It doesn’t matter if you plan on selling your vehicle to a junkyard, dealership, or private party, you have to properly transfer the ownership of the car because the law for your state dictates that every a bill of sale and title transfer be completed regardless if the vehicle is in running condition or not.
Every state has a wide variety of regulations and specific requirements regarding the sale of cars, trucks vans and automobiles in general. Most of those regulations do center around what’s known as the bill of sale or the vehicle transfer form.
When you’re selling a vehicle, you have to fill out the vehicle transfer form because this also releases you from any liability and its signs over the title of the vehicle to the new owner.
What Information Should You Write on The Bill of Sale?
Your bill of sale requires specific information about the vehicle that you’re selling including that year, model, and make of the vehicle. You may also be required to fill out the vehicle identification number (VIN#) and add the current mileage from your odometer at the bill of sale too.
An Important Document
Filling out the bill of sale is important because, it protects your best interests especially in the event of a car accident because, if the new owner of the vehicle gets into a car accident the driver of the other vehicle cannot sue you because you no longer own the vehicle, they will vehicle take legal action against the new owner of the vehicle
Each State Has Different Requirements
Depending on your state, you may be required to fill out a different bill of sale compared to your friends or family members who live in another state, especially if the vehicle is being transferred between state lines or is being purchased from another party who doesn’t live in your current state.
Although some states will enable you to download the documents that you need directly from their Department of Motor Vehicles websites, you may be required to get the documents that you need directly by contacting their DMV offices because, some states have their documents printed on special security paper which proves that they are legal, legitimate documents.
Here are the states which will require you to use an approved bill of sale:
- Georgia
- California
- Idaho
- Missouri
- Nevada
- Maryland
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Utah
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Montana
- Washington
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Arizona
Find Out If the Bill of Sale Has Specific Requirements
As mentioned above, each state has their own specific requirements in regards to the bill of sale so, if you have questions or concerns you shouldn’t hesitate to contact the local DMV office for the state that you currently reside in.
Is There a Difference Between Title Transfer and Bill of Sale?
Yes, there is the difference between title transfer and bill of sale.
The bill of sale indicates that ownership of the vehicle has been transferred from you to another party but it doesn’t necessarily prove out the outright ownership of the vehicle.
The reality is that the title transfer is the only document which can really prove the transfer and ownership of a vehicle that’s why it’s so important for anyone who sells, donates, or gives a vehicle to a junkyard must fill out the title transfer document or they could be faced with violations of state law and or specific fines.
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