Florida Motorcycle Bill of Sale Form

Florida Motorcycle Bill of Sale Requirements

Florida accepts a bill of sale but does not strictly require one. Under Fla. Stat. § 319.23(3), a title application can be supported by a proper bill of sale or a sworn statement of ownership. This applies when no Florida certificate of title has been issued for the motorcycle before.^[3] The rules below cover what the bill of sale should show and how the title changes hands.

The sale price must be stated, and each applicant must sign the title application.^[1] The FormsPal template has a purchase price line and signature lines for both the seller and the buyer, so both can sign the same document.

Where the law requires an odometer disclosure for the transfer, the person transferring ownership must make a written statement of the mileage. That is either the reading shown on the odometer or, where the statute allows it, a statement that the actual mileage is unknown. A reading known to differ from the true mileage may not be given as the actual mileage.^[4]

Signing a bill of sale is not the same as getting a title. The statute says:

A person acquiring a motor vehicle or mobile home from the owner thereof, whether or not the owner is a licensed dealer, shall not acquire marketable title to the motor vehicle or mobile home until he or she has had issued to him or her a certificate of title to the motor vehicle or mobile home

In plain terms, the buyer gets marketable title when a certificate of title is issued to the buyer.^[2] If the seller has a paper title, it must be completed for transfer to the purchaser.^[1]

The FormsPal template records these details:

• Name, street address, city, state, zip code, phone and email for the seller and the buyer
• Make, model, year, odometer reading, color and VIN of the motorcycle
• Purchase date, total price and how the price is paid
• Whether taxes are included in the price
• Signatures of the seller and the buyer, two witness lines and a notary acknowledgment

Older motorcycles can be exempt from the odometer statement. Under Fla. Stat. § 319.225(4), a vehicle with a model year of 2011 or newer is exempt from odometer disclosure after 20 years, and a vehicle with a model year of 2010 or older is exempt after 10 years.^[6]

Registering a Motorcycle in Florida

Registering a motorcycle after a private sale starts with the paperwork from the sale. In practice, the buyer takes the signed bill of sale, the seller's title and a completed title application to a local motor vehicle office. Where the law requires it, the odometer statement is part of that transfer.^[4]

Buyers commonly bring these papers:

• The signed bill of sale
• The seller's title, completed for transfer to the buyer if it is a paper title
• The title application
• The odometer statement

Fees, taxes and any extra steps vary, so confirm them with your local motor vehicle office before you go. For a general guide to motorcycle sales, read our motorcycle bill of sale guide. You can also browse all Florida bill of sale forms or the bill of sale overview.

Registration certificates and license plates are issued by the county tax collector, acting as an authorized agent of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (Fla. Stat. § 320.03(1)).^[7]

Florida Motorcycle Bill of Sale Form Details

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How to Fill Out the Florida Motorcycle Bill of Sale Form

Fill out the form in the order it runs, from the date on page 1 to the acknowledgment on page 4. Each step below matches one part of the FormsPal template, and the picture under it shows where the answer goes. Copy the names and the VIN exactly as they appear on the title.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Florida motorcycle 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. Enter the date at the top of page 1. The form says the bill of sale is made on this date between the seller and the buyer.

   

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

   

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

   

4. Name both parties in the agreement line. Repeat the seller's name and the buyer's name in the sentence that starts the motorcycle description.

   

5. Describe the motorcycle. Enter the make, model, year, odometer reading in miles, color and VIN of the motorcycle being sold.

   

6. Purchase date and total price. Enter the purchase date and the total purchase price in U.S. dollars.

   

7. Payment: all at once or trade-in. Initial one option, either payment of the full price on the purchase date or a trade-in by the buyer. For a trade-in, enter the contemporaneous payment amount if there is one.

   

8. Trade-in: make and model of the buyer's vehicle. Fill this in only for a trade-in. Enter the make and model of the buyer's vehicle, and leave it blank for the other options.

   

9. Trade-in: year and odometer of the buyer's vehicle. Fill this in only for a trade-in. Enter the year and the odometer reading in miles of the buyer's vehicle.

   

10. Trade-in color and VIN, deposit or gift. For a trade-in, enter the color and VIN of the buyer's vehicle. For a deposit, initial that option and enter the deposit amount, the deposit date and the date the balance is paid in full. For a gift, initial the gift option.

    

11. How the price is paid. Initial one method: cash, check, cashier's check or money order. For a check, add the check number.

    

12. Taxes. Initial one option, either taxes are included in the purchase price or taxes are not included.

    

13. Provisions and signatures. Read Section 5, which covers the seller's ownership and no-lien statement, the "as is" sale and the entire agreement. Then the seller signs, prints a name and adds the date, and the buyer does the same. The form also has two witness lines, each with a signature, a printed name and a date.

    

14. Acknowledgment: county, date and officer. Page 4 holds the acknowledgment block for a notary. The notary completes the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and the name of the person who appeared. Leave the block blank if you do not use a notary.

    

15. Acknowledgment: officer's signature and seal. If you have the bill of sale notarized, sign before the notary. The officer then signs and adds the seal on the last line, under "WITNESS my hand and official seal."

    

Frequently Asked Questions

Florida accepts a bill of sale with a title application, but the buyer holds no marketable title until a certificate of title is issued.^[2] These two answers cover notarizing and transferring ownership.

Is a bill of sale valid if not notarized?

Florida has no statute that requires a bill of sale to be notarized. The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department (FLHSMV) recommends having the bill of sale notarized and keeping copies of it.^[5] The form on this page includes an acknowledgment block on page 4 for a notary to complete.

How to transfer ownership of a motorcycle in Florida?

Under Fla. Stat. § 319.22(1), a person who acquires a motorcycle from its owner does not acquire marketable title until a certificate of title has been issued to him or her.^[2] A seller with a paper title must complete it for transfer to the purchaser.^[1] Keep the signed bill of sale with the title paperwork.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. Florida HSMV 82050.
2. Fla. Stat. § 319.22(1).
3. Fla. Stat. § 319.23(3).
4. Fla. Stat. § 319.225(1).
5. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Selling a Vehicle in Florida.
6. Fla. Stat. § 319.225(4).
7. Fla. Stat. § 320.03(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.