Vehicle Bill of Sale: VIN, Price and Signatures – New York

What is a New York vehicle bill of sale?

A New York vehicle bill of sale is a written record of a vehicle sale that documents who sold what to whom, for how much, and on what date, and serves as the buyer's proof that ownership changed hands. New York publishes an official form for it — Form MV-912, "Vehicle Bill of Sale."

The document does three jobs in a private New York sale. It creates a paper trail confirming the transaction actually happened and on what terms. It supplies the DMV with the transaction details it needs — VIN, price, date, parties — to title, register, and tax the vehicle. And it protects both sides afterward: the buyer can prove they own the car, and the seller can prove they no longer do, which matters if the buyer later racks up parking tickets, tolls, or accidents before completing registration. New York accepts its own MV-912 or a generic bill of sale, as long as the required details are present.

Is a bill of sale required in New York — does the DMV require one?

Yes. For a private (non-dealer) vehicle sale in New York, the DMV requires a bill of sale as part of the buyer's proof of ownership, and the official form is MV-912. The buyer must give the original signed bill of sale to the DMV when titling and registering the vehicle.

New York treats the bill of sale as one piece of a package the buyer submits to the DMV to establish ownership:

• Proof of ownership. The seller signs over the title certificate (or transferable registration for older vehicles), and the buyer submits the signed-over title plus the bill of sale.
• Form MV-912. The official DMV bill of sale, signed by both buyer and seller. A generic or handwritten bill of sale is accepted if it contains the year, make, model, VIN, date of sale, purchase price, and both parties' names and signatures.
• Dealer sales differ. If you buy from a licensed New York dealer, the dealer's proof of sale is the Retail Certificate of Sale (Form MV-50), not the MV-912. The MV-912 is the private-sale document.

Does a New York vehicle bill of sale need to be notarized?

No. New York does not require the MV-912 bill of sale to be notarized. The official form has fields only for each party's name, address, signature, and date — there is no notary acknowledgment block. The signatures of the buyer and seller are what make it valid.

A few points to keep straight, because "notarize everything" is a common but wrong instinct here:

• The bill of sale (MV-912): no notary. New York's own form does not provide for notarization, and the DMV does not require it for a private sale.
• The title certificate: sign, don't notarize. The seller completes and signs the "transfer of ownership" section on the back of the New York title. Ordinary New York titles do not require notarization to transfer; some out-of-state titles do, so check the face of the title if the car was previously titled elsewhere.
• When notarization can still help. Nothing stops you from notarizing a bill of sale voluntarily. If a lender, an out-of-state buyer, or a nervous party wants it, adding notarized signatures does no harm — it just is not a New York requirement.

What should a New York vehicle bill of sale include?

At minimum, the details the DMV needs to accept it, plus the terms that protect you in a dispute. If any of the DMV-required items is missing, the bill of sale can be rejected at registration.

1. Parties. Full legal names and addresses of both the seller (current owner) and the buyer (new owner).
2. Vehicle identification. Year, make, model, and — critically — the full VIN. The DMV specifically requires the year, make, and VIN on any acceptable bill of sale. Add color, trim, and body type for a complete record.
3. Price and date. The purchase price and the date of sale. These drive the sales tax the DMV collects, so they must match what you report on the DTF-802.
4. Payment method. Cash, check, financing, or trade — and acknowledgment of any deposit already paid.
5. Odometer reading. The mileage at the time of sale, with the required "actual / exceeds mechanical limits / not actual" disclosure box (see the odometer note below).
6. "As-is" statement. A clause stating the vehicle is sold as-is with no warranty, unless the seller is actually giving one. Private New York sales carry no lemon-law warranty, so this belongs in writing.
7. Signatures. Both parties sign and date. That is what makes the MV-912 valid in New York.

Is a bill of sale the same as transferring the title?

No. A bill of sale records the transaction; the title certificate transfers legal ownership. In New York you need both, and the bill of sale does not substitute for a signed-over title.

Think of them as two separate documents doing two separate jobs:

• Bill of sale (MV-912). Evidence that a sale happened — price, date, parties, VIN. It is a receipt and a tax/registration input. It does not by itself make the buyer the legal owner.
• Title certificate. The government's proof of ownership. The seller signs the transfer section over to the buyer; the buyer then applies for a new title in their own name. Without the signed title, the buyer cannot get titled and registered even with a perfect bill of sale.
• Registration application (MV-82). The buyer files Form MV-82 with the DMV, along with the signed title, the bill of sale, proof of NY insurance, proof of identity, and the sales tax form, to register the vehicle and be issued a new title.

New York expects the buyer to bring the whole package to the DMV. The bill of sale is necessary but not sufficient; the signed title is the piece that actually transfers ownership.

How is sales tax handled — what is Form DTF-802?

In a private sale, sales tax is not paid to the seller — it is paid to the DMV when the buyer registers the vehicle, and it is reported on Form DTF-802, the "Statement of Transaction – Sale or Gift of Motor Vehicle." Both buyer and seller complete the DTF-802.

How the tax works in practice:

• Rate. New York's base state sales tax is 4%, plus the county/city rate where the buyer lives. Combined rates commonly run from about 7% up to 8.875% (New York City), depending on the locality.
• Tax base. The DMV calculates tax on the purchase price stated on the bill of sale or the vehicle's fair market value — whichever is higher. Writing an artificially low price on the bill of sale does not lower the tax if it falls below fair market value; the Tax Department can assess on what the vehicle is actually worth.
• The DTF-802. The buyer brings the completed DTF-802 to the DMV with the bill of sale; the DMV computes and collects the tax and issues a sales tax receipt.
• Family and gift exemptions. Motor-vehicle transfers between spouse, parent/child, or stepparent/stepchild are exempt from New York sales tax at any price, and gifts to those relatives are exempt — but the DTF-802 (with its Section 6 affidavit) is still how you claim the exemption.

What are the most common mistakes on a NY vehicle bill of sale?

Most rejected registrations and later disputes trace back to a handful of avoidable errors on the bill of sale or the accompanying forms.

• Wrong or partial VIN. A transposed or incomplete VIN is the fastest way to have the DMV bounce the paperwork. Copy it character-for-character from the dashboard or door jamb, not from memory.
• Understating the price. Writing a token price to dodge tax backfires — New York taxes on price or fair market value, whichever is higher, and a lowball figure invites a fair-market assessment. It can also be treated as tax fraud.
• Skipping the odometer disclosure. Federal law (the Truth in Mileage Act) and New York require an odometer disclosure for most vehicles under 20 model years old (model year 2011 and newer). If the title has no mileage line, complete Form MV-103, the Odometer and Damage Disclosure Statement, and have both parties sign.
• No "as-is" clause. New York's used-car lemon law (General Business Law §198-b) covers dealer sales only. A private sale is "as-is" with no implied warranty, so put that in writing to avoid an after-the-fact dispute.
• Forgetting a signature or date. An unsigned or undated bill of sale is not valid. Both parties must sign; keep signed copies.
• Losing track of the plates and insurance. In New York, plates generally stay with the seller/registrant, and the buyer needs New York insurance in place before registering. Do not hand over active plates with the car.

Need a completed New York vehicle bill of sale fast?

Use AI Lawyer to generate a New York vehicle bill of sale with every DMV-required field in place. Enter the parties, the vehicle (VIN, year, make, model), the price and date, the odometer reading, and the payment terms; the assistant produces a clean bill of sale with the "as-is" and odometer language New York private sales need, so it lines up with what you will report on the DTF-802 and file with your MV-82. For salvage or rebuilt titles, undisclosed liens, curbstoning concerns, or high-value transactions, have a licensed New York attorney review before you sign.