A bill of sale documents the transfer of ownership of an item from one party to another, more specifically from the Seller to the Buyer. It also serves as a receipt or proof of sale. In most states a bill of sale is required to register a motor vehicle, boat, motorcycle, trailer, or any type of property that requires a title and/or certificate of regstration.
Commonly Asked Bill of Sale Questions
A notarized bill of sale is not a type of document. In order for the form to be notarized, it must be signed and dated by a notary public. The notary should also stamp the document with his or her notary seal. Most notaries charge under $10 for this service, although we’ve heard that in some cities the fees can be insanely expensive. Notary publics are self-employed and can charge whatever they want for the service.
In most cases the only way to obtain a duplicate copy of the original bill of sale is to contact the person from whom you purchased the item. Sellers are not required to keep a copy of the bill of sale, but many do. Bills of sale are not considered court documents so it’s doubtful any government agency will have a copy on file. Your best bet is to contact the seller. Even if the seller didn’t keep a copy of the original bill of sale, he or she may be willing to create a new one for you both to sign.
Do not sign the bill of sale until both parties are ready to transfer ownership of the item. Normally this is when the buyer forwards payment to the seller. Sellers should not sign the bill of sale until they have payment in hand. Buyers should not sign the bill of sale until they receive the property being purchased.
Of course you can. Be sure to include your name, the buyer’s name, the date, sales price, and a detailed description of the item being sold. If the item being sold is a motor vehicle, boat, or other item that must be registered with the state, you must include all information such as the make, manufacturer, model, ID number, and year of manufacture. For motor vehicles you must also include the mileage on the odometer.
The best option is to create two bills of sale. Give one original bill of sale to the buyer, and keep the other original for yourself. You could sign one form and make a copy but the best option is to prepare and sign two separate originals.
As the seller, it is imperative that you verify the buyer’s identity and retain a copy of the bill of sale. Let’s say you sell a car. Two hours later the police knock on your door and inform you that the car hit a pedestrian and left the scene of the accident. You’d better hope you have a copy of the bill of sale to prove you sold that vehicle!
Our bill of sale forms are offered in both Word and PDF format . Either version can be downloaded and printed free of charge. Most of the PDFs are fillable, meaning you can type the information directly into the form Fillable PDFs take all the guesswork out of which information goes on what line.
Bill of Sale Forms By Type
- 5th Wheel Bill of Sale
- ADGA Goat Bill of Sale
- Animal Bill of Sale
- Art Bill of Sale
- As Is Bill of Sale Forms
- ATV Bill of Sale
- Auto Bill of Sale
- Bicycle Bill of Sale
- Bike Bill of Sale
- Bill of Sale Templates
- Boat Bill of Sale
- Boat & Trailer Bill of Sale
- Boat Motor Bill of Sale
- Boat Trailer Bill of Sale
- Camper Bill of Sale
- Car Bill of Sale
- Cat Bill of Sale
- Cell Phone Bill of Sale
- Computer Bill of Sale
- Canoe Bill of Sale
- Cattle Bill of Sale
- Dirt Bike Bill of Sale
- Dog Bill of Sale
- Electric Scooter Bill of Sale
- Equine Bill of Sale
- Equipment Bill of Sale
- Farm Equipment Bill of Sale
- Farm Tractor Bill of Sale
- Forklift Bill of Sale
- Four Wheeler Bill of Sale
- Furniture Bill of Sale
- Generic Bill of Sale
- Goat Bill of Sale
- Golf Cart Bill of Sale
- Heavy Equipment Bill of Sale
- Horse Bill of Sale
- Horse Trailer Bill of Sale
- iPad Bill of Sale
- Jet Ski Bill of Sale
- Jewelry Bill of Sale
- Kayak Bill of Sale
- Kitten Bill of Sale
- Laptop Bill of Sale
- Lawn Equipment Bill of Sale
- Lawn Mower Bill of Sale
- Livestock Bill of Sale
- Machinery Bill of Sale
- Manufactured Home Bill of Sale
- Mobile Home Bill of Sale
- Moped Bill of Sale
- Motor Bill of Sale
- Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale
- Motorcycle Bill of Sale
- Motorhome Bill of Sale
- Notarized Bill of Sale
- Outboard Motor Bill of Sale
- PlayStation Bill of Sale
- Pony Bill of Sale
- Puppy Bill of Sale
- RV Bill of Sale
- Sailboat Bill of Sale
- Scooter Bill of Sale
- Semi Truck Bill of Sale
- Simple Bill of Sale
- Snowmobile Bill of Sale
- Tractor Bill of Sale
- Trailer Bill of Sale
- Travel Trailer Bill of Sale
- Truck Bill of Sale
- Used Car Bill of Sale
- Utility Trailer Bill of Sale
- UTV Bill of Sale
- Wheelchair Bill of Sale
- Xbox Bill of Sale
Bill of Sale Forms By State
- Alabama Bill of Sale Forms
- Alaska Bill of Sale Forms
- Arizona Bill of Sale Forms
- Arkansas Bill of Sale Forms
- California Bill of Sale Forms
- Colorado Bill of Sale Forms
- Connecticut Bill of Sale Forms
- Delaware Bill of Sale Forms
- Florida Bill of Sale Forms
- Georgia Bill of Sale Forms
- Hawaii Bill of Sale Forms
- Idaho Bill of Sale Forms
- Illinois Bill of Sale Forms
- Indiana Bill of Sale Forms
- Iowa Bill of Sale Forms
- Kansas Bill of Sale Forms
- Kentucky Bill of Sale Forms
- Louisiana Bill of Sale Forms
- Maine Bill of Sale Forms
- Maryland Bill of Sale Forms
- Massachusetts Bill of Sale Forms
- Michigan Bill of Sale Forms
- Minnesota Bill of Sale Forms
- Mississippi Bill of Sale Forms
- Missouri Bill of Sale Forms
- Montana Bill of Sale Forms
- Nebraska Bill of Sale Forms
- Nevada Bill of Sale Forms
- New Hampshire Bill of Sale Forms
- New Jersey Bill of Sale Forms
- New Mexico Bill of Sale Forms
- New York Bill of Sale Forms
- North Carolina Bill of Sale Forms
- North Dakota Bill of Sale Forms
- Ohio Bill of Sale Forms
- Oklahoma Bill of Sale Forms
- Oregon Bill of Sale Forms
- Pennsylvania Bill of Sale Forms
- Rhode Island Bill of Sale Forms
- South Carolina Bill of Sale Forms
- South Dakota Bill of Sale Forms
- Tennessee Bill of Sale Forms
- Texas Bill of Sale Forms
- Utah Bill of Sale Forms
- Vermont Bill of Sale Forms
- Virginia Bill of Sale Forms
- Washington Bill of Sale Forms
- West Virginia Bill of Sale Forms
- Wisconsin Bill of Sale Forms
- Wyoming Bill of Sale Forms