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A NY bill of sale is a signed record of a sale. For a vehicle, it holds the seller's signature, sale date, price and VIN, per NY DMV Form MV-912.[1] Private sellers and buyers use it; this page covers Form MV-912 and each filling step.
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| Document Name | New York Vehicle Bill of Sale Form |
| Other Names | New York Car Bill of Sale, New York Automobile Bill of Sale |
| Official DMV Form | Form MV-912, Vehicle Bill of Sale |
| DMV | New York Department of Motor Vehicles |
| Bill of Sale Required? | For a private vehicle sale, the DMV asks the seller and the buyer to sign Form MV-912 (see the FAQ) |
| Avg. Time to Fill Out | 7 minutes |
| # of Fillable Fields | 16 |
The New York bill of sale comes in four common types: motor vehicle, boat, firearm and general, each made for one kind of property. The right type is the one that matches what is sold, because each asks for the details of that item. The cards below show each type, and the main page lists every bill of sale form by kind of property.
A New York motor vehicle bill of sale records the sale of a car, truck, motorcycle or other vehicle. It holds the vehicle description, the price, the sale date and both signatures. Copy the vehicle details exactly as they appear on the title.
| Alternative Name | Car Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Notarization | Add a notary if you want one |
| Download | PDF Template |
A New York boat bill of sale records the sale of a boat or other vessel between a seller and a buyer. The DMV's list of bill of sale details names the hull identification number (HIN) beside the VIN, so a boat bill of sale carries the HIN (NY DMV Form MV-912).
| Alternative Name | Vessel Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Notarization | Add a notary if you want one |
| Download | PDF Template |
A firearm bill of sale is the seller's and buyer's own receipt for a gun sale, and it does not complete the other steps of a gun sale in New York. The firearm forms in the Relevant Official Forms section below come from state and city agencies.
| Alternative Name | Gun Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Notarization | Add a notary if you want one |
| Download | PDF Template |
A general bill of sale covers the sale of personal property that has no template of its own, such as furniture or equipment. If a template exists for your item, such as a vehicle or a boat, use that one because it asks for the details specific to that item.
| Alternative Name | Generic Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the template |
| Notarization | Add a notary if you want one |
| Download | PDF Template |
Form MV-912 is the New York DMV's official Vehicle Bill of Sale, published as a PDF on the DMV's Form MV-912 page.[3] The revision printed on the current form is MV-912 (11/21). The Relevant Official Forms section below holds Form MV-912 next to the other DMV forms of a vehicle transfer.
Form MV-912 carries two signatures: the seller's and the buyer's. The DMV's buy, sell or transfer page asks the seller to sign it along with the title's transfer section, or to provide other acceptable proofs of ownership and transfer of ownership.[2] The same page asks the buyer to sign Form MV-912 too, even if the vehicle is a gift.[2]
A private bill of sale records the same core details as Form MV-912 and adds the parties' addresses, the payment terms and the sale terms. The DMV's transfer page gives the seller two routes: complete and sign the transfer section of the title certificate and sign a Vehicle Bill of Sale (Form MV-912), or provide other acceptable proofs of ownership and transfer of ownership.[2] For a boat, a firearm or other property, the private form is the record of the sale.
A New York vehicle bill of sale shows four details that the DMV lists on its acceptable proofs of ownership page (NY DMV Form MV-912).[1]
The VIN identifies a car, truck or motorcycle; the HIN identifies a boat. A complete record also names both parties with their addresses and describes the vehicle by make, model, year, body type, color and odometer reading. These extra details tie the record to one vehicle and one sale.
The New York title transfer runs alongside the bill of sale, and the DMV's acceptable proofs page sets the rules for it (NY DMV Form MV-912).[1] The steps below follow those rules in order.
A photocopy of the title is not accepted as proof of ownership. The state certificate of title must be the original or a certified copy (NY DMV Form MV-912).[1]
The DMV sources on this page list no notary step for this document: their list names the seller's signature, the sale date, the purchase price and the VIN or HIN (NY DMV Form MV-912).[1] The motor vehicle form below keeps an optional notary acknowledgment on its last page for parties who want one.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal New York motor vehicle 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.
The New York motor vehicle bill of sale form has four pages, filled in this order: the parties, the vehicle, the price and payment, then the signatures. Each step names the page it covers. A downloaded PDF can be filled in on screen with the PDF editor.
Enter the date and the seller's information (page 1). Write the date at the top of the form, then the seller's name, street address, city, state and zip code, phone number and email address.
Enter the buyer's information (page 1). Write the buyer's name, street address, city, state and zip code, phone number and email address.
Describe the motor vehicle (page 1). Write the seller's and the buyer's names in the sentence that introduces the vehicle, then fill in the make and model, body type and year, odometer reading in miles, color and vehicle identification number (VIN). Copy each detail exactly as the title shows it.
Enter the purchase date and the total purchase price (page 2). Write the price in U.S. dollars.
Mark how the price is paid (page 2). Tick one option: all at once, with a trade-in, as a deposit with a balance due later, or as a gift. Then tick the payment type: cash, check, cashier's check or money order.
Mark whether taxes are included (page 2). Tick "included" or "not included" for the price. This box is not the test for Form DTF-802: the Form DTF-802 instructions use that form when sales tax was not collected at the time of purchase or when the vehicle was received as a gift, as the next section explains.[4]
Read the miscellaneous provisions (page 3). This part has no fields to fill in. It covers the seller's confirmation of ownership, the sale "as is" and the entire agreement, so both parties read it before signing.
Sign, print and date (page 3). The seller and the buyer each sign, print their name and date the signature. The form also has a witness signature line.
Add the acknowledgment if you want one (page 4). To have the form notarized, sign before the notary in the notary acknowledgment on page 4.
Form DTF-802, the Statement of Transaction, is used when sales tax was not collected at the time of purchase or when the vehicle was received as a gift, per the Form DTF-802 instructions.[4] The form goes with the buyer's registration papers in those two cases.
The Form DTF-802 instructions tie the form to the bill of sale signed by the seller. If the donor or seller is not required to complete Section 6 of Form DTF-802, the new owner must have a copy of the bill of sale signed by the seller.[4] A buyer in that case brings the seller-signed copy along with Form DTF-802.
The buyer's registration rests on the papers from the sale: the signed Form MV-912, the signed title and the DMV forms in the Relevant Official Forms list below. The papers depend on the sale, so the DMV's buy, sell or transfer page is the place to check the current list before a visit.[2]
If you only have a bill of sale and no title, read our guide on getting a vehicle title with a bill of sale.
The seller completes the odometer disclosure statement on the back of the title certificate, per NY DMV Form MV-912.
Statement of Transaction (DTF-802) is used when sales tax was not collected at the time of purchase or when the vehicle was received as a gift.
These short answers cover the questions people ask most about a New York bill of sale. Each answer comes from the New York DMV sources listed in the Sources section.
For a private vehicle sale, the DMV's transfer page asks for a signed Vehicle Bill of Sale (Form MV-912). The seller signs it along with the title's transfer section, or provides other acceptable proofs of ownership and transfer of ownership.[2] The buyer signs Form MV-912 too.[2]
A gifted car still takes a signed Form MV-912 from the giver and the new owner, per the DMV's transfer page.[2] Form DTF-802 is used when the vehicle was received as a gift.[4]
A private sale in New York uses the title and the bill of sale, with the title rules of NY DMV Form MV-912 listed below.[1]
A bill of sale is not a title: it records the sale, and the certificate of title is the proof of ownership. The DMV takes the title only as the original or a certified copy, not a photocopy (NY DMV Form MV-912).[1]
A boat bill of sale works like a car's, with the hull identification number (HIN) in place of the VIN (NY DMV Form MV-912).[1] Form MV-82B, the New York Boat Registration/Title Application, is in the Relevant Official Forms list above.
Both the buyer and the seller keep a signed copy of the document. The buyer's copy also matters for Form DTF-802: if the donor or seller is not required to complete Section 6, the new owner must have a copy of the bill of sale signed by the seller.[4]
Other New York Forms
General information, not legal or tax advice.
