Florida Trailer Bill of Sale Form

Other property types have their own Florida bill of sale forms. For a general overview of the document, read our bill of sale guide.

What Florida Law Says About a Trailer Bill of Sale

Florida's title law treats a bill of sale as one accepted proof of ownership. The rule applies when no certificate of title has ever been issued in Florida for the vehicle. In that case, the title application must come with a proper bill of sale, a sworn statement of ownership, or another proof the statute lists.^[3]

If a certificate of title has not previously been issued for a motor vehicle or mobile home in this state, the application, unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, shall be accompanied by a proper bill of sale or sworn statement of ownership, or a duly certified copy thereof, or by a certificate of title, bill of sale, or other evidence of ownership required by the law of the state or county from which the motor vehicle or mobile home was brought into this state.

For a vehicle brought into Florida, the statute accepts the ownership papers that the other state or county requires, such as a certificate of title or a bill of sale.^[3] A bill of sale is one of several proofs the statute accepts.

The sale price must be stated. A bill of sale or dealer's invoice offered with a title application lists these items:

• The purchase price
• The sales tax paid
• Any trade-in allowance^[1]

Transferring a Trailer's Title in Florida

A buyer does not acquire marketable title to a vehicle until a certificate of title has been issued in the buyer's name. That is true whether or not the owner is a licensed dealer.^[2] The bill of sale records the sale, and the certificate of title is what shows the buyer as the owner.

If the seller has a paper title, the seller must complete the title for transfer to the purchaser. Each applicant must then sign the title application.^[1]

In practice, many buyers keep the signed bill of sale with the title paperwork, and many sellers keep a copy as well. Check the VIN, make and year on the form against the trailer and its title before anyone signs.

Florida Trailer Bill of Sale Form Details

The FormsPal Florida trailer bill of sale has 57 fillable fields and takes about 8 minutes to fill out. It describes the trailer by make, model, year, color and VIN, so it fits a utility trailer, a boat trailer or another trailer. Build it online with the document creator and print it, or download the PDF or Word file.

Create and Print a Free FL Trailer Bill of Sale Online Now!

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How to write Florida Trailer Bill of Sale

The steps below follow the FormsPal Florida trailer bill of sale in order, from the date on page 1 to the acknowledgment on page 4. Fill it in online, or download the PDF or Word file and complete it with our online PDF editor.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Florida trailer 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 of the form: Enter the date of the bill of sale on the DATE line under the title on page 1.

   

2. 1. Seller's Information: Enter the seller's name, street address, city, state and zip code on one line, telephone number and email address.

   

3. 2. Buyer's Information: Enter the buyer's name, street address, city, state and zip code on one line, telephone number and email address.

   

4. 3. Trailer Description, the parties' names: Write the seller's name where the sentence says the seller agrees to sell, and the buyer's name where it says the buyer agrees to purchase the trailer.

   

5. 3. Trailer Description, make, model, year, color and VIN: Fill in the trailer's Make, Model, Year, Color and VIN # (the vehicle identification number) on the lines under the sentence.

   

6. 4. Purchase Date: On page 2, enter the date the trailer is sold on the line that ends with the label purchase date.

   

7. 4. Total Purchase Price and timing: Enter the total purchase price in U.S. dollars. Then initial one box: all at once on the purchase date, a deposit with its amount and date plus the date the balance is paid in full, or a gift with no consideration paid.

   

8. 4. Payment method: Initial one payment method: Cash, Check (write the check number on the check # line), Cashier's check or Money Order.

   

9. 4. Taxes: Initial one box: either all applicable taxes are included in the purchase price, or taxes are not included in the purchase price.

   

10. 6. Signatures: On page 3, the seller and the buyer each sign, print their name and date their line. The form also has two witness lines, each with a signature, a printed name and a date. Section 5, Miscellaneous Provisions, on page 2 has no blanks. In it, the seller confirms owning the trailer and having the right to sell it, and the trailer is sold as is. Read it before you sign.

    

11. Acknowledgment: county, date and officer: Page 4 is an acknowledgment, completed in front of a notary public or other officer. It has blanks for the county, the date, the officer's name and title, and the name of the person who signed.

    

12. Acknowledgment: officer's signature and seal: The officer signs the Signature line beside the (seal) mark under the words WITNESS my hand and official seal. Keep a copy of the finished form for your records.

    

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I transfer ownership of a trailer in Florida?

A buyer does not acquire marketable title to a vehicle from its owner until a certificate of title is issued to the buyer. This is true whether or not the owner is a licensed dealer.^[2] If the seller has a paper title, the seller completes the title for transfer to the purchaser.^[1]

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. Florida HSMV 82050.
2. Fla. Stat. § 319.22(1).
3. Fla. Stat. § 319.23(3).

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.