Bill of Sale Generator (US)

About the Bill of Sale Generator (US)

A bill of sale is the buyer’s and the seller’s written record of a private sale: who sold what to whom, for how much, on which day, and on what terms. Choose what you are selling — a car or truck, a motorcycle, a boat, a trailer, general goods or livestock — fill in the seller, the buyer and the details, and the document builds itself as you type, in a seller’s copy and a buyer’s copy to sign.

For cars, trucks and motorcycles it adds the federal odometer disclosure statement with the wording 49 CFR 580.5 asks for, and tells you when a vehicle is exempt (old model years, trailers, vehicles over 16,000 lb). It checks the VIN’s check digit and a boat’s hull identification number, prints the “as is” clause conspicuously as the Uniform Commercial Code expects, and links to your state’s motor vehicle agency, because many states have their own bill-of-sale and title forms. The free preview shows every page with your details and the first part of the wording, and hides the rest; a Premium pass unlocks both copies to download, copy or print. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Common uses

• Selling your car, truck or motorcycle to a private buyer and keeping proof of the sale and the mileage.
• Buying a used boat or trailer and needing a signed record for the registration office.
• Recording the sale of furniture, equipment, a piano or other goods between two people.
• Selling cattle, horses or other livestock with the head count and identification written down.

What a bill of sale does — and what it does not

A bill of sale proves the sale: the price, the date, the condition the buyer accepted and the seller’s promise that the item is theirs to sell. It is useful evidence for both sides, and for goods of $500 or more a signed writing is what makes the contract enforceable against the person who signed it (UCC 2-201).

For a car, truck, motorcycle, trailer or boat it does not transfer the title. The seller signs the certificate of title over to the buyer, and the buyer applies to the state for a new title and registration. Many state motor vehicle agencies publish their own bill-of-sale and title forms, and some ask for notarized signatures: the checks link to your state’s agency from USA.gov’s list of state motor vehicle services.

The federal odometer disclosure

Federal law requires a person who transfers ownership of a motor vehicle to give the buyer a written statement of the mileage (49 U.S.C. 32705). The statement gives the odometer reading without tenths, the date of transfer, both parties’ printed names and current addresses, and the vehicle’s make, model, year, body type and VIN; it warns that failing to complete it or giving false information may result in fines and/or imprisonment; and the seller certifies that the reading is the actual mileage — or that it exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or that it is not the actual mileage, with a warning of the discrepancy (49 CFR 580.5).

For a vehicle titled in the seller’s name the disclosure must be made on the title itself, so the statement this tool adds is an extra signed record, not a replacement. No disclosure is required for a vehicle over 16,000 lb gross vehicle weight rating, one that is not self-propelled (a trailer), a model year 2010 or older vehicle transferred at least 10 years after January 1 of its model year, or a model year 2011 or newer vehicle transferred at least 20 years after that date (49 CFR 580.17).

“As is”, warranties and title

Words such as “as is” and “with all faults” exclude the implied warranties of quality (UCC 2-316); a written exclusion of the warranty of merchantability must mention merchantability and be conspicuous, which is why the clause is printed in capitals. The seller’s warranty of title — that the seller owns the item, may sell it and that it is clear of liens the buyer did not know about — is a separate promise that can be excluded only by specific language (UCC 2-312); this bill of sale keeps it and lets you name a lien that is being paid off.

If you give a warranty instead, say exactly what it covers and for how long. Either way, list the defects you know of: an “as is” sale may not protect a seller who conceals one.

Checks on the numbers

• VIN: a 17-character VIN carries a check digit in position 9, worked out from the other characters with the weights in 49 CFR 565.15; VINs never use the letters I, O or Q. A failed check usually means a typing mistake, and a VIN that does not match the title can hold up the title transfer.
• Boats: a hull identification number has 12 characters — the builder’s code, a serial, the month and year of manufacture and the model year (33 CFR 181.25).
• Documented vessels: a boat documented with the US Coast Guard is transferred through its National Vessel Documentation Center with a bill of sale signed by every seller that states the sellers’ and buyers’ interests (46 CFR 67.220); the Coast Guard’s own form is CG-1340.

What this template does not cover

Firearms and ammunition: their sale is regulated by federal and state law, and the generator refuses a description that names one. Sales by car dealers, who have their own disclosure duties, and sales on credit with a security interest (use a promissory note and a security agreement) are also outside it.

Limitations

• A generic template, not legal advice. State rules on title transfers, notarization, sales tax and license plates differ: check your state’s motor vehicle agency, which the checks link to.
• The odometer statement does not replace the disclosure on the title. Sign the title over as your state requires.
• The VIN check confirms the check digit, not the vehicle’s history: run a history report and compare the VIN on the title, the dashboard plate and the door label.
• The PDF is A4-sized; print with “fit to page” on US Letter paper, or download the DOCX and change the page size.

Privacy

Everything happens in your browser. Names, addresses, VINs and prices are not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot. If you tick Keep a draft in this browser, the form is saved in this browser’s local storage until you untick it.