In the state of Ohio when you sell or buy a vehicle you may complete a Bill of Sale Form. However this form it’s not required. This serves as a legal contract from the seller to the buyer documenting the change in ownership and the purchase price. The State of Ohio doesn’t provide an official Bill of Sale because it’s not mandatory but it is recommended for your safety.
The following information should appear on the Ohio Bill of Sale Form:
- Name and address of the seller.
- Name and address of the buyer.
- Complete vehicle description, including Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), make, model, year.
- Vehicle odometer reading at the time of sale.
- Date of sale.
- Signature of the seller.
Ohio Bill of Sale Form
Click here to download and print a generic Ohio Bill of Sale Form.
When you sell a vehicle the seller must complete the “assignment of ownership” portion on the back of the title including:
- Purchase price;
- Buyers’ information;
- Date of transfer;
- Current mileage in the presence of a deputy clerk or notary public. The deputy clerk or notary public will verify all fields are properly completed, witness the seller’s signature and notarize the document. Upon completion, the seller can present the title to you to finalize the transfer.
Prior to completing the title transfer, the seller and the buyer must verify the accuracy of the odometer listing and all the other information on the Certificate of title. Any alterations or omissions may void your title.
Odometer Disclosure Statement in Ohio
To complete an Odometer Disclosure Statement click here: Odometer Disclosure Statement – Form BMV 3724
For a casual sale, when the certificate of title is being held electronically, no physical (paper) certificate of title has been issued and when the electronic title is being transferred, and neither the seller nor the buyer is a licensed Ohio dealer you can use this form: Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale – Form BMV 3770.
Ownership of the vehicle will remain in the transferor/seller’s name as it appears on the front of the title until the title is completely transferred to the transferee/buyer’s name and a new title is issued with the new owner’s name.
Details about buying a vehicle
When you buy a vehicle:
- The buyer will pay sales and use tax on the purchase price of the vehicle;
- Title transfers must take place within 30 days of the date of sale, otherwise a late fee will be assessed;
- Dual ownership requires both parties to be present unless a notarized power of attorney is provided. Social Security numbers for all parties are required. Photocopies of title are not accepted;
- If you choose to have a 45-day temporary tag issued, it must be obtained before you transfer the vehicle title into your name. Once an Ohio title is established, you will only be able to purchase permanent Ohio license plates;
- If you have a lien holder, it must be noted on the assignment portion of the title.
Buying a car or any other motor vehicle is a taxable transaction.
Buying a car may be done through a car dealer or from a private seller. These are two different types of transactions when it comes to paying the sales tax. When buying from a car dealer, the transaction is fairly simple. The car dealer will calculate the taxes and title fees into a total amount that you will pay for the vehicle, and the title work will be completed for you.
Tips for transferring a vehicle
You need to understand the following before purchasing a vehicle from a private seller. If you came to an agreement for the purchase price of the vehicle with the private seller, and when the payment is made, the seller will sign the title of the vehicle into your name. Sales tax is charged every time a vehicle is bought or sold regardless of sales tax paid by a previous buyer.
If you sell your vehicle to a car dealer, or if you buy a car from a dealer, all of the taxes and title fees will be taken care of by the dealer. If you sell your vehicle to another individual, then you agree to a purchase price and transfer the vehicle into that individual’s name at the local county title office. Taxes will be the responsibility of the purchaser and are based on the purchase price. It is wise to complete a Bill of Sale form, or a purchase agreement that you and the purchaser can keep for your records. We recommend to keep these forms for five years.
How to fill out the Ohio Bill of Sale Form
This Bill of Sale is composed of three sections and below you’ll see you how to fill out this form:
Section 1
The Section 1 contains the vehicle information. Here you’ll need to fill out the Make, Model, Year, Style (Body type), Color, VIN or Vehicle Identification Number. Also fill out the Odometer Reading at the time of transfer (use only digits, no tenths) and seller registration number. Additionally in this section answer if you previously filed an application for title of this vehicle:
Section 2
In 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 – this means to 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 also. So 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, to indicate if this vehicle was a gift and to indicate the relationship with the buyer (e.g. parent, spouse, friend):
Section 3
The last section, the third one, represents the seller’s statement about the details contained in this Bill of Sale. Lastly, 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.
More details about the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
For more information go to Ohio Department of Public Safety – Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which oversees driver and motor vehicle licensing and registration, continues to make services more convenient, efficient and cost-effective. A good example of BMV’s strong commitment to improving customer service is the creation of OPLATES.com – a website that hundreds of thousands of Ohioans use each year to renew their vehicle registrations and perform other business transactions with the BMV.