Do I need a bill of sale?

It is not a legal requirement in the UK, but it is the only proof either side has of what was agreed.

Fill in a vehicle bill of sale online

A vehicle bill of sale is a written record of a private vehicle sale. It typically names the seller and buyer, identifies the vehicle by year, make, model and vehicle identification number (VIN), and states the sale date and price, signed by the seller and often the buyer. Registering the change of keeper or owner is a separate step.

Selling a car privately means two copies of a short document, signed by both people, usually on a driveway with a phone rather than a printer.

Fill it in on your phone, sign it, hand the phone over for the buyer to sign, and email you both a copy before they drive off.

Open your copy of the form

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Filling it in, section by section

Vehicle description: Year, make, model and VIN, plus the plate number. US state forms differ: California’s REG 135 asks for “LICENSE PLATE/CF #” and a motorcycle engine number, while Florida’s HSMV 82050 also asks for body type, colour and the “Certificate of Title Number”.
Seller and buyer: Print full names and addresses. California’s form also asks the seller for a driving licence, ID or dealer number and a daytime phone number. In the UK, DVLA needs the buyer’s full name, not initials, so record it the same way here.
Date of sale: The day the vehicle changed hands. Use the date format the form prints; California’s has separate MO, DAY and YR boxes.
Selling price or gift: Write the amount actually paid. California’s REG 135 has a separate line for a gift, asking for the relationship (such as parent or friend) and the gift value.
Odometer reading: Florida’s form has an Odometer Disclosure Statement: the reading with no tenths, and a tick for one of three statements – actual mileage, in excess of its mechanical limits, or not the actual mileage. California’s REG 135 has no odometer box, so check what your state’s form asks for.
Certification and signatures: Both the California and Florida forms are signed under penalty of perjury. Florida’s has lines for a co-seller and co-purchaser. California’s bill of sale has seller signature lines but only printed names for the buyer. If your state’s form is a flat scan, PDFpad lets you type straight onto the boxes.
UK: the V5C log book: In the UK, the step GOV.UK requires is telling DVLA you have sold the vehicle, with the buyer’s full name and address. Do it online with the 11-digit document reference number from the V5C. Give the buyer the green “new keeper” slip (V5C/2) so they can tax the vehicle.
UK: vehicle tax: GOV.UK is clear that the tax is not transferred to the buyer. The buyer must tax the vehicle before driving it, or declare it off the road (SORN). The seller’s tax is cancelled once DVLA is told.

Filling it in neatly

Record the mileage, the date and the exact amount paid — this is the document that settles a dispute later.
Both parties sign. Add a second signature field rather than sending it twice.
Flatten the copy you send so neither side can amend it afterwards.
In the UK, also tell the DVLA online — the bill of sale is for you, not for them.

Common mistakes

Mistyping a character in the VIN, so the bill of sale no longer matches the title or log book.
Using another state’s form, for example California’s REG 135 in Florida, which leaves out the odometer statement Florida’s own form includes.
Writing a price other than the one actually paid on a form signed under penalty of perjury.
In the UK, handing over the whole V5C instead of just the green new keeper slip (V5C/2).
In the UK, the buyer driving away assuming the seller’s vehicle tax still covers them.

Also searched as: car sale receipt, bill of sale PDF. Used in the UK and the US.

Questions

Do I need a bill of sale?: It is not a legal requirement in the UK, but it is the only proof either side has of what was agreed.