Bill of sale only UTV Bill of Sale — Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

Legal notes

Vehicles manufactured before 1975 were not required to be federally titled, and some never entered a state title system. States have varying procedures for issuing an original title for un-titled vehicles (e.g., California: Reg 343 form; Texas: Form VTR-141). The NMVTIS may not have records for older un-titled vehicles, so ownership chain documentation is critical.

Tuscaloosa County clerk office and recording fees

Bill-of-sale filings and title transfers for a bill of sale only utv sale in Tuscaloosa County are filed at the Alabama county clerk in Tuscaloosa County (sometimes called the recorder, tax collector, or treasurer depending on the state). The office accepts the signed bill of sale, the assigned title, and a completed title application. Recording fees vary by document type; expect a base fee plus per-page charges for additional pages.

For office hours, recording fees, and accepted payment methods in Tuscaloosa County, call the county clerk before visiting or check the Alabama DMV directory at https://www.mvtrip.alabama.gov/.

Filing deadline: Alabama requires title transfer within 20 days of the sale date. Plan the Tuscaloosa County clerk visit promptly to avoid penalty fees on late filings.

Alabama lien-release procedure for liened utv sales

If the utv carries an active lien, the seller cannot transfer clean title to the buyer until the lien is released. Alabama handles this through a documented sequence that the lienholder, seller, and buyer must complete in order. Skipping a step often means the new title is issued with the lien still noted, blocking resale.

1. Obtain Form MVT 5-13 from the Alabama MVD or the lienholder.
2. Lienholder completes and signs MVT 5-13 releasing the lien.
3. Submit MVT 5-13 with the existing title and title application at your county probate court.
4. Pay the applicable title fee and receive a clean title by mail.

Form reference: MVT 5-13 is the Alabama document used to clear a lien on a utv title before a Tuscaloosa County bill of sale only transfer can be recorded.

UTV recall categories to verify before a Tuscaloosa County bill of sale only transfer

Open safety recalls follow the vehicle, not the owner — if the utv has an unrepaired recall when the bill of sale only sale closes, the Tuscaloosa County buyer inherits the obligation to bring it to a dealer for the free fix. The NHTSA recall database flags the following categories most frequently for utv models:

• Steering
• Fuel System
• Fire Hazard
• Suspension
• Seat Belts

On average a utv model has 2.8 recalls — buyers in Tuscaloosa County should run a NHTSA recall check before signing. Enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to pull the live status. Document any open recalls in the bill of sale so the buyer cannot later claim the seller concealed a known defect — a clean disclosure protects both parties under Alabama consumer-protection law.