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An Ohio bill of sale is a signed receipt for a private sale. The form names the seller, buyer, item, price and sale date for a car, trailer, boat or firearm. This page explains what to include, how to fill it out and Ohio's title steps.
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| Document Name | Ohio Vehicle Bill of Sale Form |
| Other Names | Ohio Car Bill of Sale, Ohio Automobile Bill of Sale |
| DMV | Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles |
| Is a Bill of Sale Needed? | Not listed with the title application papers below |
| Avg. Time to Fill Out | 7 minutes |
| # of Fillable Fields | 64 |
An Ohio bill of sale comes in four common kinds: a motor vehicle form, a boat form, a firearm form and a general form for other personal property. Each card below says what its form lists. Forms for other states are on the bill of sale forms page.
The Ohio motor vehicle bill of sale records the sale of a car, truck or other motor vehicle between a private seller and a buyer. It lists the seller, the buyer, the vehicle, the price and the date of sale.
| Alternative Name | Car Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Notarization | Acknowledgment page on the form |
| Download | PDF Template |
The Ohio boat bill of sale records the sale of a boat. It lists the boat, the seller, the buyer, the price and the date of sale.
| Alternative Name | Vessel Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Notarization | Check the form |
| Download | PDF Template |
The Ohio firearm bill of sale records a firearm sale between a private seller and a buyer. It lists the firearm, the seller, the buyer, the price and the date of sale.
| Alternative Name | Gun Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Notarization | Check the form |
| Download | PDF Template |
The general bill of sale covers private sales of items that need no specialized form, such as furniture, tools or equipment. Its description field takes any item.
| Alternative Name | Generic Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Buyer’s Signature | Signature line on the form |
| Notarization | Check the form |
| Download | PDF Template |
An Ohio trailer bill of sale is a signed record of a private trailer sale that names the seller, the buyer and the trailer, and gives the price and the date of the sale.
The motor vehicle form and the general form both fit a trailer. The motor vehicle form has fields for the VIN, body type, year and color. The general form has one open description field.
The trailer description works best when a stranger could pick the trailer out from it:
Example description: 2019 Acme utility trailer, 6 x 12 ft, single axle, black, VIN 1A9XX12345X000000, sold with a spare tire and a fold-down ramp for $1,800 on May 4, 2026.
Trailer titling and registration in Ohio go through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The title statute facts on this page speak of motor vehicles, and this page does not say which trailers need an Ohio title. Ask the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or a county clerk of courts title office before the sale, and bring the signed bill of sale to that visit.
An Ohio bill of sale lists the parties, the item, the price and the date of a private sale, and it ends with the signatures of the seller and the buyer.
The title affidavit asks the seller to swear to the true selling price and to the true odometer reading, except where Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06 exempts the odometer reading.[1] The bill of sale holds the same two figures, so the papers agree.
The registrar shall prescribe an affidavit in which the transferor shall swear to the true selling price and, except as provided in this division, the true odometer reading of the motor vehicle
The title form also carries language that gives evidence of the date on which the assignment or delivery of the motor vehicle was made (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).
The seller and the buyer must provide any information requested by the Department of Taxation, whenever the department asks for it (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1] A form with the price, the payment method and the date answers most of those questions.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Ohio 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 Ohio motor vehicle bill of sale runs from the date at the top to the acknowledgment on page 4, and the steps below follow it in that order.
Write the date. Enter it on the DATE line at the top of page 1.
Enter both parties. In Sections 1 and 2, fill in the seller's name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone number and email address, then the same details for the buyer.
Describe the vehicle. In Section 3, write both names in the opening sentence, then fill in the make and model, body type, year and color, odometer and VIN.
Give the purchase date, price and method. On page 2, enter the purchase date and price, then check one option: all at once, trade-in with the buyer's vehicle details, deposit with a balance date, or gift.
Mark the payment form and taxes. Select Cash, Check (with the check number), Cashier's Check or Money Order, then check whether taxes are included.
Read the miscellaneous provisions. On page 3, read Section 5 before signing: it holds the seller's ownership and no-liens statement, the as-is sale and the entire agreement, with nothing to fill in.
Sign, date and print. In Section 6, the seller and the buyer each sign, date and print their name; a witness can sign on the Witness line.
Add the acknowledgment, if you want a notary. Sign before the notary in the acknowledgment on page 4; the notary completes the county, date, name, title, signature and seal.
The Ohio title transfer starts with the buyer's application for a certificate of title, filed within thirty days after the assignment or delivery of the motor vehicle, except for a manufactured home or mobile home (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1]
In all cases of transfer of a motor vehicle except the transfer of a manufactured home or mobile home, the application for certificate of title shall be filed within thirty days after the assignment or delivery of the motor vehicle.
The sales tax price, where the tax applies, is the purchase price on the assigned certificate of title, executed by the seller and filed with the clerk by the buyer (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06). That price, where the tax applies, is prima-facie evidence of the amount for the determination of the tax (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1] A sale form that shows the same price as the assigned title keeps the two papers in line.
The clerk issues the certificate of title within five business days after the application is filed, or, if no physical certificate is to be issued, enters the application in the automated title processing system in that time (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1] The certificate of title is issued on the form prescribed by section 4505.07 of the Ohio Revised Code.[1]
When a dealer is a party to the sale, the dealer obtains the certificate of title in the buyer's name, upon an application signed by the buyer (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1]
When the motor vehicle was brought into Ohio, the application goes with a manufacturer's or importer's certificate or a certificate of title of another state, unless the chapter provides otherwise (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1]
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website lists current papers and fees for a title visit. For a vehicle with a bill of sale and no title, read our guide to getting a vehicle title with a bill of sale.
Application(s) for Certificate of Title to a Motor Vehicle
Odometer Disclosure Statement
Fill out a motor vehicle power of attorney to give a trusted person the right to handle vehicle registration for you.
Certified Watercraft Registration Application and Affidavit of Ownership (Form DNR 8460R) is an authorized form required for registering a watercraft in Ohio.
A power of attorney form for watercraft is needed when the vessel registration process or title transfer is conducted by a person of trust.
An Ohio car title transfer needs the buyer's application for a certificate of title, filed within thirty days after the assignment or delivery, except for a manufactured home or mobile home (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06). The application goes with the certificate of title duly assigned, unless the chapter provides otherwise, and any sales or use tax is paid with it when the tax applies (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1]
The seller assigns the certificate of title to the buyer, and the buyer files the title application, unless a dealer is a party to the sale (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06). When a dealer takes part, the dealer obtains the certificate of title in the buyer's name upon an application signed by the buyer (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1] A signed copy of the form stays with each party.
The buyer's title application goes with the certificate of title duly assigned, unless the chapter provides otherwise (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06). When the vehicle was brought into Ohio, the application may instead go with a manufacturer's or importer's certificate or another state's certificate of title (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06).[1] The signed form is the buyer's own record of the price, the date and the odometer reading.
Notarization of the bill of sale is not among the title rules this page cites from Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06, which concern the title application, and this page does not say whether any other Ohio law asks for it. The Ohio bill of sale template still has an acknowledgment on page 4 for parties who want a notary's seal on it.
An unnotarized form still records the price, the date and the parties' signatures. The title facts on this page come from Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4505.06 and concern only the title application, not the bill of sale.[1]
The Ohio boat bill of sale is the form for a boat sale: it lists the boat, the seller, the buyer, the price and the date of sale.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
