New York Vehicle Bill of Sale
New York uses official DMV Form MV-912, required to title and register a private-sale vehicle.
Introduction
A New York vehicle bill of sale is the official Form MV-912, the Vehicle Bill of Sale published by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. It is required, not optional. When you buy a vehicle in a private sale, the seller and buyer both sign the MV-912, and the new owner must give the original signed bill of sale to the DMV along with the other proofs of ownership when titling and registering the vehicle. The seller signs it even when the vehicle is a gift. The MV-912 is not notarized. The official form provides only Name, Address, Signature, and Date fields for the seller and the buyer, and it contains no notary acknowledgment block. The odometer disclosure is handled separately on the title rather than on the MV-912. For vehicles 20 model years old or newer, the seller completes the odometer disclosure on the back of the title certificate, or on the Odometer and Damage Disclosure Statement (MV-103) if the title space is unavailable. You title and register at a local New York DMV office. Sales tax is calculated on the stated purchase price reported on Form DTF-802, using the tax rate of the buyer's county of residence, and the DTF-802 does not replace the bill of sale. DocDraft drafts a New York vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with attorney review available before you sign.
Key Things to Know
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New York publishes an official form. Form MV-912, the Vehicle Bill of Sale (version MV-912 (11/21)) from the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, is the form to use, and the buyer must submit the original signed MV-912 to title and register a privately purchased vehicle.
- 2
The MV-912 is not notarized. The official form provides only Name, Address, Signature, and Date fields for the seller and the buyer; it has no notary acknowledgment block, and New York does not require the vehicle bill of sale or the title transfer to be notarized.
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The odometer disclosure goes on the title, not the bill of sale. For vehicles 20 model years old or newer, the seller completes the odometer disclosure statement on the back of the title certificate, or uses the Odometer and Damage Disclosure Statement (MV-103) if that space is unavailable. Older vehicles are exempt, and the MV-912 itself has no odometer field.
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Sales tax is based on the stated price. Tax is computed on the purchase price reported on Form DTF-802 (Statement of Transaction), multiplied by the tax rate of the buyer's county of residence. If the stated price is below fair market value, the seller or donor completes the affidavit in Section 6 and tax may be assessed on fair market value.
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You title and register at a local DMV office. After the ownership transfer, the new owner registers and titles the vehicle at their local New York DMV office, surrendering the original MV-912 with the other required proofs of ownership.
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A signed bill of sale is required. The seller must sign the MV-912 even for a gift, the buyer must sign it, and the new owner must give the original to the DMV. The DTF-802 does not replace the bill of sale; the DMV requires both.
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Form MV-912 is the distinctive New York requirement. It is a named, state-published bill of sale that must be surrendered to the DMV, which sets New York apart from states that accept any generic bill of sale.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Bill of Sale in New York, 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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New York Requirements for Bill of Sale
New York requires Form MV-912, the Vehicle Bill of Sale (version MV-912 (11/21)) published by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. Complete and sign the original; the buyer must submit it to the DMV to title and register a privately purchased vehicle.
The MV-912 provides only Name, Address, Signature, and Date fields for the seller and the buyer and has no notary acknowledgment block. New York does not require the vehicle bill of sale or the title transfer to be notarized; the seller and buyer simply sign and date.
Record the year, make, model, and Vehicle or Hull Identification Number (VIN/HIN) as the MV-912 requires, so the bill of sale matches the vehicle being titled and registered.
The MV-912 has no odometer field. For a vehicle 20 model years old or newer, the seller completes the odometer disclosure on the back of the title certificate, or on the Odometer and Damage Disclosure Statement (MV-103) if that space is unavailable. Older vehicles are exempt.
Report the purchase price on Form DTF-802, the Statement of Transaction. Sales tax is computed on that stated price times the tax rate of the buyer's county of residence. The DTF-802 does not replace the bill of sale; the DMV requires both.
If the stated price is below fair market value, the seller or donor completes the affidavit in Section 6 of the DTF-802, and tax may be assessed on the vehicle's fair market value rather than the stated price. Check your county's current tax rate.
The seller must sign the MV-912 even when the vehicle is a gift, and the buyer must sign it. Keep the original signed bill of sale for the DMV submission.
After the ownership transfer, the new owner registers and titles the vehicle at a local New York DMV office, giving the DMV the original MV-912 with the completed DTF-802 and the other required proofs of ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. New York requires a signed Vehicle Bill of Sale, Form MV-912, to title and register a privately purchased vehicle. The seller signs it even when the vehicle is a gift, the buyer signs it, and the new owner must give the original signed bill of sale to the DMV along with the other required proofs of ownership when they title and register the vehicle.
No. The official Form MV-912 provides only Name, Address, Signature, and Date fields for the seller and the buyer, and it has no notary acknowledgment block. New York does not require the vehicle bill of sale or the title transfer to be notarized. The seller and buyer simply sign and date the form.
Yes. The New York Department of Motor Vehicles publishes Form MV-912, the Vehicle Bill of Sale (version MV-912 (11/21)). Using it is required, not optional. The buyer must submit the original signed MV-912 to the DMV to title and register a vehicle purchased in a private sale.
Sales tax is calculated on the stated purchase price you report on Form DTF-802, the Statement of Transaction, multiplied by the tax rate of the buyer's county of residence. If the stated price is below fair market value, the seller or donor completes the affidavit in Section 6 and tax may be assessed on the vehicle's fair market value instead. Check your county's current rate.
You title and register at a local New York DMV office. After ownership transfers, the new owner brings the original signed MV-912, the completed Form DTF-802, and the other required proofs of ownership to a DMV office to register and title the vehicle. The DTF-802 does not replace the bill of sale; the DMV requires both.
Use Form MV-912, which records the description of the vehicle (year, make, model, and Vehicle or Hull Identification Number) and the seller and buyer details (name, address, signature, and date for each). The odometer reading is not on the MV-912; for vehicles 20 model years old or newer it goes on the back of the title or on Form MV-103.