Ohio Vehicle Bill of Sale

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   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.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   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.

6. 6

   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.

7. 7

   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.

Ohio Requirements for Bill of Sale

• BMV 3770 Casual-Sale Assignment

  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.

• Notarized Seller Signature

  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.

• Vehicle Identification

  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.

• Sworn Odometer Reading

  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.

• Stated Purchase Price

  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.

• Clerk-Collected Sales and Use Tax

  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.

• Title at a Clerk of Courts Office Within 30 Days

  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.

• Notarized Title Assignment Conveys 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 under ORC 4505.06. An informal standalone bill of sale supports the sale but is not the legally operative document that conveys ownership.