All trailers are subject to the same motor vehicle laws as passenger vehicles. They must be titled and if registration is desired, they must be safety inspected (if they are used vehicles).
An out-of-state transaction, as well as a transaction within Maryland, will need a separate notarized MVA “Bill of Sale” (form number VR-181) signed by both the buyer and the seller if the vehicle is less than 7 model years old and is not being sold for the National Automobile Dealers Association book value.
When bills of sale are required, they must be notarized or have two witness signatures. Alabama does not have an official bill of sale form.
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.
It is important to make sure all the requirements for the respected state law are included in the bill of sale. As, with any legal written document a bill of sale can be handwritten.
Because of this, many states prohibit notarizing a document that is incomplete or contains blank spaces. In California, the Secretary of State's 2024 Notary Public Handbook instructs Notaries to refuse to notarize if the Notary knows a document is incomplete.
Most buyers and sellers have two options to get a bill of sale notarized. Visit a notary in person at banks, parcel shipping businesses, libraries, real estate firms, and more. Get it signed by an online notary via a digital document.