How to Buy a Car From a Private Seller

Private buyers should request a signed bill of sale to document the price, vehicle details, and sale date.

What Buyers Should Collect

A bill of sale supports registration and protects you if paperwork gets delayed.

What documents should a buyer collect?

Signed bill of sale, title signed over, and odometer disclosure when required.

Why request a bill of sale?

It records the sale price, date, and details needed for registration.

How soon should I transfer the title?

Complete the DMV transfer as soon as possible after purchase.

Generate a bill of sale with signatures and a printable PDF.

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.

$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.

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.

$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.