Michigan Vehicle Bill of Sale
Michigan has no standalone SOS bill-of-sale form; ownership transfers on the signed title, with a 15-day deadline.
Introduction
Michigan does not publish a standalone Secretary of State (SOS) bill-of-sale form for titled motor vehicles. Ownership of a titled vehicle transfers when the seller signs the title itself, so a bill of sale is optional and supplementary rather than the document that conveys the car. (The TR-207 bill of sale exists only for non-titled property like trailers, watercraft, and snowmobiles.) Michigan does, however, publish an official Odometer Mileage Statement, Form BDVR-108, used when the title has no space for the odometer reading. Federal law and section 233a of the Michigan Vehicle Code (MCL 257.233a) require you to state the mileage at the transfer of ownership, and that disclosure must be made before the vehicle is delivered. A private-sale bill of sale does not need to be notarized; the SOS title-transfer instructions list the original title, the seller's signature, and the odometer disclosure, with no notary step. You title and register the vehicle at a Michigan Secretary of State branch, and you have 15 days from the date of sale to transfer the title (a $15 late fee applies after that, on top of the $15 title transfer fee). The SOS collects 6% use tax before completing the transfer under MCL 205.93, with an exemption for transfers between qualifying family members. DocDraft drafts a Michigan vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with attorney review available.
Key Things to Know
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No standalone SOS bill-of-sale form for titled vehicles. Michigan does not publish a standalone Secretary of State bill-of-sale form for titled motor vehicles. Ownership transfers on the signed title itself; the TR-207 bill of sale covers only non-titled property such as trailers, watercraft, and snowmobiles. A bill of sale is optional and supplementary for a car sale.
- 2
A bill of sale does not need to be notarized. Michigan does not require a vehicle bill of sale or the title to be notarized for a private sale. The SOS title-transfer instructions list the original title, the seller's signature, and the odometer disclosure, with no notary step. (Based on the absence of a notarization requirement in the SOS instructions; confirm with the SOS if your situation is unusual.)
- 3
Odometer disclosure is required at transfer (Form BDVR-108). Federal law and section 233a of the Michigan Vehicle Code (MCL 257.233a) require you to state the mileage when ownership transfers, before the vehicle is delivered. The disclosure is normally made on the title; if the title has no space for it, complete Michigan's official Odometer Mileage Statement, Form BDVR-108.
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6% use tax is collected before the transfer. Under MCL 205.93, the Secretary of State collects 6% use tax before completing the title transfer. The tax is generally figured on the price of the vehicle. (Whether a private-party sale is taxed on the stated price or on a retail/true value figure was not confirmed in the source; check with the Michigan SOS for how your sale is valued.)
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Title at a Secretary of State branch within 15 days. You title and register the vehicle at a Michigan Secretary of State branch and have 15 days from the date of sale to transfer the title. The title transfer fee is $15, and a $15 late fee applies if you transfer after the 15-day window.
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A bill of sale is optional, not required to transfer. The SOS title-transfer instructions do not list a separate bill of sale among the required documents; the signed title plus odometer disclosure effect the transfer. A bill of sale is still useful as the buyer's and seller's record of the price, the as-is terms, and the date of the sale.
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Family-member transfers are exempt from the 6% use tax. Transfers between qualifying family members (such as spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild) are exempt from the 6% use tax that the SOS otherwise collects before the transfer. The 15-day transfer deadline and the BDVR-108 odometer rule still apply.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Bill of Sale in Michigan, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Bill of Sale guide walks through them.
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Michigan Requirements for Bill of Sale
Michigan does not publish a standalone Secretary of State bill-of-sale form for titled vehicles. Ownership transfers when the seller signs the title. The TR-207 bill of sale covers only non-titled property (trailers, watercraft, snowmobiles). A bill of sale for a car is optional and supplementary.
A Michigan private-sale vehicle bill of sale and the title do not need to be notarized. The SOS title-transfer instructions list the original title, the seller's signature, and the odometer disclosure, with no notary step. (Based on the absence of a notarization requirement in the SOS instructions.)
Identify the vehicle by VIN, year, make, model, body type, and color so the record matches the title and the SOS title application.
Federal law and section 233a of the Michigan Vehicle Code (MCL 257.233a) require the seller to state the mileage at the transfer of ownership, before the vehicle is delivered. Disclose on the title, or on Michigan's official Odometer Mileage Statement (Form BDVR-108) if the title has no space.
Record the purchase price (and any trade-in) and the date of sale. The date of sale starts the 15-day title-transfer clock, and the price is relevant to the 6% use tax the SOS collects.
Under MCL 205.93, the Secretary of State collects 6% use tax before completing the title transfer, generally figured on the price of the vehicle. Transfers between qualifying family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, etc.) are exempt. Whether a private sale is taxed on the stated price or a retail value figure was not confirmed in the source; confirm with the SOS.
Title and register the vehicle at a Michigan Secretary of State branch within 15 days of the date of sale. The title transfer fee is $15, and a $15 late fee applies if you transfer after the 15-day window.
Both the buyer and seller should sign and date the bill of sale and keep a copy. Notarization is not required for a Michigan private sale.
Frequently Asked Questions
A bill of sale is not legally required to transfer a titled vehicle in Michigan. Ownership transfers when the seller signs the title, and the Secretary of State title-transfer instructions list the original title, the seller's signature, and the odometer disclosure rather than a separate bill of sale. A bill of sale is still a useful record of the price, the as-is terms, and the date of the sale.
No. Michigan does not require a vehicle bill of sale or the title to be notarized for a private sale. The Secretary of State title-transfer instructions list the original title, the seller's signature, and the odometer disclosure, with no notary step. Both the buyer and seller should still sign and date the bill of sale and keep a copy.
Michigan does not publish a standalone Secretary of State bill-of-sale form for titled motor vehicles; ownership transfers on the signed title. The TR-207 bill of sale exists only for non-titled property such as trailers, watercraft, and snowmobiles. Michigan does publish an official Odometer Mileage Statement, Form BDVR-108, used when the title has no space for the odometer reading.
Michigan charges 6% use tax, which the Secretary of State collects before completing the title transfer under MCL 205.93. The tax is generally figured on the price of the vehicle. Whether a private-party sale is taxed on the stated price or on a retail value figure was not confirmed here, so check with the Michigan SOS. Qualifying family-member transfers are exempt from the use tax.
You title and register the vehicle at a Michigan Secretary of State (SOS) branch. You have 15 days from the date of sale to transfer the title, and a $15 late fee applies after that in addition to the $15 title transfer fee. Bring the signed title, the odometer disclosure, and payment for the title fee and the 6% use tax.
Include the seller and buyer names and addresses, the vehicle description (VIN, year, make, model, body type, color), the odometer reading and disclosure, the sale price, the date of sale, an as-is statement if the vehicle is sold without a warranty, and both signatures. Michigan requires the odometer disclosure at transfer under MCL 257.233a, made before delivery, on the title or on Form BDVR-108.