20 VLT instead. Private-party motorcycle sales in Arizona may be exempt from state sales tax. Private party sales pay a flat $20 vehicle license transfer fee instead of sales tax. The title transfer fee is $4.
The most common motorcycle makes in private-party sales are Harley-Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki. Average private-party motorcycle prices range from $2,000–$20,000. Motorcycles average 2.4 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Fuel System, Electrical, Brakes.
Before completing a motorcycle bill of sale in Arizona, verify these safety items:
Motorcycle insurance averages $700–$1,500/year for full coverage. Sport bikes cost significantly more to insure than cruisers. Motorcycles depreciate 35–50% in the first 3 years. Harley-Davidson and BMW models hold value best. Peak season for private motorcycle sales is late winter to early spring (february–april) as riding season approaches, with an average of 30 days on market.
Motorcycles are classified as "Motorcycle" for registration purposes. No weight-based exemption for motorcycles. All motorcycles under 20 years old require federal odometer disclosure. Federal odometer disclosure is required for motorcycles under 20 years old.
Motorcycle title transfer requires a signed title and bill of sale. Unlike cars, motorcycles have no federal odometer exemption based on weight, so all motorcycles under 20 years old require odometer disclosure. Motorcycle titles include engine displacement (cc) and may differ from car titles in format. Some states issue a separate MCO (Manufacturer Certificate of Origin) for new motorcycles instead of a title.
When selling a motorcycle in Arizona, the following disclosures apply:
When selling a junk motorcycle in Arizona, the bill of sale should clearly document the vehicle condition. Motorcycle insurance averages $700–$1,500/year for full coverage. Sport bikes cost significantly more to insure than cruisers. Average motorcycle prices range from $2,000–$20,000 — junk vehicles typically fall in the lower range.
BillOfSaleNow has generated 2,871 bill of sale documents for Arizona transactions, with 77 generated this month alone. The most popular vehicle type is car.
Generate a Arizona motorcycle bill of sale with condition details included.
Create Arizona Motorcycle Bill of SaleArizona requires a bill of sale for all private party vehicle sales. A junk motorcycle 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 Arizona. For junk vehicles, disclosing the condition protects both buyer and seller.
Arizona charges a $4 title transfer fee. Registration costs $8 - $32 based on vehicle weight. Sales tax: 5.6% state tax plus county excise tax; private party tax is $20 flat. Notarization is not required.
Average private-party motorcycle prices range from $2,000–$20,000. Junk vehicles typically fall in the lower range. The most common makes are Harley-Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki.
Check tire condition — motorcycle tires have a 5-year lifespan regardless of tread Inspect brake pads and fluid condition on both front and rear systems
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