BillOfSaleNow

Do I Need a Bill of Sale to Sell a Car?

A bill of sale is strongly recommended for private vehicle sales. It documents the buyer, seller, price, and sale date.

Why Sellers Use a Bill of Sale

When It Matters Most

How to create a bill of sale

  1. Collect buyer and seller details plus the VIN.
  2. Confirm the sale price and sale date.
  3. Sign the bill of sale and keep a copy.
  4. Download the PDF to share with the buyer.

Frequently asked questions

Is a bill of sale required to sell a car?

Requirements vary by state, but a bill of sale is strongly recommended for private vehicle sales.

What should be included?

Buyer and seller names, VIN, sale price, sale date, and signatures from both parties.

How long does it take to create one?

Most sellers complete a bill of sale in about 3 minutes.

Generate a Bill of Sale Now

Complete your bill of sale in about 3 minutes with signatures and PDF download.

Create Bill of Sale

Related resources

Trusted by private vehicle sellers nationwide

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