In the State of Washington you have to complete also a Bill of Sale Form when you buy or sell a vehicle. Below you can find details about the necessary steps when you buy or sell a vehicle.
So to complete a vehicle transaction, the seller and the buyer have to consider the next steps. The seller must submit a completed Report of Sale within 5 days from the date of sale.
Also the buyer has to apply for a new title. Therefore the buyer will take the vehicle’s Certificate of Title and the completed Bill of Sale to any vehicle licensing office. Below you can find all the necessary forms and details.
Washington Bill of Sale Form
You need to complete these forms in the State of Washington:
- Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale complete both as a buyer and as the seller and enter the sale price. This form is also used to calculate the use tax or enter zero if it’s a gift or inheritance.
- Subsequently you need to sign the Vehicle Certificate of Ownership (Title) Application in front of a notary public, or licensing agent at an office.
How to complete the Washington Bill of Sale Form
The Washington Bill of Sale Form is composed of four sections and below you’ll understand how to fill out correctly this form:
Section 1 of the Washington Bill of Sale Form
The first section contains instructions and the vehicle information. First you’ll find instructions and a checklist for both the Seller and the Buyer of the vehicle. First you need to check if it’s a Vehicle or a Vessel. After that you need to fill in the License plate / Registration number, VIN or Vehicle Identification Number, Model Year, Make and Model. Lastly fill in the date of sale and the sale price:
Section 2 of the Washington Bill of Sale Form
In the second section you will fill in the Seller(s) information. So first you need to fill in the full name of the seller(s). The name(s) must be PRINTED – this means to use only Capital Letters to write SELLER’S NAME. Afterwards fill in seller’s address, city, state and ZIP code:
Section 3 of the Washington Bill of Sale Form
In the third section you need to fill in the Buyer information. Accordingly first you need to fill in the full name of the buyer(s). The name(s) must be PRINTED – this means to use only Capital Letters to write BUYER’S NAME. Then fill in buyer’s address, city, state and ZIP code. Also you need to indicate if the vehicle is a gift by checking Yes or No, and the relationship with the seller, if the answer is Yes.
Section 4 of the Washington Bill of Sale Form
In the last section both the Buyer and the Seller need to sign this form:
Please note that the red text you see on the signatures spaces on the Bill of sale form stating “When completed, print this form and sign here” will not be printed and is visible only on PDF form! When you fill out this form on your device (phone, tablet, computer) because this form is a fillable PDF, it works best with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Selling a vehicle in the State of Washington
When you sell a vehicle:
- Sign the vehicle title and give it to the buyer to release your interest in the vehicle.
- File a Report of Sale within 5 days from the date of sale with the Department of Licensing to document the sale online at Report vehicle sale online, use your License express account, in person or mail this form to your local vehicle licensing office or county auditor – fees apply.
Mail a Vehicle report of sale form to a vehicle licensing location. After you’ve filed keep a copy for your records. If you need a copy, submit a Vehicle Record Request and fee. If you end up keeping the vehicle, visit a vehicle licensing location to have the report of sale deleted.
Buying a vehicle in the State of Washington
When you buy a vehicle:
- Complete a Vehicle Certificate of Title Application (TD-420-001) within 15 calendar days of purchasing the vehicle to avoid paying a penalty.
- Take the signed title certificate and completed title application to any vehicle licensing office and pay the required fees and taxes.
Whenever you sell or transfer ownership of a vehicle (including cars, trucks, motorcycles, registered off-road vehicles, and trailers) you should file a report of sale. Doing so you’re not going to be held liable for any tolling bills, towing charges, or civil and criminal liabilities incurred by the new owner. The new owner is responsible for transferring the title!
So file a report of sale any time you Sell: Privately, On consignment, or Out of state (Must have a WA license plate).
Also file a report of sale when you trade to a private party or dealer, Gift, Donate, Give to a wrecking yard, Turn over to an insurance company, or Dispose of your vehicle!
Make sure everything is correct before you file the report! If you find an error after you’ve filed the report, you’ll have to visit a vehicle licensing location to explain the error. The report will be deleted and you’ll need to file another one.
You should file one within 21 days. There’s no late fee for filing after 21 days, but you may be held liable for any financial, criminal or civil liabilities that the new owner may incur. It’s in your best interest to file as soon as possible.
Find more about the Washington State Department of Licensing
For more information go to Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL).
With a strong commitment to great service, Washington State Department of Licensing advances public safety and consumer protection through licensing, regulation and education, and collects revenue that supports the state’s transportation system.
Every year, Washington State Department of Licensing – collects over $3 billion in gross revenue, issues about 6.6 million vehicle tab renewal notices, including over 628,000 by e-mail, collects nearly $1.29 billion in fuel tax revenue, issue or replace about 20,500 special design license plates and about 6,500 personalized plates, issue about 1,000 original vehicle dealer licenses, and renew about 3,600 vehicle dealer licenses and processes about 90,000 destroyed vehicle reports, including over 78,000 over the Internet.