Vehicle Sale Agreement
A vehicle sale agreement is the formal name for the document that records a private vehicle transfer between a seller and a buyer. For the purposes of title transfer and DMV filings, a vehicle sale agreement and a bill of sale are functionally identical — both capture the same information and satisfy the same legal requirements. Whether you call it an agreement, a receipt, or a bill of sale, the document that protects you is the one that contains all required fields, is signed by both parties, and is retained by each side after the sale.
What a Vehicle Sale Agreement Must Include
A missing field can delay title transfer or create liability disputes. Include all six elements below.
- 1
Seller and buyer information
Full legal name, current address, and phone number for both the seller and the buyer. Some states also require a driver’s license number.
- 2
Vehicle description with VIN
Year, make, model, body style, color, and the full 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. The VIN must match the title certificate exactly.
- 3
Purchase price
The agreed sale price in dollars. If the vehicle is a gift or sold for a nominal sum, state that amount explicitly. DMVs use this figure to calculate sales tax on the transfer.
- 4
Payment method
Whether the buyer paid in cash, by check, by cashier’s check, or by electronic transfer. Note the payment date if it differs from the signing date.
- 5
As-is disclosure
A statement that the vehicle is sold as-is with no warranty from the seller unless one is explicitly offered. This language limits your liability for mechanical problems discovered after the sale.
- 6
Signatures and date
Original signatures from both the seller and the buyer, plus the date the agreement was signed. Some states additionally require notarization or a witness signature.
State DMV Requirements
Most state DMVs use the term “bill of sale” in their official forms and instructions rather than “vehicle sale agreement,” but they refer to the same document. A properly completed BillOfSaleNow form satisfies both terms: it captures every field DMVs require for title transfer and is accepted in all 50 states as proof of a private-party vehicle sale.
A small number of states — including Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Oklahoma, and West Virginia — require the bill of sale to be notarized. BillOfSaleNow flags the notarization requirement for your state so you know before you sign.
Generate Your Vehicle Sale Agreement
Complete the short form, download the PDF, sign it with the buyer, and keep a copy. The generated document includes all six required elements and meets DMV standards in every state.