Tennessee Trailer Bill of Sale Form

Trailer Titling and Registration in Tennessee

Every trailer, semitrailer and pole trailer driven or moved on a highway is subject to Tennessee's registration and certificate of title rules. So is every mobile home or house trailer that is occupied.^[4.1]

The title application must state the applicant's title and every lien or encumbrance on the trailer.^[5]

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-3-103(a), the owner of a trailer that has never had a Tennessee certificate of title applies for one to the county clerk of the county where the trailer is to be registered.^[4.3] When you buy a new trailer from a dealer, you usually receive these papers to bring along:

• The Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO)
• The trailer invoice
• A copy of your current registration, only if you are moving your license plate to the new trailer

When a Tennessee Trailer Bill of Sale Is Required

In Tennessee, a notarized bill of sale is required when you apply for a title for a used trailer that has no Tennessee title and no pending title application. You also submit a sworn statement that explains why the trailer was never titled. A title from the state where the trailer was last registered can be submitted instead.^[1]

Applications for certificate of title for other than new vehicles for which there is not currently in existence a tennessee certificate of title, or pending application for same, must be accompanied by a notarized bill of sale and sworn statement, certifying as to why the vehicle has not heretofore been titled, or certificate of title from the state in which previously registered.

Tennessee has no statute that sets out what a trailer bill of sale must contain. Most bills of sale cover the same basics, and the FormsPal template asks for each of them:

• The names and contact details of the seller and the buyer
• The price and how it is paid
• The date of the sale
• A description of the trailer: make, model, year, color and VIN

Even when the title process does not call for one, a signed bill of sale is a record of the price, the date and the condition of the sale. The template states that the trailer is sold as-is, with no warranty. To learn more, read our article about what a trailer bill of sale includes.

Tennessee Trailer Bill of Sale Form Details

Create a free high-quality Tennessee Trailer Bill of Sale online now!

Create and Print Online Now

How to Write a Tennessee Trailer Bill of Sale

The steps below follow the FormsPal Tennessee trailer bill of sale template, which has 57 fillable fields on four pages. You can fill it out online and print it, or download the PDF and complete it with our online PDF editor. Work through the parts in order.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Tennessee 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 of the bill of sale. Enter the date of the bill of sale on the Date line at the top of 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 same details for the buyer.

   

4. Section 3, names in the agreement sentence. Write the seller's name and the buyer's name in the two blanks of the agreement sentence.

   

5. Section 3, trailer details. Fill in the make, model, year, color and VIN of the trailer under "the following trailer". Copy the VIN exactly as it appears on the trailer's title.

   

6. Section 4, purchase date. On page 2, enter the day and the year of the sale on the purchase date line.

   

7. Section 4, total price and timing. Enter the total purchase price in U.S. dollars. Then initial one box: paid in full on the purchase date, a deposit with the balance due on a later date (add the deposit amount and both dates), or a gift with no payment.

   

8. Section 4, payment method. Initial one box: cash, check (add the check number), cashier's check or money order.

   

9. Section 4, taxes, and Section 5, terms. Initial one box to show whether taxes are included in the price. Section 5 has no blanks. It covers the seller's ownership statement, the as-is sale with no warranty and the entire agreement, so read it with the other party before you sign.

   

10. Section 6, signatures. On page 3, the seller and the buyer each sign, print their name and add the date. The form also has two witness lines, each with a signature, a printed name and a date.

    

11. Acknowledgment, county, officer and signer. Page 4 is the notary acknowledgment. Sign in front of the notary, who fills in the county, the date, their own name and title, and the name of the person who appeared.

    

12. Acknowledgment, officer's signature and seal. The notary signs and seals on the signature (seal) line at the bottom of page 4.

    

Make a signed copy for each person and keep yours with the trailer's records.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a title transfer required when completing a bill of sale in Tennessee?

Yes. To title a vehicle, Tennessee asks for a valid certificate of title, properly assigned to the buyer.^[2] A bill of sale does not replace it. The Tennessee Department of Revenue says a properly endorsed title showing all chain of title is what shows ownership of a vehicle.^[3]

What does the seller have to do with the title in Tennessee?

When the seller has the certificate of title, the owner must endorse an assignment and warranty of title on it, with a statement of all liens or encumbrances. The owner must hand the title to the buyer when delivering the trailer.^[4.2]

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1320-8-13-.01(2).
2. Tennessee DOR; F-1317001.
3. Tennessee DOR; SB-3.
4. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 55-3-101(a) to 55-3-118(a).
   • 4.1 § 55-3-101(a)
   • 4.2 § 55-3-118(a)
   • 4.3 § 55-3-103(a)
5. Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-3-103(a)(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.