A Washington vehicle bill of sale (also referred to as Form TD-420-065) is a legal document that needs to be completed to certify any sale, purchase, or registration of a vehicle in the territory of the state. It is provided by the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) in Washington and should include the deal’s details, such as the price of the car, the sale date, personal details and signatures of the buyer and seller, and relevant details about the vehicle. The provision of the bill of sale is mandatory for the registration of any new motor vehicle purchased in a private deal.
Washington bill of sale templates – visit for additional Washington-specific bill of sale documents that you might require.
The transfer of ownership title should take place within 15 days after the motor vehicle’s acquisition. In case the new owner fails to register the vehicle within this period, they will need to pay fines for the delay at the amount of $50 (if the registration takes place on the 16th day after the purchase) and $2 per day for every next delayed day with the maximum set at $125.
Once the transaction took place, the vehicle should be registered in the local office of the Washington State Department of Licensing. The vehicle’s sellers should provide the report of sale to the DoL, including the following information:
The seller should file a report within five days after the transfer of ownership, paying a fee of $13.25. It can be done online or at the local vehicle licensing office. For vehicle owners who don’t have the title, the odometer disclosure statement may be obtained only in a local vehicle licensing office. Those who have the title may receive it digitally.
During the sale, the previous owner should remove license plates from the vehicle. The new owner will initiate the vehicle’s registration to get new plates and start utilizing the vehicle on Washington roads. To get the motor vehicle registered, the new owner should file the following documents to the Washington DOL:
As a rule, the new title is issued within 8-10 weeks after the application. For those who need a title faster, a quicker procedure presupposes an application to the Quick Title office and payment of a $50 express fee. The service is available for regular items only, excluding snowmobiles, boats, etc.
The registration fees are different for different motor vehicle categories. For instance, the title transaction fee is $15, while the title with registration will cost $23. License and registration fees for mopeds are $30, for trailers – $15, for ATVs – $30, and for all regular motor vehicles, it is set at $30.
Newcomers to Washington should keep in mind that their motor vehicle registration process will take around 90 days.
The instructions here are based on our custom-made bill of sale template. Nevertheless, should there be a form available from your local authorities, it’s recommended to choose it in the deal.
Step 1: Indicate the bill of sale creation date.
Step 2: Enter the specifics of each party (seller and purchaser):
Step 3: Provide the details of the auto:
Step 4: Now, you will need to establish how you’ll be given money for the vehicle.
Enter the purchase date and state the entire amount that must be paid for the motor vehicle. You should furthermore indicate the selling method the buyer will opt for:
And after that, specify the way the buyer pays:
Lastly, check if the purchase amount includes all applicable taxes.
Step 5: Look at standard provisions and make sure both parties understand them.
These usually state that the buyer acquires the object sold in “as-is” condition and is responsible for it after the purchase is completed.
Step 6: Now, the bill of sale form must be signed.
The buyer is generally not required to sign the document. Nonetheless, it is advised to have the bill of sale signed by all parties. As an extra precaution, you may have one or two people attest the process and sign the bill of sale.
Step 7: Notarize the document
Although notarization is almost never mandatory, it may serve as an additional way to shield against legal problems.
In many states, a bill of sale form can be necessary during title change, so the purchaser needs to have the original. There are two ways here: you should either complete and sign a pair of identical bills of sale or make a copy for the seller to store.
