Oregon Vehicle Bill of Sale
Oregon uses Form 735-501, and a private sale drives no Oregon sales tax (0.5% privilege tax is dealer-only).
Introduction
An Oregon vehicle bill of sale records the private sale of a car, truck, motorcycle, or other vehicle between a buyer and a seller. Oregon publishes an official form for this, Form 735-501, the "Vehicle Bill of Sale," through the Oregon DMV (Driver and Motor Vehicle Services, part of the Oregon Department of Transportation). The DMV accepts its own form or a separate document with the same information, so the named form is provided rather than strictly mandated. A private Oregon bill of sale is not notarized; neither the buy and sell title page nor Form 735-501 requires it. The most distinctive Oregon feature is the tax posture: Oregon has no general sales tax, and the 0.5% vehicle privilege tax falls only on dealers selling vehicles in Oregon, with a parallel 0.5% use tax on vehicles bought from out-of-state dealers. A private individual-to-individual sale generates no Oregon sales or use tax, so the bill-of-sale price drives no tax at all. The buyer applies for title with the Oregon DMV within 30 days of purchase to avoid a late fee, and the seller must notify DMV within 10 days under ORS 803.112. For vehicles model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old, both buyer and seller must sign an odometer disclosure at title transfer. DocDraft drafts an Oregon vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with attorney review available.
Key Things to Know
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Oregon has an official form. Form 735-501, the "Vehicle Bill of Sale," is published by the Oregon DMV. The DMV accepts its own form or a separate document containing the same information, so the form is provided and accepted rather than strictly mandated. Check the Oregon DMV site for the current version of the form.
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Notarization is not required. A private Oregon vehicle bill of sale does not have to be notarized. Neither the Oregon DMV buy and sell title page nor Form 735-501 imposes a notarization requirement for a private transfer.
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Odometer disclosure applies to newer vehicles. If the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old, you must complete an odometer disclosure, and both the buyer and the seller must sign it. Oregon handles this as a title-transfer requirement rather than on the bill-of-sale form itself.
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No general sales tax on private sales. Oregon has no general sales tax. The 0.5% (one-half of 1 percent) vehicle privilege tax is owed by dealers on taxable vehicles sold in Oregon, and a parallel 0.5% use tax applies to vehicles bought from out-of-state dealers, so a private individual-to-individual sale generates no Oregon sales or use tax.
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Title with the Oregon DMV on a deadline. The buyer applies for title with the Oregon DMV within 30 days of purchase to avoid a late fee, and the seller must notify DMV of the sale within 10 days under ORS 803.112.
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A bill of sale is required only in some cases. The assigned title is the primary transfer instrument. A bill of sale is required for title transfer when the seller's name is not on the title; otherwise it is supplementary, and DMV accepts its form or a separate document with the same information.
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No sales tax on private sales is the distinctive Oregon feature. The named Form 735-501 combined with no general sales tax (and a dealer-only 0.5% privilege tax) means the bill-of-sale price drives zero Oregon sales or use tax on a private sale, which sets Oregon apart from states that tax the stated price.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Bill of Sale in Oregon, 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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Oregon Requirements for Bill of Sale
Use Oregon DMV Form 735-501, the "Vehicle Bill of Sale," or a separate document containing the same information, which the DMV also accepts. Notarization is not required for a private Oregon vehicle bill of sale; neither the DMV buy and sell title page nor Form 735-501 imposes it. Check the Oregon DMV site for the current form.
Identify the buyer and the seller by full legal name and address. These details support the bill-of-sale record and the seller's duty to notify the Oregon DMV of the sale.
Describe the vehicle by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), year, make, model, body type, and color so it can be matched to the title at transfer.
Record the odometer reading. If the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old, Oregon requires an odometer disclosure that both the buyer and the seller sign, completed as part of the title transfer rather than on the bill-of-sale form itself.
State the sale price and date. Oregon has no general sales tax, so a private individual-to-individual sale generates no Oregon sales or use tax. The 0.5% vehicle privilege tax falls only on dealers selling vehicles in Oregon, with a parallel 0.5% use tax on vehicles bought from out-of-state dealers. Confirm current rules with the Oregon Department of Revenue.
The assigned title is the primary transfer instrument. A bill of sale is required for title transfer when the seller's name is not on the title; otherwise it is supplementary, and the DMV accepts its form or a separate document with the same information.
The buyer applies for title with the Oregon DMV (Driver and Motor Vehicle Services, part of the Oregon Department of Transportation) within 30 days of purchase to avoid a late fee.
The seller must notify the Oregon DMV of the sale within 10 days under ORS 803.112. Keep a copy of the completed form and the bill of sale as proof of the transaction. (Confirm the ORS 803.112 cite and Form 735-501 details against the current Oregon DMV materials.)
Frequently Asked Questions
The assigned Oregon title is the primary document that transfers a vehicle. A bill of sale is required for title transfer when the seller's name is not on the title; otherwise it is supplementary, and the Oregon DMV accepts its own Form 735-501 or a separate document containing the same information. Keeping a signed bill of sale is recommended in every private sale as proof of the price, date, and terms.
No. A private Oregon vehicle bill of sale does not have to be notarized. Neither the Oregon DMV buy and sell title page nor Form 735-501 imposes a notarization requirement for a private vehicle transfer. A signed bill of sale from buyer and seller is sufficient, and notarization is not part of the standard Oregon process.
Yes. The Oregon DMV publishes Form 735-501, the "Vehicle Bill of Sale." The DMV accepts its own form or a separate document that contains the same information, so the form is provided and accepted rather than strictly mandated. Check the Oregon DMV site for the current version of Form 735-501 before you complete it.
Oregon has no general sales tax, so a private individual-to-individual vehicle sale generates no Oregon sales or use tax. The 0.5% (one-half of 1 percent) vehicle privilege tax is owed by dealers on taxable vehicles sold in Oregon, and a parallel 0.5% use tax applies to vehicles bought from out-of-state dealers. The bill-of-sale price drives no Oregon tax on a private sale. Confirm current rules with the Oregon Department of Revenue.
You title and register the vehicle with the Oregon DMV (Driver and Motor Vehicle Services, part of the Oregon Department of Transportation). The buyer must apply for title within 30 days of purchase to avoid a late fee, and the seller must notify DMV of the sale within 10 days under ORS 803.112. Bring the assigned title, the odometer disclosure where required, and your bill of sale.
An Oregon vehicle bill of sale should identify the buyer and seller, describe the vehicle by VIN, year, make, and model, and state the sale price and date. For vehicles model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old, both buyer and seller must sign an odometer disclosure, handled as part of the title transfer. Using Form 735-501 captures the information the Oregon DMV expects for the record.