Bill of Sale Washington: Free Vehicle Bill of Sale

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 10, 2026Checked against the Department of Licensing's buying, selling and use tax pages

When Washington requires a bill of sale

The Department of Licensing puts it plainly: before the buyer can apply for a new title and pay fees or taxes, both of you need to sign a bill of sale, unless the sale price and date are already on the title. If either is missing from the title, the bill of sale is required, and the one the buyer brings to the licensing office is part of the application, not a souvenir.

What a bill of sale isn't matters just as much. DOL says the bill of sale doesn't transfer the title and doesn't count as the seller's Report of Sale. Those are separate steps, with separate deadlines, covered below.

Filling in the Washington form

• The header already reads Washington; add the county where you're meeting.
• Names: copy them from the title and the buyer's license, spelled the same way. DOL compares them.
• The vehicle: year, make, model and the VIN. If one character is off, the VIN field turns red, because the template checks its check digit.
• The price: write the real amount, or zero for a gift or an inheritance, as DOL's buying guide says.
• The mileage: enter the odometer reading; the federal statement prints when the vehicle needs it.
• Signatures: both of you sign. DOL's requirement is a bill of sale that both buyer and seller have signed.

That layout serves as an automobile bill of sale in Washington for cars, trucks, vans and SUVs, one template sellers can reuse. Boats, trailers, campers and motorcycles have their own templates in our bill of sale library.

Why the price matters: Washington's use tax

The price on the bill of sale is what DOL starts from when it figures the use tax, which is owed when the title moves into the buyer's name. But DOL doesn't simply tax the number you write. It calculates use tax from the vehicle's fair market value, because in a private sale the price paid may or may not match what similar vehicles sell for. The rate is the 0.3 percent motor vehicle sales and use tax plus the sales tax rate at the buyer's address.

If the car genuinely sold for less than its fair market value, say because of mechanical problems, DOL asks for a Declaration of Buyer and Seller Regarding Value of Used Vehicle. Write the reason for the low price in the terms box of your bill of sale too, so the two documents tell the same story.

Two deadlines after the handshake

The seller: Report of Sale within 5 days

The seller signs the title over and files a Report of Sale with DOL within 5 business days. It's what shows DOL the date the vehicle stopped being yours, which protects you if the buyer never finishes the transfer. Keep your signed copy; it carries the same date.

The buyer: transfer within 15 days

The buyer applies for the new title within 15 days of buying or receiving the vehicle. From the 16th day DOL charges a $50 penalty, plus $2 for each additional day, up to $125. Bring the signed title, the signed bill of sale, your ID and the fees to a vehicle licensing office. Our Washington title application guide walks through the transfer itself.

DOL's own Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale

The Department of Licensing publishes its own Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale, and a Spanish version too. Either that form or the one above meets the requirement, as long as it's signed by both of you and shows the vehicle, the price and the date. People often search for a "Washington DMV bill of sale," but Washington doesn't have a DMV; the agency is the Department of Licensing, and its form is the one they mean. The template here adds what DOL's short form leaves out: an as-is clause, both parties' addresses, an odometer statement where needed and an optional notary block.

Washington state bill of sale PDF or paper

The document fits one page. Save it from the print dialog for a Washington state bill of sale PDF, which you can send the buyer ahead of time, download a Word copy to adjust a clause, or print it blank and complete it at the licensing office counter. There's no charge and no sign-up, and what you type isn't sent anywhere. Every format holds the same wording.

Washington DMV bill of sale: final checks

People often call it the Washington DMV bill of sale, though the agency is the Department of Licensing. Before signing, confirm the price and date are filled in, both of you have signed, and the VIN matches the title. Save the Washington state bill of sale PDF so you can prove the sale date if a toll or ticket arrives.

Washington bill of sale FAQ