Auto Bill of Sale PA: Pennsylvania Vehicle Bill of Sale

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 10, 2026Checked against PennDOT and PA Department of Revenue pages

Why Pennsylvania sales end at an authorized agent

Two PennDOT rules shape every private sale in the state. First, the seller's signature on a Pennsylvania title has to be notarized or verified. Second, the buyer's paperwork runs on form MV-4ST, the Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return and Application for Registration, and PennDOT makes that form available only through its authorized agents: the notaries, tag services and dealers you see advertising title work. Put together, the easiest way to sell a car privately in PA is for both of you to meet at an agent, sign there, and leave with the transfer started.

Bring the bill of sale to that meeting; agents will want to see it. A bill of sale alongside the title gives everyone a written record of the price that goes on the MV-4ST, the date and the as-is terms, signed by both of you before the agent processes anything.

Filling in the PA bill of sale form

The PA bill of sale form above starts with Pennsylvania chosen. Work down it like this:

• County first, then seller and buyer exactly as the title and your licenses print them.
• The vehicle block takes the year, make, model, body style, color and plate, plus the VIN; a VIN that fails its check digit gets flagged before it reaches the agent.
• Price or gift. Write the price both of you agreed. A gift between family members goes through its own form, explained below.
• Mileage. Most vehicles need a federal odometer statement, which the form adds automatically.
• Notary block, optional. You'll be at a notary anyway, so ticking it costs nothing.

The layout serves as a PA motor vehicle bill of sale for cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and motorcycles. A boat, trailer or camper has its own template in our bill of sale library.

Selling a car in Pennsylvania: the seller's steps

1. Don't sign the title in advance. Your signature has to be notarized or verified, so sign in front of the agent or notary.
2. Clear any lien first and bring the lender's release with the title.
3. Sign the PA car bill of sale with the buyer at the same visit, and take your copy; the buyer's copy is their receipt.
4. Remove your plate after the title transfer. In Pennsylvania the plate doesn't go with the car. Send it to PennDOT's Return Tag Unit unless you're moving it to another vehicle you own.

Buying a car in Pennsylvania: the buyer's steps

1. Check the vehicle before the appointment. Compare the VIN on the title, the dashboard and the door; a free VIN decode and recall check takes a minute.
2. Meet the seller at an authorized agent. The agent completes the MV-4ST with you and collects the tax and fees.
3. Bring proof of insurance and your ID, plus your signed copy of the bill of sale.
4. Get a plate, either a new one or a transfer of a plate you already own.

Our title transfer checklist prints a Pennsylvania list for buyers, sellers, gifts and new residents, and our PA tag search guide explains why PennDOT asks for the VIN or title number instead of the plate.

Pennsylvania sales tax on a private sale

The buyer pays sales tax when the title is transferred, through the MV-4ST. PennDOT's agent instructions put the rate at 6 percent, 7 percent for Allegheny County residents and 8 percent for residents of the City of Philadelphia. The tax is based on the purchase price, which is why that number on the PA bill of sale for a car should match what goes on the agent's paperwork.

Gifts between family members

A qualifying gift can be exempt from the sales tax, but only with form MV-13ST, completed by every person giving and receiving the vehicle and attached to the title application. Tick the gift box on the PA motor vehicle bill of sale too, so it says plainly that no money changed hands.

If the price is well below the car's value

Pennsylvania watches for this. The Department of Revenue runs a Motor Vehicle Understated Value Program for private sales where the reported price looks low against the vehicle's value, and PennDOT has a form, the MV-3, for verifying fair market value. If you genuinely sold a car cheaply, say because it needs a transmission, write the reason in the terms box of the bill of sale and keep repair estimates or photos. A dated, signed explanation on the bill of sale you both hold is far easier to rely on later than a memory.

PA motor vehicle bill of sale PDF, Word or paper

Choose the format that suits the appointment. Saving through the print dialog produces a PA motor vehicle bill of sale PDF to send ahead. The Word version is editable if you want to add clauses. The blank printout is handy when you'd rather complete it at the agent's counter. Nothing is stored or uploaded, and the form costs nothing, so sellers can keep it as a reusable template for the next sale.

PA car bill of sale: what to bring to the agent

Pennsylvania transfers happen at an authorized agent, so bring the PA car bill of sale with the title, both IDs and proof of insurance. Make sure the price on the PA bill of sale for car sales matches the price on the MV-4ST, because the agent charges sales tax on it. A PA motor vehicle bill of sale doesn't need its own notary; the title signatures are what get notarized or verified.

Pennsylvania bill of sale FAQ