New York Bill of Sale: Form MV-912 and What the NYS DMV Requires

Selling or buying a car privately in New York takes two kinds of paper: proof of ownership, which is normally the title, and proof of sale, which is the bill of sale. In general, New York asks both the seller and the buyer to sign a bill of sale, “even if it is a gift”. The state’s own form is the Vehicle Bill of Sale, MV-912, but the DMV accepts any bill of sale that has the right details.

This page explains what the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NYS DMV) requires from the seller and the buyer, quoting the DMV, and gives you a free New York bill of sale in PDF and Word.

Is a bill of sale required in New York?

Yes. The DMV says that for most sales two things are needed: “proof of sale and proof of ownership”. The bill of sale is the proof of sale, the document that shows “who sold and purchased the vehicle, when the vehicle was sold, and how much was paid for it.” The title, or another proof the DMV accepts, is the proof of ownership.

Type of sale	Proof of sale	Proof of ownership
Private sale	A bill of sale, for example form MV-912	The prior owner’s title certificate signed over to the buyer
New York dealer	Retail Certificate of Sale, MV-50 (the “Dealer’s Bill of Sale”)	The prior owner’s title signed over to the dealer
Gift	A bill of sale marked as a gift, price “$0”, and form DTF-802 marked as a gift	The prior owner’s title signed over to the recipient
Vehicle 1972 or older	A bill of sale	A transferable registration: New York does not issue a title for model year 1972 or older

NYS DMV bill of sale requirements

The DMV says “An acceptable bill of sale includes all of this information”:

• “the year and make of the vehicle, boat, snowmobile, or ATV”;
• the “vehicle identification number (VIN) or the hull identification number (HIN)”;
• “date of the sale”;
• “purchase price”;
• “names and signatures of the buyer and the seller”.

The MV-912 also has the addresses of buyer and seller and space for terms and conditions. It asks you to “Clearly print or type all information, except signatures.” Our template has the same fields plus the odometer reading for your records. The DMV adds: “The buyer and seller can make photocopies of the bill of sale to keep in their records. The new owner must give the original bill of sale to the DMV along with the other required proofs of ownership when they title and register the vehicle.”

What the seller has to do

• Complete the “Transfer by Owner” section on the back of the title. The DMV warns that it “will not accept titles with cross-outs, alterations, or erasures of any kind”, and to fill nothing in “until you actually make the transfer”.
• Sign only at the moment of sale. “As seller, when you sign on the line for ‘Seller’s Signature,’ the vehicle will immediately belong to the new owner.”
• Sign the bill of sale, even for a gift.
• Fill in the sales tax form. The buyer needs proof of the purchase price, most often the DTF-802, “Statement of Transaction”. For a gift or a sale below fair market value to anyone other than a spouse, parent, child, stepparent or stepchild, the seller “MUST also complete Section 6, on page 2, of the DTF-802”.
• Give the buyer the signed original lien release if a lender is listed on the title.
• Remove the plates. “Before you complete the sale, take your license plates off the vehicle and remove your registration sticker from the windshield. Unless you transfer the plates to another vehicle, turn them in at a DMV office as soon as possible.”

What the buyer has to do

• Check the title before paying. “Be sure the person named on the front of the title is the person actually transferring it. Do not accept a title with anything altered, crossed out, written over, or erased.”
• Get the original lien release. Otherwise “you may become responsible for the lien, and your purchase could be repossessed for non-payment.”
• Sign the odometer statement on the title or form MV-103 “to acknowledge you have seen the reported mileage”.
• Do not drive it home on the seller’s plates. “The new owner cannot legally drive the vehicle before getting new license plates and a new registration, or transferring them from another registered vehicle.”
• Register and title it at a DMV office with form MV-82, the signed title, the original bill of sale, the DTF-802 and proof of identity, among the documents the DMV asks for. The title certificate fee is $50.00, plus registration and plate fees and sales tax.
• Check for flood damage or theft. The DMV points buyers to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s free VIN check.

Odometer and damage disclosure

Disclosure	When it applies in New York
Odometer	For vehicles “manufactured in or after the 2011 model year that are 20 model years old or newer”. Not required for model year 2010 or older. If the title has no space, the seller completes form MV-103, and the buyer signs to acknowledge the mileage.
Damage	“The Damage Disclosure Statement on the back of the NYS title certificate must be completed for all vehicles, regardless of the vehicle’s age.” For a vehicle “8 model years old or newer”, the DMV “will NOT register your motor vehicle or issue you a new title certificate” unless the seller completed, and the buyer signed, the damage disclosure on the title or on form MV-103.

The damage statement decides whether the new title is branded “Rebuilt Salvage”. The DMV will not register a vehicle if the seller indicates repairs would cost more than 75 percent of its retail value until it passes a salvage examination. The odometer rule comes from federal law (49 CFR 580.17); see our guide to the odometer disclosure statement.

Gifts and family transfers

“You cannot change the name on the vehicle registration or the title certificate to the name of another person. You must transfer ownership of the vehicle.” For a gift, the DMV says to “indicate this on the bill of sale and indicate that the purchase price is ‘$0′”, and to mark it as a gift on the DTF-802. The DTF-802’s Section 6 is required for a gift to anyone other than a spouse, parent, child, stepparent or stepchild.

Common mistakes

• Skipping the bill of sale for a gift. New York asks for one even then.
• Correcting a mistake on the title. Any cross-out voids it for the DMV: ask about a duplicate title instead.
• Leaving the plates on the car.
• Buying without the lien release when a lender is listed.
• Forgetting the damage disclosure. It must be completed for all vehicles, and without it the DMV will not register one 8 model years old or newer.
• Handing the DMV a photocopy. It wants the original bill of sale.

Free New York bill of sale template

Download the template in PDF or Word. It covers the fields on form MV-912 plus the odometer reading, a gift option with the “$0” price, and a checklist of the New York steps for buyer and seller. You can also use the DMV’s own form MV-912.

New York bill of sale: common questions

Does New York require a bill of sale to sell a car?

Yes, in general. The DMV lists a signed bill of sale among what the seller provides, “even if it is a gift”, together with the signed title, and the buyer signs it too.

Do I have to use form MV-912?

No. The DMV says “you can use” the MV-912, and that an acceptable bill of sale includes the year and make, the VIN or HIN, the date of the sale, the purchase price and the names and signatures of the buyer and the seller.

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

The DMV’s list of what an acceptable bill of sale must include does not mention a notary, and the MV-912 has signature lines but no notary block.

Who keeps the license plates in New York?

The seller removes them before completing the sale, then transfers them to another vehicle or turns them in at a DMV office.

How do I gift a car in New York?

Sign the title over, write “gift” and a “$0” price on the bill of sale, and mark the DTF-802 as a gift, completing Section 6 when required.

Related

• Odometer disclosure statement
• Official bill of sale forms by state
• Vehicle bill of sale template
• New York eviction notice