Bill of Sale for Trailer

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 8, 2026Facts checked against TxDMV and 49 CFR 580.17

Trailers change hands constantly, often for cash in a driveway, and often with nothing more than a handshake. That works until the buyer goes to register it and the clerk asks for proof of purchase, or until the seller gets a toll bill for a trailer they sold last spring. A bill of sale for trailer sales fixes both problems with one sheet of paper, and it costs nothing to make.

The trailer bill of sale template above is built around what makes a trailer different from a car: there's no odometer, the weight rating matters, the VIN is stamped on the tongue rather than shown on a dashboard, and plenty of trailers were welded together in someone's garage. Fill in what you know; leave the rest blank to complete by pen.

How to fill in a trailer bill of sale

1. Date and place. The state and county print in the heading and the date goes in the sale paragraph. Many offices count their deadlines from the date of sale.
2. Seller and buyer. Full names and addresses. If two people own the trailer, add the second seller so there's a second signature line.
3. Describe the trailer. Choose the type, then the year, make and model if it has them, plus the size, the number of axles and the color.
4. Weights. Enter the empty weight and the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) from the manufacturer's plate. In some states the weight decides whether the trailer needs a title.
5. Numbers. Copy the VIN, plate and title number from the paperwork. The tool checks the VIN's check digit.
6. Price and terms. Add the price and payment method, or tick the gift box. List anything that comes with it, such as a spare or a ramp.

When it looks right, print two copies and sign both. The trailer bill of sale form prints on one page.

Does a trailer need a title, or just a bill of sale?

This is the question that trips people up most, and the honest answer is that it depends on the state and the weight. Some states title every trailer. Others title only heavier ones and let lighter trailers change hands on a bill of sale and the registration.

Texas is a clear example. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles says every trailer must be registered, but whether it must be titled depends on its gross weight, meaning the trailer's own weight plus the weight it can carry:

So for a light utility trailer in Texas, the bill of sale is part of the buyer's proof of ownership, not a nice extra. The buyer takes it to the county tax assessor-collector with the application form (Form 130-U) and fees.

Other states draw the line elsewhere, or title all trailers. North Carolina's DMV, for instance, says a trailer is titled and registered in a similar way to a car. Before you sell, look up your state's trailer page; if a title exists, sign it over as well. A bill of sale never replaces a title that the state has issued. Where no title is involved, even a simple, basic bill of sale for a trailer becomes the main ownership record, so it's worth getting right.

Empty weight vs gross weight rating

Two weights appear on the document, and they're easy to mix up:

• Empty weight (sometimes called curb or unladen weight) is what the trailer weighs on its own.
• Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the most the trailer is rated to weigh when loaded, including its own weight. It's printed on the manufacturer's plate or sticker, usually on the tongue or the front of the frame.

Texas uses the trailer weight plus its carrying capacity when deciding whether a title is needed, which is essentially the rated gross weight. Writing both numbers on the bill of sale helps the buyer's office classify the trailer correctly the first time. If you don't know them, leave the fields blank rather than guess.

Sample bill of sale for trailer sales

Here's how a finished document reads. This one covers a common deal, a used utility trailer sold between neighbors:

Notice what the sample does: it identifies the trailer three ways (description, plate, VIN), states the weights, and records the price and payment. That's what makes it useful as a trailer bill of sale example rather than just a receipt. Use it as a model, or fill in the form above and the tool writes it for you.

A second trailer bill of sale example: a gift

A father gives his son an old flatbed. Tick the gift box and the sale paragraph changes to say the trailer was transferred as a gift with no payment. Everything else stays the same: names, description, VIN and signatures. A gift still needs a bill of sale; it's the son's proof he got the trailer legitimately.

Bill of sale for utility, cargo, horse and travel trailers

The document is the same for every type, but each has its quirks worth noting in the description or the terms box.

Utility trailer bill of sale

The most common sale. Open utility trailers are light, often under the weight where a title is required, so the registration and a utility trailer bill of sale may be all the buyer gets. Note the size and whether it has a gate or ramp. The bill of sale template above works as the utility trailer version without changes.

Boat trailer bill of sale

A boat trailer is often sold with the boat, but it is a separate vehicle with its own VIN and, in many states, its own title or registration. List the boat trailer on its own bill of sale, using this template, or add it as a second item on our boat bill of sale with its VIN written out in full.

Bill of sale for cargo trailer

Enclosed cargo trailers are heavier and more valuable. Mention the interior features in the included field (shelving, side door, E-track) and check the GVWR plate, since a tandem-axle cargo trailer can easily pass 4,000 lbs.

Horse trailer bill of sale

Horse and livestock trailers often carry living quarters or tack rooms that raise their value. Describe them, and if the trailer has a dressing room with electrical or water hookups, say so in the terms. The horse itself, if it's part of the deal, needs a separate document, such as our horse bill of sale with its markings and Coggins details; this one covers the trailer.

Travel trailer bill of sale

A travel trailer is towed, so like any trailer it needs no odometer statement. But it's also a home on wheels, with appliances, slide-outs and plumbing worth recording. You can use this page and choose "Travel trailer," or use our RV and camper bill of sale, which has fields for those features. Either way, a free travel trailer bill of sale template like this works as a PDF or a printout. The same goes for anything people call a camper trailer or RV trailer: the bill of sale needs the VIN, the weights and the price.

Boat trailers

Selling a boat on its trailer? Use the boat bill of sale, which lists the hull, motor and trailer separately with their own prices. Boat and trailer usually go to different offices when the buyer registers them.

Selling a trailer in Texas

Texas gets more searches for trailer paperwork than any other state, partly because so many trailers there are light enough to skip a title. If you're after a Texas trailer bill of sale template, this one has everything the state's evidence-of-ownership rules lean on: the date, the parties, the price, the VIN and the plate. Choose Texas in the state box, add the county, and save it as a PDF to hand over with the registration receipt.

The buyer then goes to the county tax assessor-collector's office, not a state DMV office, with Form 130-U, the fees and the ownership documents. If the trailer is over 4,000 lbs gross weight, the signed title has to come too. A Texas trailer bill of sale PDF on its own isn't enough for a heavier trailer.

What to check before money changes hands

Trailers hide their problems underneath. A buyer who spends ten minutes on these points avoids most bad surprises:

• Tires. Look at the tread and the sidewalls. Trailer tires often age out before they wear out, and cracks in the rubber mean replacement.
• Wheel bearings. Lift each wheel if you can and rock it. Play or grinding means the bearings need work.
• Lights and wiring. Hook it up and test the brake lights, turn signals and running lights. Corroded plugs are cheap to fix, but chafed wiring along the frame is not.
• Frame and tongue. Check welds, the coupler and the safety chains for rust or cracks.
• Brakes. Heavier trailers have electric or surge brakes. Ask when they were last serviced.
• Numbers. Compare the VIN on the tongue with the one on the paperwork.

None of this goes on the bill of sale unless something is promised. If the seller agrees to replace a tire before pickup, write it in the other terms box.

Homemade and assembled trailers

Trailers built at home, or from a kit, don't come with a manufacturer's certificate or a factory VIN. States treat them as "assembled" and have their own process, which usually involves an inspection and a state-assigned number.

Texas puts it this way: look on the trailer tongue for the manufacturer's name, which confirms a manufactured trailer. If you don't know whether the trailer is manufactured or assembled, it must be inspected by an auto theft law enforcement officer. TxDMV also notes that a manufactured trailer with missing paperwork cannot be registered as an assembled trailer, so "homemade" isn't a shortcut around lost documents.

Tick the homemade box and the document adds the seller's statement that the trailer was homemade or assembled. Write down whatever number the trailer does carry, such as a state-issued VIN plate, and the buyer will know where things stand before handing over money.

How to write a bill of sale for a trailer by hand

Don't have a printer? A handwritten bill of sale for trailer sales is usually acceptable if it has the right information and both signatures. Here's how to write bill of sale for trailer deals on a blank sheet, in order:

1. A heading: "Trailer Bill of Sale," then the date and the county and state.
2. The seller's and buyer's full names and addresses.
3. The trailer: year, make, type, color, size, VIN and plate number.
4. The price in numbers and words, and how it was paid. Or the word "gift."
5. A line saying it's sold as-is, if that's the deal.
6. Both signatures and the date next to each.

Write in ink, and make a copy (a phone photo is fine) for each person. If you'd rather not do it from scratch, print a blank copy of this form instead: the "Print a blank copy" button gives you a blank bill of sale for trailer sales with every line in place.

Printable trailer bill of sale, PDF or Word

Your options once the form is filled in:

• Print it. A printable trailer bill of sale that shows only the document, on letter paper.
• Trailer bill of sale PDF. In the print window, pick "Save as PDF." Handy for emailing a copy to the buyer before you meet.
• Word file. Download it to change the wording or add clauses.
• Blank copy. Every line empty, for completing by hand.

All four are free, so this doubles as a free trailer bill of sale form you can reuse. There's no sign-up, so you can come back and make a fresh free bill of sale for trailer sales whenever you sell another one.

The buyer's next steps

Buying the trailer is the easy part. Making it legal to tow takes a trip to the office that handles registrations in your state, and it goes faster if you arrive with everything at once:

1. Gather the ownership papers. The signed title if there is one, your signed copy of the sale document, and the seller's registration receipt if your state uses it as proof for lighter trailers.
2. Fill in your state's application. Texas uses Form 130-U for titles and registrations; other states have their own form, usually downloadable from the agency's website.
3. Bring ID and payment. Expect registration fees and, in most states, tax on the purchase price.
4. Get the plate sorted. Depending on the state, you'll either receive a new plate or keep the one already on the trailer.

Ask about deadlines when you buy. Many states give new owners a set number of days to transfer ownership, and penalties for late filing are common.

Mistakes that cause trouble later

• No VIN on the paper. Without it, the document could describe any trailer of that size and color.
• Missing weights. The office may need them to decide what the trailer needs, so having them on paper saves a second trip.
• An unsigned title. If a title exists, it must be signed over. The sale document supports it; it never replaces it.
• A lowball price. Writing less than was actually paid to cut tax is dishonest, and offices that compare prices with typical values often catch it.
• Leaving the seller's name on the registration. Until the buyer re-registers, tolls and tickets can still go to the old owner.

Protecting yourself as the seller

Once the trailer leaves your driveway, the bill of sale is your proof it's not yours anymore. Keep your signed copy. Find out whether your state wants the plate returned or kept, and whether it has a notice-of-sale process; reporting the sale can stop tickets and tolls from coming back to you.

If the buyer is towing it away on the day, make sure their vehicle and hitch can handle the weight. It's not your legal problem, but a trailer that comes loose on the highway is still a bad way to end a sale.

Trailer bill of sale FAQ