Ohio Vehicle Bill of Sale
Ohio requires the title assignment notarized under ORC 4505.06; title at a County Clerk of Courts in 30 days.
Introduction
An Ohio vehicle bill of sale records a private sale of a car, truck, motorcycle, or trailer, but the document that legally transfers ownership in Ohio is a notarized title assignment. Under Ohio Revised Code 4505.06, the application for a certificate of title must be sworn to before a notary public, so the seller's signature on the title assignment must be notarized. For a casual private sale, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles publishes a prescribed instrument, the BMV 3770, called the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale, which functions as the assignment when no physical title is issued and carries the odometer statement that ORC 4505.06 requires the transferor to swear to. A standalone informal bill of sale is supplementary; the notarized title-assignment instrument is the legally operative transfer document. Ohio titles are issued by a county Clerk of Courts title office, not the BMV. The transfer must be completed within 30 days of the date of sale or a late fee is assessed, and the buyer pays Ohio sales and use tax on the stated purchase price, collected by the Clerk of Courts before the title is issued. DocDraft drafts an Ohio vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with a notary acknowledgment block and attorney review available.
Key Things to Know
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Ohio's prescribed casual-sale instrument is the BMV 3770. The Ohio BMV publishes the BMV 3770, the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale, as the form used in a private sale. It functions as the title assignment when no physical title is issued, and a standalone bill of sale is supplementary to it.
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Notarization is required. Ohio Revised Code 4505.06 requires the application for a certificate of title to be sworn to before a notary public, so the seller's signature on the title assignment or BMV 3770 must be notarized before the buyer can title the vehicle.
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The odometer reading must be sworn to. ORC 4505.06 directs the registrar to prescribe an affidavit in which the transferor swears to the true selling price and the true odometer reading, and the BMV 3770 carries that statement. The federal 49 CFR 580 disclosure baseline also applies.
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Tax is on the stated price. The buyer pays Ohio sales and use tax on the purchase price of the vehicle, and the County Clerk of Courts collects it before the title is issued. The price stated on the bill of sale and the title assignment drives the tax.
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You title at a County Clerk of Courts office within 30 days. Ohio titles are issued by a county Clerk of Courts title office, not the BMV, and the transfer must take place within 30 days of the date of sale or a late fee is assessed.
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The notarized title assignment is what transfers ownership. A notarized title assignment on the back of the title, or the BMV 3770, is required to transfer and title a vehicle in Ohio. An informal bill of sale supports the sale but is not the legally operative transfer document.
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The distinctive Ohio hook is notarization plus Clerk-of-Courts titling. Unlike most states, Ohio law requires the title assignment to be notarized, and titling runs through a county Clerk of Courts office rather than the BMV, with a 30-day deadline and Clerk-collected tax on the stated price.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Bill of Sale in Ohio, 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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Ohio Requirements for Bill of Sale
For a casual private sale, the Ohio BMV publishes the BMV 3770, the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale, which functions as the title assignment when no physical title is issued. A standalone informal bill of sale is supplementary; the notarized title-assignment instrument is the legally operative transfer document.
Ohio Revised Code 4505.06 requires the application for a certificate of title to be sworn to before a notary public, so the seller's signature on the title assignment or BMV 3770 must be notarized. Sign in front of a notary before the buyer takes the document to title the vehicle.
Identify the vehicle by VIN, year, make, and model, along with body type and color, and name the seller and buyer with their addresses. These details establish what was sold and to whom.
ORC 4505.06 directs the registrar to prescribe an affidavit in which the transferor swears to the true selling price and the true odometer reading, and the BMV 3770 carries that statement. Record the odometer reading; the federal 49 CFR 580 disclosure baseline also applies.
State the purchase price of the vehicle. The buyer pays Ohio sales and use tax on this stated purchase price, governed by Revised Code Chapters 5739 and 5741, and the County Clerk of Courts collects it before issuing the title.
The County Clerk of Courts collects Ohio sales and use tax on the purchase price before the title is issued. The figure stated on the bill of sale and title assignment drives the tax owed. Check with your county Clerk of Courts title office for the current rate.
Ohio titles are issued by a county Clerk of Courts title office, not the BMV. The transfer must take place within 30 days of the date of sale, otherwise a late fee is assessed. The seller gives the notarized title assignment or both pages of the BMV 3770 to the buyer to title the vehicle.
A notarized title assignment on the back of the title, or the BMV 3770, is required to transfer and title a vehicle in Ohio under ORC 4505.06. An informal standalone bill of sale supports the sale but is not the legally operative document that conveys ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions
To transfer and title a vehicle in Ohio you need a notarized title assignment, either on the back of the existing title or on the BMV 3770, the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale. Under Ohio Revised Code 4505.06, the title application must be sworn to before a notary public. A standalone informal bill of sale is supplementary and useful as a sale record, but the notarized title-assignment instrument is the document that legally transfers ownership.
Yes. Ohio Revised Code 4505.06 requires the application for a certificate of title to be sworn to before a notary public, so the seller's signature on the title assignment or on the BMV 3770 must be notarized. This notarization requirement is what sets Ohio apart from most states, where a vehicle transfer does not have to be notarized. Sign the assignment in front of a notary before the buyer takes it to title the vehicle.
Ohio uses a BMV-prescribed instrument for a private sale: the BMV 3770, the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale. It serves as the notarized title assignment when no physical title is issued and carries the odometer statement required under Ohio Revised Code 4505.06. A separate informal bill of sale can document the transaction, but the BMV 3770 or a notarized title assignment is the operative form for titling.
The buyer pays Ohio sales and use tax on the purchase price of the vehicle, and the County Clerk of Courts collects it before issuing the title. The tax is based on the stated purchase price from the sale, so the figure on the bill of sale and the title assignment matters. Ohio's sales and use tax is governed by Revised Code Chapters 5739 and 5741. Check with your county Clerk of Courts title office for the current rate.
Ohio titles are issued by a county Clerk of Courts title office, not the BMV. The seller gives the notarized title assignment or both pages of the BMV 3770 to the buyer, who takes it to a Clerk of Courts title office to have the title transferred into their name. The transfer must take place within 30 days of the date of sale, otherwise a late fee is assessed, and the Clerk collects sales and use tax before issuing the title.
It should identify the seller and buyer, describe the vehicle by VIN, year, make, and model, state the purchase price, and record the odometer reading. Because Ohio Revised Code 4505.06 requires the title application to be sworn to before a notary public, the operative transfer document, the notarized title assignment or BMV 3770, must include a notary acknowledgment and the sworn odometer statement. The stated price drives the sales and use tax the County Clerk of Courts collects.