The State of Minnesota doesn’t require a Bill of Sale Form to complete an assigned Certificate of title transfer in a vehicle transaction. But a Bill of Sale is a good idea for the seller and the buyer to record and document the vehicle transaction.
The following information should appear on the Minnesota Bill of Sale Form:
- Name of the seller.
- Complete address of the seller.
- Name of the buyer.
- Complete address of the buyer.
- Complete vehicle description, including Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), make, model, year.
- Vehicle odometer reading at the time of sale.
- The price paid.
- Date of sale.
- Signature of both the seller and the buyer.
Minnesota Bill of Sale Form
Click here to download and print a generic Minnesota Bill of Sale Form.
The State of Minnesota titles cars, trucks, motorcycles, buses, vans and large trailers. Except in special situations, the transfer of ownership must take place on the Certificate of title within ten days of the date of sale.
Minnesota does not title trailers having a gross weight of 4,000 pounds or less and utility, boat or snowmobile trailers with a gross vehicle weight less than 4,500 pounds unless there is a lien. The Minnesota registration card is an acceptable proof of ownership in these cases.
You may transfer the ownership of a motor vehicle at any of the nearly 200 deputy registrar offices located throughout the state of Minnesota.
Transferring titled vehicles
If you are the buyer, make sure you have the vehicle title before taking possession of the vehicle. Specifically be sure that the owner is name printed on the front of the title is the person selling the vehicle to you.
Furthermore verify that the vehicle identification number (VIN) on the dashboard matches the number printed on the title. Be sure you have a signed lien release card or notarized lien release form for all secured parties (lien holders). The name of the first secured party is printed on the front of the title, as is the total number of liens on the vehicle.
Accordingly all sellers must hand print their name and sign in the assignment area of the title. The seller must list the sales price of the vehicle in the sales tax declaration area on the back of the certificate of title. The seller must enter the date of sale and complete any disclosure statements that apply.
The Odometer Disclosure is required for all vehicles except those that are ten years old or older, vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 16,000 pounds, or vehicles that are not self-propelled.
The Damage Disclosure is required for all vehicles except those that are six years old or older, and commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or more.
If a lien is listed on the certificate of title, a lien release card or notarized lien release must accompany the transfer. If the vehicle is a motorcycle, the engine number must be recorded on the face of the title at the time of transfer.
The seller can also Report the Sale online. For more information, refer to the Mark Vehicle as Sold section.
Details about titling a vehicle
All buyers must complete the assignment and application portions of the title:
- Full name, date of birth and signature is required forall buyers.
- If there is more than one buyer, the new owners may indicate rights of survivorship by using the conjunction “OR” between their names.
- The first owner on the application must list his/her residential address. If the post office will only deliver to a post office box, the applicant must submit awritten statement attesting to that with the transfer.
- Buyers must indicate whether the vehicle is subject to a security agreement (loan) and all buyers must sign the application area.
- For motorcycles, the buyer must write the engine number on the face of the title.
- If the vehicle is operated commercially and the gross weight is more than 10,000, a U.S. DOT number is required.
For non-titled vehicles you need to know that if the vehicle has been issued a title, the transfer must take place on the title. If the title has been lost, the titled owner of the vehicle must obtain a duplicate title.
If the vehicle has never been titled, the Minnesota registration card is acceptable as proof of ownership. A foreign state registration card is not acceptable proof of ownership, even if the state that issued it does not issue a title to that particular type or model year vehicle.
How to assign ownership of a vehicle
The seller may assign ownership on the back of the Minnesota registration card, on an application for Minnesota registration (PS2000) or on a Bill of Sale that identifies the vehicle being sold and includes the date of sale and the name of the buyer. All buyers must complete an application to register a motor vehicle (PS2000).
- Full name, date of birth and signature is mandatory for all buyers.
- If there is more than one buyer, the new owners may indicate rights of survivorship by using the conjunction “OR” between their names.
- The buyers must list their residential address. If the post office will only deliver to a post office box, the buyer must provide a written statement attesting to that.
- Buyers must indicate whether the vehicle is subject to a security agreement (loan) and all buyers must sign the application area.
- For motorcycles, the buyer must write the engine number on the face of the title.
- If the vehicle is operated commercially and the gross weight is more than 10,000, a U.S. DOT number is required.
More details about transferring a vehicle
When tangible proof of ownership for a vehicle cannot be established, Minnesota has no record of the vehicle and the owner is not aware of any registration or title issued in another state, the vehicle may be issued a title if certain criteria are met. For information about this process, please contact Driver and Vehicle Services or your local deputy registrar office.
Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) highly recommends that you check the vehicle history before you purchase a used car. You may request that the dealer provide you with a vehicle history report. Or, you may purchase a vehicle history report on the US Department of Justice-sponsored National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) website at Vehicle History.
Minnesota Sales Tax Affidavit Form
You will find office locations and hours online at dvs.dps.mn.gov or by calling (651) 297-2126.
How to fill out the Minnesota Bill of Sale Form
The Minnesota Bill of Sale Form is composed of three sections. Below you’ll learn how to correctly fill out this form:
Section 1
Section 1 contains the vehicle detail. So here complete the Make, Model, Year, Style (Body type), Color, VIN or Vehicle Identification Number. Following is the Odometer Reading at the time of transfer. Please use only digits, no tenths. Then fill out seller registration number, and to answer if you previously filed an application for title of this vehicle:
Section 2
At the second section you will have to fill out first the Seller information. This means the full name of the seller. The name must be PRINTED. So here use only Capital Letters to write SELLER’S NAME. Then seller’s street address, seller’s city and state. Further you will need to fill out the Buyer information – the full name of the buyer. The buyer’s name must be PRINTED – this means to use only Capital Letters to write BUYER’S NAME. Additionally fill out buyer’s street address, buyer’s city and state. After these details you will have to write the sum of the transfer price of the vehicle or the word GIFT. Correspondingly, if this vehicle was a gift, you need to indicate the relationship with the buyer (e.g. parent, spouse, friend):
Section 3
The third section, the last section, contains seller’s statement regarding the details listed in this Bill of Sale. Afterwards fill out the seller’s signature and date:
Please note that you can fill out this Bill of Sale form by hand. However don’t forget to use a pen and not a pencil. If you are filling out this form on your device (phone, tablet, computer) this form is a fillable PDF that works best with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
View more details about the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services Division
For more information go to Minnesota Department of Public Safety – Driver and Vehicle Services Division.
Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) serves more than 11 million customers annually.
The DVS provides services related to:
- Vehicle ownership, license plates and registration
- Driver education, driver testing and license issuing
- Driver evaluation services
- Driver’s licenses
- State identification cards
- Disability license plates and parking certificates
- Motor carrier registration, and fuel tax collection and sharing
- Dealer licensing
- Salvage and reconstructed vehicle inspections
- Collection of crash data
- Requests for vehicle, driver’s license, identification card and crash record data
DVS has 538 employees who staff the central office in St. Paul and the 95 state-operated driver’s license exam stations.
DVS also appoints and oversees 126 independent driver’s license agent offices and 175 independent deputy registrar offices. These offices provide driver’s license application, vehicle title and registration services.
Minnesota began issuing license plates in 1902 and driver’s licenses in 1934. And in 1970, the Motor Vehicle Division of the Secretary of State’s Office became part of the newly formed Department of Public Safety (DPS).
During the year 1972, the Driver’s License Division of the Highway Department also joined DPS. Then, in January 1977, DPS consolidated the two divisions to form Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS).