In the State of Wisconsin when you transfer a vehicle a Bill of Sale form is not mandatory but it’s recommended to complete one.
So to be safe you should probably complete this form in any used vehicle transaction. Because a Bill of Sale serves as a legal contract between the buyer and the seller this form has legal value.
Also a Bill of Sale form documents both the change in ownership and the purchase price.
The following information should appear on the Wisconsin 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 and the buyer
Wisconsin Bill of Sale Form
Below you can download, complete and print the updated Wisconsin Bill of Sale form for 2024:
Click here to download the Wisconsin Bill of Sale Form or the Wisconsin Bill of Sale Form in Spanish.
Before you sell a vehicle in Wisconsin, you must have a title in your name, even if you have never driven the vehicle. If you have lost your title you need to use Replace the title – Form MV2119.
Never sign your title or give it to anyone until you have been paid for the vehicle!
How to complete the Wisconsin Bill of Sale Form
This Wisconsin Bill of Sale Form MV2928 is optional but recommended. This form is composed of three sections and below you’ll learn how to complete this form:
Section 1 of the Wisconsin Bill of Sale
The first section contains a checklist and instructions to sell a vehicle in the state of Wisconsin. Here you don’t have to fill out or check any information:
Section 2 of the Wisconsin Bill of Sale
In the second section of this form you have to fill out the vehicle information first. So you need to fill out the Year, Make, Model, Body type, Purchase price and VIN or Vehicle Identification Number. Also fill the Sale Date and the Vehicle Delivery Date:
Section 3 of the Wisconsin Bill of Sale
In the third and last section you have to fill out the seller’s and buyer’s details. First complete the seller’s information. This means the full name of the seller. The seller’s name must be PRINTED. This means to use only Capital Letters to write SELLER’S NAME. Then complete seller’s driver license number, street address, seller’s city, state and ZIP code.
Further you have to fill out the buyer’s information. Start with 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 driver license number, street address, buyer’s city, state and ZIP code. Finally fill out seller’s and buyer’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 with blue or black ink and not a pencil. If you fill this form on your device (phone, tablet, computer) this form is a fillable PDF that works best with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Selling a Vehicle in Wisconsin
Once you’ve sold the vehicle, you must do the following:
First complete the seller notification if it was a private sale from one individual to another individual.
Then sign and date the title in the area for the signature of the selling owner or owners. So if the title shows more than one owner and the names are separated by the word “and,” all owners shown must sign. Further if the word “or” separates the names, any of the owners shown may sign. If you lost the original title you will have to apply for a replacement title. Sign the replacement and give it to the buyer – even if you find the original. The original becomes invalid when a replacement title is issued.
After that fill in the vehicle odometer mileage statement on the title. This is required under federal law.
Following complete the brand disclosure area on the title (if applicable). Next complete the selling price on the title. The Department of Revenue checks titles and investigates suspiciously low sale prices.
Finally fill out the name and address of the buyer or buyers on the title.
More details about selling a Vehicle in Wisconsin
Additionally, after selling a vehicle, you must take these actions as well:
If there is a lien listed on the title, provide the buyer with a lien release document from your lien holder. The buyer needs both documents to get a title.
Please remove the license plates from the vehicle. You may transfer them to another vehicle you own. If the vehicle is a truck registered at 10,000 pounds or more, a farm truck registered at 16,000 pounds or more, a moped, a trailer or a recreational vehicle trailer, the license plates stay with the vehicle and do not need to be removed.
If you wish to have a record of the sale, you may also complete the Instructions for Selling a Vehicle Form MV2928 – Wisconsin Bill of Sale Form or a Wisconsin Bill of Sale Form in Spanish. The Bill of Sale is provided for your convenience, it is not a required form. You may keep a copy with your records, and make a copy for the buyer as documentation of the sale.
Odometer Disclosure Statement in Wisconsin
Beginning January 1, 2021 – when you sell or transfer a motor vehicle with a model year 2011 or newer – you must include the actual odometer mileage on the odometer disclosure statement. A federal rule change expands odometer disclosure requirements. This change will improve customer protection by tracking actual odometer mileage for more years as a fraud protection measure. Previously, any vehicle more than 10 years old has been exempt from reporting mileage upon sale or transfer. The new federal rule gradually increases the exemption from 10 years to 20 years.
When you sell your vehicle write in the odometer reading – even if you sel itl to a family member. The current calendar year minus your vehicle’s model year equals your vehicle’s age. The odometer reading is the number of miles on the vehicle, not on the engine (even if the engine is newer than the rest of the vehicle). Write the miles in the space provided on the title and show whether the miles are:
Actual = The odometer has always worked properly and recorded all miles the vehicle has traveled.
Not Actual = The odometer statement was not filled out by the owner at the time of sale; the odometer was replaced and set at zero because of a repair; the odometer stopped working and the vehicle was driven more than 30 days before repair; or, the odometer numbers were turned back.
In Excess of Mechanical Limits = The odometer showed 99,999 miles and turned to zero, instead of to 100,000.
Note: Only 6-digit odometers can record more than 100,000 miles. Don’t record tenths of miles on the title.
To complete an odometer disclosure statement use this federal form: Wisconsin Odometer Disclosure Statement Form
Tips to Transfer a Vehicle in Wisconsin
If you sell your vehicle and your plates aren’t expired, you can transfer them to a vehicle of the same type that is titled to you, your spouse, or same sex domestic partner. You can’t transfer your plates to the buyer – even if it’s another family member. If you don’t use the plates, you can’t get a refund for any remaining registration time.
So if you sell your vehicle as junk, and you don’t want the vehicle to be driven again, write the word “Junk” across the title before you give it to the buyer or salvage dealer.
In the unfortunate case where you lost your title, you don’t need a replacement title to junk the vehicle. You can show the certificate of vehicle registration or Confirmation of Ownership as proof you own the vehicle, and sign a junk bill of sale.
Note: Once a vehicle is junked, it can never be titled or licensed again, even if someone repairs or restores it.
For more information about selling your vehicle, contact (608) 266-1466 or [email protected].
Buy from a licensed Wisconsin dealer and you’re protected by Wisconsin’s motor vehicle trade practice law. Dealers follow the law when they advertise, display, and sell vehicles. You won’t get the same protection if you buy from a private party!
Dealers use the “purchase contract” form when selling cars. Read and understand the contract before you sign. Once you and the dealer sign the offer, it becomes a binding contract. The dealer can’t raise the price or sell the car to anyone else. You can’t cancel the contract without a penalty!
View details about the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles
For more information go to State of Wisconsin – Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) was officially established in 1967 by combining formerly independent agencies and the Department of Motor Vehicles (which included the State Highway Commission, State Aeronautics Commission and State Patrol).
WisDOT supports all forms of transportation. The department is responsible for planning, building and maintaining Wisconsin’s network of state highways and Interstate highway system. This department shares the costs of building and operating county and local transportation systems – from highways to public transit and other modes. WisDOT plans, promotes and financially supports statewide air, rail and water transportation, as well as bicycle and pedestrian facilities.