Alabama Boat Bill of Sale Form

Alabama Boat Bill of Sale and Title Requirements

A bill of sale is the record of the sale. A certificate of title is the state's record of who owns the boat. When a buyer applies for a title, Alabama accepts any of these records to show who owns the boat.^[2.2]

• A certificate of origin
• A bill of sale
• Another record that, to the satisfaction of the office, identifies the applicant as the owner

Whether a boat needs a title depends on when its construction was completed.

When the boat has a written certificate of title and the seller's interest is noted on it, the seller must sign the certificate and deliver it to the buyer.^[3] The statute says it this way.

If the certificate is a written certificate of title and the transferor's interest is noted on the certificate, the transferor shall sign the certificate and deliver it to the transferee.

The transferor is the seller. The transferee is the buyer.

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How to write Alabama Boat Bill of Sale

These steps follow the FormsPal Alabama boat bill of sale template, part by part, in the order the form shows them. The form runs four pages and covers the parties, the boat, the price and payment, the signatures and a notary acknowledgment. Fill in every part that applies to your sale. To complete the downloaded file on screen, use our online PDF editor.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Alabama boat bill of sale template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.

1. Date at the top. Write the date you fill in the bill of sale on the DATE line on page 1.

   

2. Section 1, Seller's information. Enter the seller's name, street address, city, state and zip code, phone number and email address.

   

3. Section 2, Buyer's information. Enter the buyer's name, street address, city, state and zip code, phone number and email address.

   

4. Section 3, Seller and buyer names. Write the seller's name and the buyer's name again in the two blanks of the sentence that opens the boat or watercraft description.

   

5. Section 3, Boat details. Tick the Boat box. Then enter the make, title number, year, color and Hull Identification Number (HIN).

   

6. Section 3, Hours and value of the boat. At the top of page 2, enter the hours on the Odometer line, as the form asks, and the value of the boat in U.S. dollars.

   

7. Section 3, Trailer and motor details. Tick Trailer if one is sold, then enter its make, license plate number, color, VIN, year and value. Tick Motor for each motor sold, since the form has room for two, and enter the make, horsepower, serial number and value.

   

8. Section 4, Purchase date and total price. Enter the purchase date and the total purchase price in U.S. dollars.

   

9. Section 4, How the price is paid. Tick one option. You can pay all at once on the purchase date, pay with a deposit, or record the boat as a gift with no consideration paid. For a deposit, fill in the deposit amount, the deposit date and the date the balance is due.

   

10. Section 4, Payment method. Tick one method: cash, check, cashier's check or money order. For a check, add the check number.

    

11. Taxes. Tick whether all applicable taxes are included in the purchase price or are not included.

    

12. Section 6, Signatures. Section 5 holds the miscellaneous provisions and needs no entries. Section 6 has a signature line, a printed name and a date for the seller, the buyer and a witness.

    

13. Acknowledgment, county, date and parties. Page 4 has an acknowledgment block for a notary. If you use it, sign the bill of sale before the notary, who fills in the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and the name of the person who appeared.

    

14. Acknowledgment, notary signature and seal. The notary signs on the Signature line and adds the official seal. Leave this line for the notary.

    

After everyone signs, give the original to the buyer and keep a copy for your records.

Need another document? Browse every bill of sale type, the other Alabama bill of sale templates, or the general boat bill of sale form.

Frequently Asked Questions

These answers cover how an Alabama boat changes hands, what a title application contains and which boats need a certificate of title. They rest on the state sources listed at the end of this page.

How to transfer boat ownership in Alabama?

Start with the title. When the boat has a written certificate of title that notes the seller's interest, the seller signs the certificate and delivers it to the buyer.^[3] A boat finished after December 31, 2023 must be issued a certificate of title unless exempted.^[1.1] Sign a bill of sale as the record of the sale.

What do I need to bring to register my boat?

A title application must be signed by the applicant and must contain these items.^[2.1]

• The applicant's name
• The street address of the applicant's principal residence and, if different, the mailing address
• Each other owner's name with a mailing address
• A copy of the applicant's driver's license or non-driver identification card

A bill of sale, a certificate of origin or another record that identifies the applicant as the owner can show ownership.^[2.2]

What do you need to register a boat in Alabama?

The title application must contain the boat's hull identification number (HIN). If the vessel has no HIN, you apply for a state-assigned HIN before you apply for the title. Send that request to the Marine Patrol Division of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.^[1.2]

Does Alabama have boat titles or a bill of sale?

Yes, for many boats. A vessel finished after December 31, 2023 must be issued a certificate of title unless exempted.^[1.1] The owner of a vessel 26 feet or longer finished on or before that date may apply for a title voluntarily.^[1.3] A bill of sale is one record that can show ownership when you apply.^[2.2]

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

Each bracketed number in the text above points to one of these official Alabama sources. Open the link to read the provision in full, and check the current text before you rely on it.

1. Ala. Admin. Code 810-5-75-.01 Ala. Admin. Code 810-5-75-.01, Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-5-75-.01 (Vessel Certificate of Title), Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-5-75-.01(1).
   • 1.1 Ala. Admin. Code 810-5-75-.01
   • 1.2 Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-5-75-.01 (Vessel Certificate of Title)
   • 1.3 Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-5-75-.01(1)
2. Ala. Code § 33-5B-7.
   • 2.1 § 33-5B-7(b)
   • 2.2 § 33-5B-7(d)(2)(C)
3. Ala. Code § 33-5B-17(a)(1).

Mara Erlach

Writer & Attorney

Mara has been practicing estate planning and trust law in California since 2003, taking pride in helping clients of all backgrounds and asset profiles form a complete and customized estate plan. Her specialties are: estate planning, wills and trusts, trust and probate administration.