Blog
Guides, tips, and state-specific information about bills of sale and private transactions.
6 States Require a Notarized Bill of Sale. Is Yours One of Them?
Most people assume a bill of sale is just a form you fill out and sign. In most states that's true. But in six states, a vehicle bill of sale without a notary stamp isn't just incomplete, it may be rejected at the DMV counter entirely. If you're about to complete a private vehicle sale and you're not sure which category your state falls into, this is worth reading before you show up with the wrong paperwork...
Jill Stradley · April 23, 2026 at 3:30 PM ET 
Does Your State Require a Notarized Bill of Sale? Look It Up Instantly
Most people going into a private vehicle sale don't know whether their state requires notarization, how many witnesses need to sign, or whether the title has to transfer within 10 days or 30. They either assume it doesn't matter or spend 20 minutes on Google getting inconsistent answers from outdated sources. The Notarization and Title Requirements Checker on YourBillOfSale fixes that in about 10 seconds...
Jill Stradley · April 22, 2026 at 5:34 PM ET 
What No One Tells You About Selling a Car Privately in Ohio
Ohio private car sales look straightforward on paper. Sign the title, hand it over, done. And often that's exactly how it goes. But there are specific quirks to Ohio's process that catch sellers and buyers off guard, and most of the information online about Ohio vehicle sales either misses them entirely or buries them at the bottom of a generic checklist. Here's what actually trips people up...
Paul Oak · April 21, 2026 at 12:50 PM ET 
Georgia Bill of Sale: What Buyers and Sellers Both Get Wrong
Georgia keeps private vehicle sales relatively simple compared to states like California or New York. No mandatory smog certificate, no state-run DMV to deal with, no universal background check requirement for firearm sales. Simple enough that people get comfortable and skip steps they shouldn't. Here's what consistently goes wrong on both sides of the transaction...
Paul Oak · April 20, 2026 at 4:19 PM ET 
Florida Has a $18,000 Boat Tax Cap. Here's How to Use It
Florida is the boating capital of the country. More registered recreational vessels than any other state, year-round water access, and a private boat market that never really slows down. It also has one of the most buyer-friendly tax rules in the country for high-value vessel purchases, and most people buying and selling boats privately have no idea it exists...
Jill Stradley · April 19, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET 
New York Vehicle Bill of Sale Guide: Cars, Boats, Motorcycles and More
New York is one of the more paperwork-heavy states for private vehicle sales. The DMV here is strict about what it accepts, the tax implications are real, and the process varies enough between vehicle types that assuming it all works the same way is how people end up making multiple trips to the DMV office. Here's what you actually need to know...
Paul Oak · April 17, 2026 at 3:16 PM ET 
Florida Doesn't Require a Bill of Sale. Here's Why You Need One Anyway.
Florida is one of the busiest states in the country for private vehicle sales. Warm weather, no state income tax, and a massive retiree population means cars, boats, motorcycles, and trailers change hands constantly. If you're buying or selling privately in Florida right now, here's what the process actually looks like and where people consistently leave money or protection on the table...
Jill Stradley · April 16, 2026 at 5:19 PM ET 
Is a Free Bill of Sale as Good as a Paid One?
It's a fair question. A bill of sale is just a form, and forms are everywhere online for free. So what exactly are you paying for when you use a generator like YourBillOfSale, and does it actually matter? The answer depends on what you need the document to do...
Jill Stradley · April 15, 2026 at 2:11 PM ET 
Bill of Sale vs. Receipt: Are They the Same Thing?
People use these words interchangeably all the time and in casual conversation it barely matters. But in a vehicle sale, a private property transaction, or anything involving a title transfer, the difference between a bill of sale and a receipt is significant enough that confusing them can cost you real money or leave you without legal protection when you need it...
Paul Oak · April 14, 2026 at 1:45 PM ET 
Georgia Vehicle Bill of Sale: What the Tag Office Actually Needs
Most people show up at the Georgia tag office with a signed title and assume that's enough. Sometimes it is. But if you want the transfer to go through without a trip back home to get something you forgot, it helps to know exactly what the clerk is looking for before you walk in...
Jill Stradley · April 13, 2026 at 1:20 PM ET 
Selling a Leased Car: Can You Do It and How?
You're leasing a car and you want to sell it. Maybe the market value has climbed well above your buyout price. Maybe your circumstances changed and you need out of the lease early. Either way, selling a leased car is not a straightforward private sale because you don't own the vehicle. The leasing company does. That changes everything about how the transaction has to work...
Paul Oak · April 12, 2026 at 2:12 PM ET 
How to Sell a Car You Won or Received as a Gift
Winning a car or receiving one as a gift sounds like a straightforward windfall until you try to sell it. The title situation on gifted and prize vehicles is different enough from a standard private sale that sellers who don't know what they're dealing with often run into problems at the tag office. Here's what you need to know before you list it...
Jill Stradley · April 11, 2026 at 2:11 PM ET 
How to Sell a Gun Privately Without Breaking the Law
Private firearm sales are legal in most states, but the rules around them are specific enough that getting it wrong can cross the line from a simple transaction into a federal offense. This isn't an area where figuring it out as you go is a good strategy. Here's what you actually need to know before you sell a gun privately...
Paul Oak · April 10, 2026 at 5:12 PM ET 
What should You Do if the Seller Refuses to Provide a Bill of Sale?
You've agreed on a price, you're ready to hand over the money, and the seller waves off the bill of sale. Maybe they say it's not required in your state. Maybe they say the title is enough. Maybe they just don't want the paperwork hassle. Whatever the reason, a seller who won't provide a bill of sale is a situation worth pausing on before you hand over any cash...
Jill Stradley · April 9, 2026 at 2:24 PM ET 
Can You Sell a Car With Expired Registration?
Your registration expired and now you're trying to sell the car. Maybe you stopped driving it, maybe you just never got around to renewing, or maybe you're selling it precisely because you don't want to deal with it anymore. Whatever the reason, the question is whether expired registration is a dealbreaker for a private sale. In most cases it isn't, but there are things worth knowing before you list it...
Jill Stradley · April 8, 2026 at 3:06 PM ET 
What Happens to a Car When Someone Goes Through Bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy is one of those situations where people assume everything gets frozen or taken away, including their car. The reality is more nuanced than that. Whether you keep your car, lose it, or need to make specific decisions about it depends on the type of bankruptcy you file, how much equity you have in the vehicle, and whether you're current on your payments. Here's what actually happens...
Paul Oak · April 7, 2026 at 4:07 PM ET 
The Problem With Free Bill of Sale Templates
Search for a bill of sale online and you'll find hundreds of blank templates available as free downloads. They look simple enough. A few blank lines, some basic fields, print and sign. What could go wrong? Quite a bit, as it turns out, and most of it happens after the sale when you actually need the document to hold up...
Jill Stradley · April 6, 2026 at 1:58 PM ET 
Selling a Car as Part of a Divorce Settlement
Dividing assets in a divorce is rarely straightforward, and vehicles are one of the more common sticking points. Whether one spouse is buying out the other, the car is being sold to a third party and the proceeds divided, or one party is simply signing their interest over to the other, the paperwork requirements don't go away because the situation is personal. Getting the documentation right protects...
Paul Oak · April 5, 2026 at 2:09 PM ET 
Is It Safe to Buy a Car With a Bill of Sale but No Title?
You found a car you like at a price that makes sense and the seller is offering a bill of sale but says the title is unavailable, lost, or coming soon. It's a situation that comes up more than you'd expect in private sales, and the honest answer is that...
Jill Stradley · April 4, 2026 at 12:35 PM ET 
How to Sell a Car Privately in Georgia (Step by Step)
Georgia keeps the private car sale process relatively simple compared to a lot of other states. There's no emissions test required at the point of sale, no mandatory bill of sale, and no state-run DMV to deal with. But simple doesn't mean there's nothing to know. Here's exactly how to do it right from start to finish...
Paul Oak · April 3, 2026 at 1:32 PM ET 
What Makes a Bill of Sale Legally Binding?
A bill of sale is a simple document but that simplicity sometimes makes people wonder whether it actually holds up when it matters. The answer is yes, a properly completed bill of sale is a legally binding contract. Understanding what makes it binding also tells you what can make it fall apart...
Jill Stradley · April 2, 2026 at 12:40 PM ET 
How to Sell a Car to Someone in Another State
Selling a car to an out-of-state buyer is more common than it used to be. Online listings reach buyers everywhere, and plenty of people are willing to travel or arrange shipping for the right vehicle at the right price. The sale itself isn't dramatically different from a local transaction, but there are enough extra considerations that going in without a plan tends to create problems...
Jill Stradley · April 1, 2026 at 12:01 PM ET 
How to Transfer a Boat Title in Florida
Florida has more registered boats than any other state in the country, which means boat title transfers happen constantly. The process is more involved than most buyers and sellers expect going in, and the steps are different enough from a car sale that it's worth knowing exactly what you're dealing with before you show up at the tax collector's office...
Paul Oak · March 31, 2026 at 2:10 PM ET 
What Documents Should a Private Car Seller Give You?
Buying a car from a private seller puts the research burden entirely on you. Unlike a dealership, there's no legal requirement for a private seller to hand you a packet of paperwork at closing. But there are documents you should absolutely expect, and walking away without them is a mistake that can cost you later...
Jill Stradley · March 30, 2026 at 5:52 PM ET 
Does Georgia Require a Bill of Sale?
Georgia is one of the more straightforward states when it comes to private vehicle sales, but straightforward doesn't mean there's nothing to know. If you're buying or selling a car privately in Georgia, here's exactly what the process looks like and where people typically go wrong...
Jill Stradley · March 29, 2026 at 4:04 PM ET 
Can My Spouse Sign the Car Title For Me?
It's a common situation. One spouse handles the sale while the other is at work, traveling, or just not around. The car is in one person's name but the other wants to take care of the paperwork. Whether that's legal depends on how you go about it, and getting it wrong can unwind an entire sale...
Paul Oak · March 29, 2026 at 4:03 PM ET 
What's the Process When Selling a Deceased Family Member's Car?
Handling a loved one's affairs after they pass is stressful enough without running into unexpected roadblocks at the DMV. Selling a deceased family member's car is something a lot of families have to navigate, and the process is more involved than a typical private sale. How complicated it gets depends on the state, whether there was a will, and whose name was on the title...
Paul Oak · March 28, 2026 at 1:44 PM ET 
How to Tell If a Private Seller Is Hiding Something
Buying a car from a private seller is almost always cheaper than buying from a dealer. It also comes with fewer protections. There's no warranty, no certified inspection, and no recourse if you drive off and something immediately goes wrong. The burden is entirely on you to figure out what you're actually buying before you hand over any money...
Paul Oak · March 27, 2026 at 5:09 PM ET 
Florida Doesn't Require a Bill of Sale... But You Still Need One
Florida is one of those states where a bill of sale isn't legally required to complete a private vehicle sale. The DMV will process the title transfer without one. A lot of sellers take that to mean they don't need to bother. That's the wrong takeaway...
Paul Oak · March 25, 2026 at 8:32 PM ET 
Selling a Mobile Home: Why It's Nothing Like Selling a Car
Most people assume selling a mobile home works roughly the same as selling any other vehicle or piece of property. It doesn't. Mobile homes sit in a weird legal middle ground that catches sellers off guard, and the rules vary more by state than almost any other type of private sale...
Paul Oak · March 24, 2026 at 5:41 PM ET