Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale for a Title Bond

Download the Bill of Sale (PDF) → Bilingual English/Spanish version

The bilingual version carries each clause in English followed by its Spanish rendering, so a Spanish-speaking seller or buyer understands what they sign while the DMV and the surety still receive the English text they require.

Why the surety asks for it

A surety bond is credit. Before extending it, the surety wants evidence that you came by the vehicle lawfully: that someone with the right to sell it did so, for value, and that you are not bonding a vehicle that was borrowed, stolen or abandoned. A bill of sale signed by the seller, with the VIN, the price, the date and the odometer reading, answers most of those questions in one page. Several states require it as well: Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Texas, Vermont and Wyoming all list a bill of sale or equivalent proof of purchase among the documents filed with the bonded title application.

What this template contains

• Seller, buyer and price, with the vehicle described by make, model, year, color, VIN, style, odometer and prior title number
• Optional terms for a deposit, an inspection period and a retained amount if the sale falls through
• The seller's odometer certification, warranty of good and marketable title free of liens, and disclosure that the vehicle is sold as is
• Signature lines for seller, buyer and a witness

How to complete it

1. Fill in the price and both parties' full legal names.
2. Copy the VIN from the vehicle's dash plate or door jamb label, not from memory; a one-digit error voids the document for DMV purposes.
3. Record the odometer reading on the day of sale.
4. Strike through the deposit and inspection paragraphs if they do not apply.
5. Have the seller sign and date in front of a witness. A notary is not required by the template, but several states (Montana, North Dakota) want a notarized bill of sale, so notarize if you can.
6. Keep the original; upload a scan or photo with your online application.

Other proof the surety accepts

A power of attorney from the owner, a receipt, a canceled check or money order, a temporary registration, an affidavit of legal possession, or an endorsed copy of the title. Any of these can stand in for a bill of sale when the seller cannot be found.

States that name the bill of sale in their bonded title packet

Written and reviewed by C. Constantin Poindexter, MA, JD, CPCU, AFSB, ASLI, ARe, AINS, AIS, CPLP, founder of Surety One, Inc. and CEO of Janus Assurance Re, with more than thirty years of surety and reinsurance underwriting experience. Author of The Contractor's Guide to Surety Bonds. Reflects state law and DMV practice as of November 5, 2026. More about the author →