Texas Trailer Bill of Sale Form

Texas Trailer Bill of Sale Requirements

Texas has no statute that requires a bill of sale for a trailer, and none that requires a trailer bill of sale to be notarized. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) does tell people to keep a written record of a vehicle sale.^[1]

Keep a written record that includes the name and address of the seller, date of sale and vehicle information, including the VIN.

The sale price must be stated too. TxDMV names the signed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) with the sales price clearly shown.^[1] A complete record of the sale therefore shows:

• The seller’s name and address
• The date of sale
• The trailer’s make, model, year and VIN
• The sales price, clearly shown

Texas Trailer Bill of Sale Form Details

The FormsPal PDF template has 57 fillable fields on four pages. They cover the seller, the buyer, the trailer, the date, the price and how it is paid, and taxes. The last pages have signatures, two witness lines and an acknowledgment for a notary public.

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Title Transfer, Deadline and Liens

In Texas the title moves to the buyer with the signed Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U). The buyer must then apply to have the title put in their name within a limited period set by Texas. TxDMV Form 130-U says vehicles are required to be titled in the buyer’s name within 30 days from the date of sale.^[1] Count the 30 days with our deadline calculator.

The title step involves three things:

• The signed Form 130-U with the sales price clearly shown^[1]
• The date of sale, which starts the 30 days
• A discharge of the lien from the lienholder, if a loan on the trailer has been paid off^[2]

Section 501.115(a) of the Texas Transportation Code covers the lien. Once the debt is satisfied, the lienholder must deliver the discharge to the owner or the owner’s designee within a reasonable time.^[2]

When a debt or claim secured by a lien has been satisfied, the lienholder shall, within a reasonable time not to exceed the maximum time allowed by Section 348.408 or 353.405 (b), Finance Code, as applicable, execute and deliver to the owner, or the owner’s designee, a discharge of the lien in a manner prescribed by the department.

The buyer signs the title application too. TxDMV says the completed Form 130-U must contain the original signature of the buyer.^[3]

How to Write a Texas Trailer Bill of Sale

The template has four pages. Work through it from the date at the top of page 1 to the acknowledgment on page 4. Each step below names one part of the form, in the form’s own order, and says what to enter there.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Texas 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: Enter the date of the bill of sale on the Date line at the top of page 1.

   

2. Seller’s information: Enter the seller’s name, street address, city, state and zip code on one line, telephone and email address.

   

3. Buyer’s information: Enter the buyer’s name, street address, city, state and zip code on one line, telephone and email address.

   

4. Trailer description, names in the agreement: Type the seller’s name and the buyer’s name again in the two blanks of the sentence that says the seller agrees to sell and the buyer agrees to purchase the trailer.

   

5. Trailer description, make, model, year, color and VIN: Fill in the trailer’s Make, Model, Year, Color and VIN # on the lines under the agreement sentence.

   

6. Purchase date: On page 2, enter the date of sale and the year on the line that defines the purchase date.

   

7. Total purchase price and timing of payment: Enter the total purchase price in U.S. dollars. Then initial one box: all at once on the purchase date, a deposit with the balance due later, or a gift with no payment. For a deposit, add the deposit amount and date and the date the balance is due.

   

8. Method of payment: Initial one box: Cash, Check, Cashier’s check or Money Order. If you choose Check, enter the check number on the line.

   

9. Taxes: Initial one box to show whether all applicable taxes are included in the purchase price or not. Below it, the Miscellaneous provisions text has nothing to fill in, so just read it.

   

10. Signatures: On page 3, the seller and the buyer each sign, print their name and enter the date. The form also has two witness lines, each with a signature, printed name and date.

    

11. Acknowledgment, county, officer and signer: Page 4 is an acknowledgment for a notary public or other officer. Sign before the notary, then enter the county, the date, the officer’s name and title, and the name of the person who signed.

    

12. Acknowledgment, signature and seal: The officer signs on the Signature line beside the (seal) mark, below the line that reads WITNESS my hand and official seal, and adds the seal there.

    

Frequently Asked Questions

Two questions come up most often when a trailer is sold in Texas. The answers below cover how ownership moves to the buyer and which papers the seller and the buyer need. They draw on the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) and on the Texas Transportation Code, both listed in the sources at the end of this page. Keep your signed copy of the bill of sale with the other papers for the trailer.

How do I transfer ownership of a trailer in Texas?

Ownership moves to the buyer through the signed Form 130-U, with the sales price clearly shown. The buyer must then apply to have the title put in their name within a limited period set by Texas. Vehicles are required to be titled in the buyer’s name within 30 days from the date of sale.^[1]

If a loan on the trailer has been paid off, the lienholder must deliver a discharge of the lien to the owner within a reasonable time.^[2]

What paperwork do I need to sell a trailer in Texas?

Gather these papers for the sale.

• A written record of the sale with the name and address of the seller, the date of sale and the vehicle information, including the VIN
• The signed Form 130-U with the sales price clearly shown, which the buyer uses to title the trailer^[1]
• A discharge of the lien from the lienholder, if a loan on the trailer has been paid off^[2]

More bill of sale forms: browse all Texas bill of sale templates, read our trailer bill of sale guide or the general bill of sale guide.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. TxDMV Form 130-U.
2. Texas Legislature Online. Texas Transportation Code § 501.115(a).
3. TxDMV Form 130-U, Application for Texas Title and/or Registration.

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.