The seller is responsible for drafting the bill of sale. With an electronic bill of sale, such as those you can put together, you have a virtual paper trail and can easily resend the document to the buyer if they've lost it — or reprint it if you've lost it.
Get a bill of sale from a regulatory agency. Many government agencies, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, for instance, offer bill of sale forms for public use. Using a form directly from a government agency ensures that you have all of the information required for your state.
While it is common to present a bill of sale in a digital format, you can also create a handwritten bill of sale. What's most important is to include all of the pertinent details in the bill of sale in order to protect both parties.
Many states don't mandate notarization for bills of sale. States like California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New York allow transactions without a notarized document. In these states, a signed bill of sale is often sufficient for legal purposes, provided it includes all required information.
Washington requires a bill of sale to transfer a car title and register the vehicle after it's been bought and sold. You can use the state-provided form or create your own. You don't need to have the form notarized.
Many states don't mandate notarization for bills of sale. States like California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New York allow transactions without a notarized document. In these states, a signed bill of sale is often sufficient for legal purposes, provided it includes all required information.
A bill of sale can be stored as a printed physical version or in digital format.
If your state does not provide a digital bill of sale form, yes, you can handwrite one yourself. As long as the document includes all the necessary information and has consent from both parties and a notary, both digital and handwritten bills of sale are valid.
While it is common to present a bill of sale in a digital format, you can also create a handwritten bill of sale. What's most important is to include all of the pertinent details in the bill of sale in order to protect both parties.