A bill of sale for a car in New Jersey has to carry four pieces of information: the buyer’s name and address, the date of sale, the odometer reading, and the sale price.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Transferring Vehicle Ownership The seller hands it to the buyer along with the signed title. That’s the legal minimum. A few extra details, covered below, protect both parties if anything is disputed later.
The Four Required Items
- Buyer’s name and address: Full legal name and current street address.
- Date of sale: The exact calendar date ownership changes hands.
- Odometer reading: The number showing on the dashboard at the time of sale.
- Sale price: The dollar amount the buyer is paying.
The MVC does not require the VIN, make, model, year, or color on the bill of sale itself. Those live on the title, which the seller signs and hands over at the same time.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Transferring Vehicle Ownership
What to Add Beyond the Minimum
None of these are mandated, but each closes a gap the minimum leaves open:
- Seller’s name and address. Creates a complete record both sides can reference.
- Vehicle description. Year, make, model, color, and VIN tie the document to a specific car.
- As-is language. New Jersey’s used car lemon law covers vehicles bought from licensed dealers, not private sales. A simple line like “The buyer accepts this vehicle in its present condition with no warranties expressed or implied” makes that explicit.2New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Used Car Lemon Law
- Both signatures. The seller signs the title and the buyer signs at the agency, but having both parties sign the bill of sale itself records mutual agreement to the terms.
How to Write It
No form is required. A plain sheet of paper or a word-processing document is fine. Head it “Bill of Sale,” date it, then work through the parties, the vehicle, the price, and the terms in that order.
Write the price as a number. Some sellers also spell it out in words to prevent later alteration; there’s no rule requiring that, but it’s a common precaution. Check the odometer against the dashboard before you write the number down. Federal law requires an accurate mileage disclosure on transfer, and a false reading can bring fines or criminal penalties.3New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Odometer Disclosure Statement OS/SS-2 New Jersey also uses a separate Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form OS/SS-2) that goes to the MVC with the title.
Signing, Notarizing, and Copies
Both parties sign and date at the bottom. A standard private-party bill of sale in New Jersey does not need to be notarized or witnessed. Notarization is required only in narrower situations, such as vehicles bought at auction or transferred in from a state that doesn’t issue titles.4New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicle Registration
Print at least two copies. The buyer brings theirs to the MVC to transfer the title. The seller keeps theirs as proof of when the car changed hands, which matters if the vehicle later shows up in an incident and someone tries to claim the seller still owned it.
What the Seller Does Next
- Fill out and sign the seller’s section on the reverse of the title before handing it over.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Transferring Vehicle Ownership
- Remove your license plates before the buyer drives away. Plates belong to the owner, not the car.
- Surrender the plates to any MVC agency, unless you’re moving them to another vehicle you own. Plates can transfer to a different vehicle but not to a different owner.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Transferring Vehicle Ownership
Until you surrender the plates, the registration stays in your name, and any tolls, tickets, or liability tied to those plates stay with you.
What the Buyer Does Next
The buyer has 10 working days from the purchase to visit an MVC agency and transfer the title. Missing that deadline adds a $25 late penalty on top of the standard fees.5Justia. New Jersey Code 39-10-11 – Certificate of Ownership Fees Bring:
- The signed title from the seller
- The bill of sale
- Driver’s license or other accepted ID meeting the 6 Points of ID requirement
- Proof of New Jersey auto insurance
- A completed Vehicle Registration Application (Form BA-49)
The title fee is $60, or $85 if the vehicle is financed.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Transferring Vehicle Ownership Registration fees are separate and depend on the vehicle’s weight and model year.
Sales Tax
New Jersey charges 6.625% sales tax on the purchase price of a vehicle, including private-party sales.6New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Moving to New Jersey Tax Information The buyer pays it at the MVC when registering the car, and it’s calculated from the sale price on the bill of sale. On a $10,000 purchase, that’s $662.50. One more reason the price on the document has to be accurate.
Common Mistakes
Odometer readings trip people up most often. Sellers estimate instead of walking out to the car. Write down the exact number on the dashboard.
Sellers also leave their plates on the vehicle so the buyer can drive it home. New Jersey doesn’t issue temporary tags for private sales, so the buyer needs their own plates and insurance in place before the car moves on public roads. Plates left on someone else’s car remain the seller’s problem for every toll and ticket that follows.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Transferring Vehicle Ownership
And don’t skip the bill of sale on the theory that the title’s assignment section covers everything. The title records who owns the car. The bill of sale records the terms: price, date, mileage, and any as-is agreement. The MVC expects both when the buyer comes in to register.