Blog
Guides, tips, and state-specific information about bills of sale and private transactions.
Bill of Sale for an ATV, UTV, or Dirt Bike: What Off-Road Vehicles Need
Off-highway vehicles are titled in some states and only registered in others. Here is what an ATV, UTV, or dirt bike bill of sale needs to hold up.
Paul Oak · August 5, 2026 at 11:53 AM ET 
The Car-Title Deadline That Ranges From 7 Days to 180: What Your State Really Gives You
We reviewed all 50 states and DC. The deadline to transfer a car title after a purchase runs from 7 days in Georgia to 180 in New York. The 30-day rule of thumb is wrong in more than 20 states.
Paul Oak · August 4, 2026 at 12:13 PM ET 
When You Need a Vehicle Appraisal, and How to Get One
States, insurers, and lenders sometimes refuse to accept the price on a bill of sale. Here are the five situations that trigger an appraisal request and what the report has to show.
Jill Stradley · August 3, 2026 at 12:30 PM ET 
How to Sell a Classic or Antique Car
Collector car buyers pay for documented history. Here is how antique registration classes work, what to do when no title was ever issued, and which papers to have ready before you list.
Paul Oak · July 31, 2026 at 1:05 PM ET 
How to Read a Vehicle Title, Field by Field
A vehicle title packs a surprising amount of information into a single page. Here is what each field proves and the red flags that should make you pause before you sign.
Jill Stradley · July 29, 2026 at 2:21 PM ET 
How to Sell a Car Privately: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Selling your car yourself instead of trading it in usually puts more money in your pocket, but it also puts every step on you. This guide walks the full private sale from pricing to releasing liability so nothing falls through the cracks.
Paul Oak · July 28, 2026 at 12:30 PM ET 
How to Sell an RV or Camper Privately
Selling an RV yourself means handling the title, any lienholder, and a long list of systems a car does not have. Here is the full private-sale process.
Paul Oak · July 27, 2026 at 11:55 AM ET 
Only 2 States Require a Notarized Bill of Sale. Here Is When Notarizing Actually Protects You.
We reviewed all 50 states and DC. Only two legally require a notarized vehicle bill of sale. Here is when a notary stamp genuinely protects you, and when it is just theater.
Jill Stradley · July 24, 2026 at 1:08 PM ET 
How to Spot Odometer Fraud Before You Buy a Used Car
Rolled-back mileage still costs buyers real money. Here is how odometer fraud happens, the tells to catch it, and what to do if you suspect it.
Jill Stradley · July 23, 2026 at 12:14 PM ET 
How to Sell a Car for a Family Member Using a Power of Attorney
A vehicle power of attorney lets you sign the title and sell a car on behalf of a family member who cannot handle it themselves. This guide explains what the document must contain, when it needs notarization, and how to complete the sale.
Paul Oak · July 22, 2026 at 12:15 PM ET 
How to Transfer Your License Plates to a Car You Just Bought
Whether your old plates can move to a new car depends on whether your state ties plates to the owner or to the vehicle. This guide explains how to transfer plates, claim registration credit, and surrender the ones you no longer need.
Paul Oak · July 21, 2026 at 11:36 AM ET 
Vehicle Power of Attorney: When You Need One to Buy or Sell a Car
A vehicle power of attorney lets someone handle a car transaction on your behalf, from signing the title to registering at the DMV. This guide explains what it does, the common situations that call for one, and how it differs from a general power of attorney.
Jill Stradley · July 20, 2026 at 12:21 PM ET 
Do You Need Insurance Before You Can Register a Car You Just Bought?
In most states you cannot title or register a car without showing that it is already insured. This guide explains the correct order of steps and how temporary coverage lets you drive your new car home.
Paul Oak · July 19, 2026 at 12:52 PM ET 
A Signed Bill of Sale Does Not Prove You No Longer Own the Car. This Does.
You sold the car and both of you signed the bill of sale. In the eyes of your state, you may still be the owner of record, and still liable for tickets, tolls, and accidents. Here is what actually ends your ownership.
Jill Stradley · July 17, 2026 at 11:40 AM ET 
How to Price a Used Car for a Private Sale
Price your car too high and it sits; price it too low and you leave money behind. This guide shows how to build an accurate private-party number using book values, condition adjustments, and local comps, then price it to survive negotiation.
Paul Oak · July 16, 2026 at 12:05 PM ET 
Selling a Car With Aftermarket Modifications: What to Disclose
Lifts, tunes, exhausts, and engine swaps add value for the right buyer, but only if you disclose them. Here is what to tell the buyer and what to write in the bill of sale.
Jill Stradley · July 15, 2026 at 12:45 PM ET 
How to Avoid Common Used-Car Scams When Buying From a Private Seller
Buying a used car from a private seller can save you money, but the same market draws people who want your cash and a problem in return. This guide walks through the most common tricks and how a proper paper trail keeps you safe.
Paul Oak · July 14, 2026 at 12:13 PM ET 
Selling a Car to a Family Member Below Market Value: Taxes and Title
Selling a car to a relative for a token price feels simple, but the registration counter may not honor the number you wrote down. This guide explains how use tax is assessed, why states often tax book value, and how family exemptions and a bill of sale fit in.
Jill Stradley · July 13, 2026 at 12:09 PM ET 
Can You Hand Over the Car Before the Buyer's Payment Clears?
A buyer hands you a cashier's check and asks for the keys on the spot. It is tempting, and it is exactly how sellers get burned. This is the one rule that protects you: nothing leaves your hands until the money has actually cleared.
Paul Oak · July 10, 2026 at 11:49 AM ET 
What Paperwork Do You Need to Sell a Boat? A Complete Checklist
Selling a boat involves more moving parts than selling a car, because the hull, the motor, and the trailer can each carry their own paperwork. This checklist walks through every document a clean boat sale usually needs so you transfer ownership and end your liability.
Jill Stradley · July 9, 2026 at 11:46 AM ET 
How to Gift a Car to a Family Member (Title, Taxes, and the $0 Bill of Sale)
Giving a car to your kid or your parent is generous, but it still runs through the DMV. This guide covers transferring the title as a gift, why a $0 bill of sale still matters, and how many states let family transfers skip sales tax. Do it right and the gift does not come back to haunt either of you.
Paul Oak · July 8, 2026 at 11:43 AM ET 
How to Sell a Boat Trailer (With or Without the Boat)
A boat trailer is its own titled vehicle in most states, which surprises a lot of sellers. This guide covers selling the trailer on its own or as a package with the boat, what numbers to record, and how to end your liability cleanly. Get the paperwork right and you walk away free of it.
Paul Oak · July 7, 2026 at 11:03 AM ET 
Arkansas Vehicle Bill of Sale: What the State Actually Requires
Arkansas treats the bill of sale as price proof, and that proof drives how much sales tax you pay at the counter. This guide explains what the Arkansas DFA needs to title and register your vehicle, the registration deadline, and where notarization fits.
Jill Stradley · July 6, 2026 at 12:25 PM ET 
How Sales Tax Works When You Buy a Car From a Private Seller
Buying a car from a private seller does not let you skip sales tax. In most states the tax is collected when you register the car, and your bill of sale is the document that proves what you paid. This guide explains how the tax is calculated, why the declared price matters, and the cases where it works differently.
Jill Stradley · July 3, 2026 at 12:16 PM ET 
How to Write a Bill of Sale: A Step-by-Step Guide for Any Sale
A bill of sale is short, but a sloppy one causes real headaches later. This guide walks you through every field, from the item description to the signatures, so you fill it out right the first time. It works for a car, a boat, a couch, or a tractor.
Paul Oak · July 2, 2026 at 11:43 AM ET 
Does Oregon Require a Bill of Sale to Sell a Car?
Oregon does not force every private car seller to fill out a bill of sale, but the answer has an important catch. What the Oregon DMV actually needs depends on whether your name is on the title, and there is a separate notice you should file to release your liability. Here is what the state requires and what it only recommends.
Jill Stradley · July 1, 2026 at 11:47 AM ET 
How to Sell a Boat in Wisconsin
Selling a boat privately in Wisconsin starts with one fact most sellers do not know: a 16-foot length line decides whether your boat is titled or only registered. Get that straight and the rest, from the HIN to the trailer to ending your liability, falls into place.
Paul Oak · June 30, 2026 at 10:57 AM ET 
How to Sell a Jet Ski or Personal Watercraft Privately
A jet ski sells like a small boat, with a hull number, a title or registration, and a trailer, plus a few quirks of its own around condition and winterization. Here is how to price it honestly, paper it correctly, and walk away with your liability behind you.
Paul Oak · June 29, 2026 at 11:12 AM ET 
Who Keeps the Bill of Sale, the Buyer or the Seller?
When a sale is done, one question comes up fast: who walks away with the bill of sale? The short answer is that both parties should keep a signed copy. Here is why each side needs one and how many copies to make.
Jill Stradley · June 28, 2026 at 12:20 PM ET 
How to Sell Furniture or Electronics With a Personal Property Bill of Sale
For everyday secondhand sales, a couch, a laptop, a set of tools, most people use nothing at all. That works until it does not. A simple bill of sale on a higher-value item is the difference between a clean handoff and a stranger claiming you sold them something broken or stolen.
Paul Oak · June 26, 2026 at 11:44 AM ET