Does a Bill of Sale Have to Be Notarized in Arizona?

In Arizona, a bill of sale does not have to be notarized in almost every situation. A written document signed by the buyer and seller is legally sufficient to transfer ownership of personal property, from furniture and tools to boats and trailers. The single exception is a specific vehicle form: ADOT’s Title Transfer Bill of Sale (Form 38-1306), which must be notarized or witnessed by an authorized MVD agent when used in place of a signed title.

The One Time Notarization Is Required

If you’re selling a vehicle and the physical title isn’t available, Arizona allows you to transfer ownership using the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Title Transfer Bill of Sale, Form 38-1306. That form contains a notarization block, and the seller’s signature must be notarized or witnessed by an authorized MVD agent for the transfer to go through.¹ ADOT’s guidance for private sales confirms the same requirement.²

Skip the notary on Form 38-1306 and MVD will not process the title transfer. This is the one place where the rule is absolute.

Standard Vehicle Sales Don’t Need a Notary

For a typical private vehicle sale where the seller still has the paper title, notarization is not required. As of fall 2022, Arizona no longer requires the seller’s signature on a vehicle title to be notarized. The seller signs the back of the title, hands it to the buyer, and the buyer takes it to an MVD office or authorized third-party provider to complete the transfer. Arizona also allows electronic title transfers through azmvdnow.gov.³

A separate bill of sale isn’t legally required in this scenario, though creating one is still a good idea as a record of the sale price and date. If you do write one up, it doesn’t need a notary stamp.

Non-Vehicle Personal Property

Arizona has no statute requiring notarization on a standard bill of sale for personal property. When you sell a piece of farm equipment, a set of tools, a boat trailer, or household goods, a signed document that describes the item, states the price, and identifies the parties is enough. The bill of sale functions as a receipt and as proof that ownership changed hands. Both parties should keep a copy. Neither signature needs to be notarized.

This holds whether the document is handwritten, printed from a template, or created and signed digitally.

When Notarizing Is Worth the Cost Anyway

Arizona notaries can charge up to $10 per signature for an acknowledgment or jurat. For certain sales, that fee buys real protection even though the law doesn’t require it.

A notary verifies each signer’s identity against government-issued ID, which creates a strong record that the people who signed are who they said they were. If a dispute arises later over a forged signature or whether the seller agreed to the terms, a notarized document is much harder to challenge. Consider notarizing when you’re selling to a stranger, transferring something worth several thousand dollars, or moving high-value items like heavy equipment, livestock, or a collectible vehicle. For a $30 yard-sale transaction, it’s not worth the trip.

What to Put in an Arizona Bill of Sale

Arizona does not prescribe a statutory template for bills of sale on general personal property. A useful, enforceable document should include:

Full legal names and current addresses for the buyer and the seller.
A description of the item detailed enough to identify it. For vehicles, list the year, make, model, and Vehicle Identification Number. For other items, include serial numbers, model numbers, or distinguishing features.
The sale price, written in numbers and in words to avoid ambiguity. If the item is a gift, state that no money changed hands.
The date of the transaction.
A condition statement noting that the item is sold as-is, with no warranties. This protects the seller from later claims that the item broke.
Signatures and dates from both parties.

For vehicle sales, add the odometer reading where required under ARS 28-2058 and the seller’s certification that the mileage is accurate. State law and federal law both require a written mileage disclosure at transfer, with exemptions for older and heavier vehicles.⁴⁵

Electronic Signatures Are Valid

Arizona treats electronic signatures as legally equivalent to handwritten ones. Under state law, an electronic signature that is unique to the signer, capable of reliable verification, and linked to the record so that any change invalidates the signature carries the same force as a written signature.⁶ Federal law reinforces the same rule: the ESIGN Act provides that a record cannot be denied legal effect solely because it was created or signed electronically.⁷

A bill of sale signed through DocuSign or a similar platform is valid in Arizona. The exception is a government form that specifies a particular notarization method, like Form 38-1306, which must be physically notarized or witnessed by an MVD agent.¹

1
Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona Department of Transportation Form 38-1306 – Bill of Sale
2
Arizona Department of Transportation. Buying or Selling a Used Vehicle
3
Arizona Department of Transportation. Steps to Take When Selling Your Car
4
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-2058 – Transfer of Title; Odometer Mileage Disclosure Statement
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 32705 – Disclosure Requirements on Odometer Mileage
6
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 18-106 – Electronic and Digital Signatures; Exemptions
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 7001 – General Rule of Validity