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Kentucky Vehicle Bill of Sale

Kentucky requires notarized signatures on Form TC 96-182; a consideration affidavit sets the 6% usage tax.

Introduction

A Kentucky vehicle bill of sale records the sale of a car, truck, or motorcycle between a buyer and a seller, listing the parties, the vehicle and its VIN, the price, the odometer reading, and that the vehicle sells as-is. What sets Kentucky apart is notarization: the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet states that the title-transfer signatures must be notarized, so both seller and buyer sign before a notary public. The controlling title document is Form TC 96-182, the Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration, which integrates the odometer disclosure and the total consideration into Section 2 and carries a notary attestation block for both parties. A standalone bill of sale is not the primary transfer instrument for a Kentucky-titled vehicle, but a notarized bill of sale stands in for a signed-over title when an out-of-state vehicle only ever had a registration or bill of sale. Tax is the second distinctive feature. Kentucky charges a 6% motor vehicle usage tax under KRS 138.460, assessed on the NADA average trade-in value of a used vehicle unless a notarized affidavit of total consideration is supplied, in which case the stated purchase price controls. You title within 15 days through your local County Clerk. DocDraft drafts a Kentucky vehicle bill of sale from your facts, attorney review available.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    The controlling form is TC 96-182, the Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration. It integrates the odometer disclosure and the total consideration into Section 2 and is submitted with required documentation to the County Clerk. A standalone bill of sale is a supporting record, and a notarized bill of sale can stand in for a signed-over title for certain out-of-state vehicles.

  2. 2

    Notarization is required. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet states that the title-transfer signatures must be notarized, and TC 96-182 carries an attesting-official notary block for both the seller and the buyer, so both parties sign in front of a notary public.

  3. 3

    Odometer disclosure is built into the form. Section 2 of TC 96-182 cites 49 USC Sec. 32705 and KRS 190.300 and requires you to state the mileage upon transfer of ownership, with checkboxes for mileage in excess of mechanical limits and for an odometer reading that is not the actual mileage.

  4. 4

    Kentucky charges a 6% motor vehicle usage tax under KRS 138.460. On a used vehicle the tax is based on the NADA average trade-in value unless a notarized affidavit of total consideration (the purchase price) is supplied, in which case the stated price controls. Confirm the current rate with the County Clerk.

  5. 5

    You title through the local County Clerk within 15 days. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing, processes titling, but all applications proceed through the local County Clerk's office, and the title must be transferred within 15 days of the sale.

  6. 6

    A standalone bill of sale is supplementary for a Kentucky-titled vehicle. The notarized signed-over title plus TC 96-182 conveys ownership. A bill of sale is required as a substitute only when an out-of-state vehicle only ever had a registration or bill of sale, and it must also be notarized.

  7. 7

    The notarized affidavit of total consideration is a price-driven tax differentiator. Because the 6% usage tax otherwise defaults to NADA book value on a used vehicle, the notarized statement of the actual purchase price is what lets the stated price set the tax.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Bill of Sale in Kentucky, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Bill of Sale guide walks through them.

Open the Bill of Sale guide

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KENTUCKY VEHICLE BILL OF SALE

Note: Kentucky publishes no official standalone bill-of-sale form. Ownership of a Kentucky-titled vehicle is transferred by the notarized signed-over title plus Form TC 96-182 (Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration), submitted to the County Clerk. Section 2 of TC 96-182 carries the odometer disclosure and total consideration. This document records the sale and serves as a notarized total-consideration record; a notarized bill of sale stands in for a signed-over title only when an out-of-state vehicle only ever had a registration or bill of sale.

SELLER Name: [SELLER NAME] Address: [SELLER ADDRESS]

BUYER Name: [BUYER NAME] Address: [BUYER ADDRESS]

VEHICLE Year: [YEAR] Make: [MAKE] Model: [MODEL] Body Style: [BODY STYLE] Color: [COLOR] Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): [VIN]

TOTAL CONSIDERATION The Seller sells the above vehicle to the Buyer for the total consideration of $[PRICE]. Date of Sale: [DATE] This stated total consideration is the actual purchase price. A notarized affidavit of total consideration lets the stated price, rather than the NADA average trade-in value, set the 6% Kentucky motor vehicle usage tax under KRS 138.460. Confirm the current rate with the County Clerk.

ODOMETER DISCLOSURE The odometer now reads [ODOMETER] miles. [ ] Actual mileage [ ] In excess of its mechanical limits [ ] Not the actual mileage (warning). Federal 49 USC Sec. 32705 and Kentucky KRS 190.300 require the mileage to be stated upon transfer of ownership. The odometer disclosure is also completed in Section 2 of Form TC 96-182.

AS-IS The vehicle is sold AS-IS, without any warranty except as stated in writing here: [WARRANTY OR NONE].

SIGNATURES Seller Signature: ______________________________ Date: [DATE] Buyer Signature: ______________________________ Date: [DATE]

NOTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT Kentucky requires the title-transfer signatures to be notarized. Both the seller and the buyer sign before a notary public, consistent with the attesting-official block on Form TC 96-182.

Commonwealth of Kentucky County of [COUNTY]

Sworn or affirmed before me this [DAY] day of [MONTH], [YEAR], by [SELLER NAME] and [BUYER NAME], known to me or proved to me on satisfactory evidence to be the persons whose names are signed above, who acknowledged that they signed it.

Notary Public Signature Printed Name: [NOTARY NAME] My commission expires: [DATE] [NOTARY SEAL]

Kentucky Requirements for Bill of Sale

Form TC 96-182 and Notarized Transfer Signatures

Kentucky publishes no numbered standalone bill-of-sale form; the controlling document is Form TC 96-182, the Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration, submitted to the County Clerk. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet states that the title-transfer signatures must be notarized, and TC 96-182 carries an attesting-official notary block for both seller and buyer.

Seller and Buyer Information

Record the full names and addresses of both the seller and the buyer. These identify the parties to the sale and carry over to Form TC 96-182 filed with the County Clerk.

Vehicle Description With VIN

Describe the vehicle by year, make, model, body style, color, and the full Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The VIN ties the bill of sale to the certificate of title processed through the County Clerk.

Odometer Disclosure in Section 2 of TC 96-182

Kentucky integrates the odometer disclosure into Section 2 of Form TC 96-182, which cites 49 USC Sec. 32705 and KRS 190.300 and requires you to state the mileage upon transfer of ownership, with checkboxes for mileage in excess of mechanical limits and for a reading that is not the actual mileage. Record the current odometer reading.

Total Consideration and Date

State the total consideration (the actual purchase price) and the date of sale. Section 2 of TC 96-182 captures the total consideration, and a notarized affidavit of total consideration lets the stated price, rather than NADA book value, set the usage tax.

6% Usage Tax and the Total Consideration Affidavit

Kentucky charges a 6% motor vehicle usage tax under KRS 138.460. On a used vehicle the tax is based on the NADA average trade-in value unless a notarized affidavit of total consideration is supplied, in which case the stated purchase price controls. This makes the notarized consideration statement a price-driven tax differentiator. Confirm the current rate with the County Clerk.

Title Through the County Clerk Within 15 Days

Title and register through your local County Clerk's office, which processes applications for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing. The title must be transferred to the new owner within 15 days of the sale.

Bill of Sale as Title Substitute for Certain Out-of-State Vehicles

For a Kentucky-titled vehicle the notarized signed-over title plus TC 96-182 conveys ownership and a bill of sale is supplementary. A notarized bill of sale is required as a substitute only when an out-of-state vehicle only ever had a registration or bill of sale, standing in for the signed-over title.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a Kentucky-titled vehicle, the notarized signed-over title plus Form TC 96-182 is what transfers ownership, and a standalone bill of sale is a supporting record. A bill of sale is required as a substitute only when an out-of-state vehicle only ever had a registration or bill of sale, in which case it stands in for the signed-over title and must be notarized. For any private sale a written bill of sale is still useful as a record of the parties, the vehicle, the price, the odometer reading, and the as-is terms.

Yes for the documents that transfer the vehicle. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet states that the title-transfer signatures must be notarized, and Form TC 96-182 carries a notary attestation block for both the seller and the buyer. A bill of sale that stands in for a signed-over title on certain out-of-state vehicles must also be notarized. Plan to sign the transfer documents in front of a notary public rather than on your own.

Kentucky does not publish a numbered standalone bill-of-sale form. The controlling document is Form TC 96-182, the Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration, which integrates the odometer disclosure and the total consideration into Section 2 and is submitted to the County Clerk. A notarized bill of sale stands in for a signed-over title only when an out-of-state vehicle only ever had a registration or bill of sale. A bill of sale you prepare yourself documents the sale alongside TC 96-182.

Kentucky charges a 6% motor vehicle usage tax under KRS 138.460. On a used vehicle the tax is based on the NADA average trade-in value unless a notarized affidavit of total consideration is supplied, in which case the stated purchase price controls. That makes the notarized statement of the actual price a price-driven tax differentiator. The tax is collected through the County Clerk at titling; confirm the current rate with the County Clerk.

You title and register through your local County Clerk's office, which processes applications for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing. Bring the notarized signed-over title, a completed Form TC 96-182 with the odometer disclosure and total consideration in Section 2, and a notarized affidavit of total consideration if you want the stated price to set the tax. The title must be transferred within 15 days of the sale.

Include the seller and buyer names and addresses, the vehicle description with VIN, year, make, model, body style, and color, the sale price, the odometer reading, the date of sale, and an as-is statement. Because Kentucky requires the transfer signatures to be notarized, complete Form TC 96-182 and have both parties sign before a notary public, and supply a notarized affidavit of total consideration if you want the stated price to set the 6% usage tax.