Junk vehicle bill of sale
Selling a junk motorcycle in Pennsylvania? 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 Pennsylvania, 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.
Pennsylvania issues a Certificate of Junk for vehicles that are not rebuildable. The owner must surrender the title to PennDOT and complete the appropriate junk vehicle documentation.
Pennsylvania Title 75 Section 1103 requires disclosure of the junk vehicle designation. The bill of sale must state the vehicle is sold for scrap or parts only.
A Pennsylvania vehicle with a junk certificate cannot be rebuilt or re-titled. It may only be sold for scrap or parts through a licensed salvage dealer.
In Pennsylvania, the title transfer fee is $58 and registration costs $38 per year. Motorcycle sales are subject to 6% sales tax (7% in Allegheny County, 8% in Philadelphia). Pennsylvania does not require notarization for private-party motorcycle transfers. Emission testing is required in Pennsylvania — verify the motorcycle passes before completing the sale.
Pennsylvania has a 6% state sales tax rate. 6% state (7% Allegheny County, 8% Philadelphia). Private-party motorcycle sales in Pennsylvania are subject to sales tax. Sales tax applies to private party vehicle purchases. The title transfer fee is $58.
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 Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania, the following disclosures apply:
BillOfSaleNow has generated 3,091 bill of sale documents for Pennsylvania transactions, with 83 generated this month alone. The most popular vehicle type is car.
Generate a Pennsylvania motorcycle bill of sale with condition details included.
Create Pennsylvania Motorcycle Bill of SalePennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania. For junk vehicles, disclosing the condition protects both buyer and seller.
Pennsylvania charges a $58 title transfer fee. Registration costs $38 per year. Sales tax: 6% sales tax (7% in Allegheny County, 8% in Philadelphia). 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