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Virginia Vehicle Bill of Sale

Virginia charges a 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax, $75 minimum, with SUT 1 / SUT 1A price certification.

Introduction

A Virginia vehicle bill of sale is the signed record of a private car sale showing the price, the vehicle, and the parties. Virginia has no mandatory DMV bill-of-sale form and does not require notarization. A bill of sale can be a handwritten statement signed by the seller and purchaser, or the Vehicle Price Certification (Form SUT 1). The handwritten version must include the purchase price, year, make, model, vehicle identification number, and date of sale. There is no separate VSA bill-of-sale form (the VSA 17A is the title and registration application, not a bill of sale). What makes Virginia distinctive is the tax. Virginia collects a 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax (SUT) at titling, based on the vehicle's gross sales price or $75, whichever is greater, under Code of Virginia section 58.1-2402. When there is no sale price or an incorrect one, the tax is computed on the NADA Official Used Car Guide trade-in value. For a vehicle five years old or less, the Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (Form SUT 1A) is required when the sale price is not within a $1,500 variance of that NADA trade-in value. You title at the Virginia DMV, entering the odometer reading on the title. DocDraft drafts a Virginia vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with attorney review available.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    Virginia has no mandatory DMV bill-of-sale form. A bill of sale can be a handwritten statement signed by the seller and purchaser, or the Vehicle Price Certification (Form SUT 1). A handwritten bill of sale must include the purchase price, year, make, model, vehicle identification number, and date of sale. There is no VSA bill-of-sale form; the VSA 17A is the title and registration application, not a bill of sale.

  2. 2

    Notarization is not required. Virginia DMV title transfer and bill-of-sale guidance does not require the bill of sale or the title assignment to be notarized. A handwritten statement or a Vehicle Price Certification signed by the seller and purchaser is accepted.

  3. 3

    The odometer reading goes on the title. The disclosure is integrated into the Virginia certificate of title rather than a separate state form. The seller enters the actual odometer reading from the vehicle and certifies it, and should not guess or estimate.

  4. 4

    Virginia collects a 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax (SUT) at titling, based on the vehicle's gross sales price or $75, whichever is greater, under Code of Virginia section 58.1-2402. This $75 statutory minimum applies even when the stated price is low.

  5. 5

    You title the vehicle at the Virginia DMV. A bill of sale is not required to transfer or register the vehicle, because the title assignment governs the transfer. The bill of sale is used to substantiate the purchase price for the SUT.

  6. 6

    A bill of sale is optional and supplementary. It is not required to transfer or register a vehicle, but it substantiates the price for tax purposes. Where there is no sale price or an incorrect one, the tax is computed on the NADA Official Used Car Guide trade-in value.

  7. 7

    For a vehicle five years old or less, the Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (Form SUT 1A) is required when the sale price is not within a $1,500 variance of the current NADA Official Used Car Guide trade-in value. The Vehicle Price Certification (SUT 1) or a handwritten bill of sale applies to vehicles more than five years old where the price was not entered or was incorrect.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Bill of Sale in Virginia, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Bill of Sale guide walks through them.

Open the Bill of Sale guide

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VIRGINIA VEHICLE BILL OF SALE

This Bill of Sale records the sale of the motor vehicle described below. Virginia has no mandatory DMV bill-of-sale form; this statement, signed by the seller and purchaser, is accepted to substantiate the purchase price for the Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax. The Vehicle Price Certification (Form SUT 1) is an accepted alternative, and for a vehicle five years old or less the Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (Form SUT 1A) is required at titling.

DATE OF SALE: [DATE OF SALE]

SELLER Name: [SELLER NAME] Address: [SELLER ADDRESS]

PURCHASER Name: [BUYER NAME] Address: [BUYER ADDRESS]

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION Year: [YEAR] Make: [MAKE] Model: [MODEL] Body Type: [BODY TYPE] Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): [VIN]

PURCHASE PRICE The Purchaser agrees to pay and the Seller agrees to accept the total purchase price of $[PURCHASE PRICE] for the vehicle described above. Payment status: [PAID IN FULL / INSTALLMENTS / LIEN].

ODOMETER DISCLOSURE The Seller certifies the actual odometer reading to be [ODOMETER READING] miles. The odometer disclosure is also entered on the Virginia certificate of title at transfer. [Check one if applicable: the mileage stated is in excess of its mechanical limits; the odometer reading is not the actual mileage.]

AS-IS SALE Unless otherwise stated in writing, the vehicle is sold AS-IS, without any warranty as to condition, with the Purchaser accepting the vehicle in its present condition.

SIGNATURES Seller Signature: ______________________ Date: [DATE] Printed Name: [SELLER NAME]

Purchaser Signature: ______________________ Date: [DATE] Printed Name: [BUYER NAME]

Note: Title the vehicle at the Virginia DMV. The title assignment governs the transfer. Virginia collects a 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax at titling, based on the gross sales price or $75, whichever is greater. Where there is no sale price or an incorrect one, the tax is computed on the NADA Official Used Car Guide trade-in value.

Virginia Requirements for Bill of Sale

No Mandatory Form, No Notarization

Virginia has no mandatory DMV bill-of-sale form and does not require notarization. A bill of sale can be a handwritten statement signed by the seller and purchaser, or the Vehicle Price Certification (Form SUT 1). There is no VSA bill-of-sale form; the VSA 17A is the title and registration application, not a bill of sale.

Required Handwritten Bill-of-Sale Fields

A handwritten Virginia bill of sale must be signed by the seller and the buyer and include the purchase price, year, make, model, vehicle identification number, and date of sale. The seller and purchaser names complete the record.

Odometer Reading on the Title

The odometer disclosure is integrated into the Virginia certificate of title at transfer rather than a separate state form. The seller enters the actual odometer reading from the vehicle and certifies it, and should not guess or estimate.

4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax, $75 Minimum

Virginia collects a 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax at titling, based on the vehicle's gross sales price or $75, whichever is greater, under Code of Virginia section 58.1-2402. The $75 statutory minimum applies even when the stated price is low.

NADA Trade-In Value Fallback

Where there is no sale price or an incorrect one, the tax is computed on the NADA Official Used Car Guide trade-in value. This is why substantiating the actual purchase price with a bill of sale or Vehicle Price Certification matters.

SUT 1A Affidavit for Vehicles Five Years Old or Less

For a vehicle five years old or less, the Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (Form SUT 1A) is required at titling when the sale price is not within a $1,500 variance of the current NADA Official Used Car Guide trade-in value. The Vehicle Price Certification (SUT 1) or a handwritten bill of sale applies to vehicles more than five years old where the price was not entered or was incorrect.

Title at the Virginia DMV

Title and register the vehicle at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The title assignment governs the transfer, and the 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax, or the $75 minimum, is collected at titling.

Bill of Sale Is Optional and Supplementary

A bill of sale is not required to transfer or register a vehicle in Virginia, because the title assignment governs the transfer. It is used to substantiate the purchase price for the Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax.

Frequently Asked Questions

A bill of sale is not required to transfer or register a vehicle in Virginia, because the title assignment governs the transfer. A bill of sale is optional and supplementary, and is mainly used to substantiate the purchase price for the Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax. A handwritten bill of sale must be signed by the seller and the buyer and include the purchase price, year, make, model, vehicle identification number, and date of sale.

No. Virginia DMV title transfer and bill-of-sale guidance does not require the bill of sale or the title assignment to be notarized. The bill of sale can be a handwritten statement signed by the seller and purchaser, or a Vehicle Price Certification signed by the seller or purchaser. Notarization is not part of the Virginia requirement.

Virginia has no mandatory DMV bill-of-sale form. A bill of sale is accepted as a handwritten statement, or the seller can use the Vehicle Price Certification (Form SUT 1). For a vehicle five years old or less, the Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (Form SUT 1A) is required at titling. There is no VSA bill-of-sale form; the VSA 17A is the title and registration application, not a bill of sale.

Virginia collects a 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax at titling, based on the vehicle's gross sales price or $75, whichever is greater, under Code of Virginia section 58.1-2402. Where there is no sale price or an incorrect one, the tax is computed on the NADA Official Used Car Guide trade-in value. For a vehicle five years old or less, an SUT 1A affidavit is required when the sale price is not within a $1,500 variance of the NADA trade-in value.

You title and register the vehicle at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The title assignment governs the transfer, and the seller enters the actual odometer reading on the title at transfer. The 4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax, or $75 minimum, is collected at titling, and a bill of sale or Vehicle Price Certification substantiates the purchase price.

A Virginia handwritten bill of sale must be signed by the seller and the buyer and include the purchase price, year, make, model, vehicle identification number, and date of sale. The seller and buyer names and the odometer reading are also commonly included. The Vehicle Price Certification (Form SUT 1) is an accepted alternative to a handwritten bill of sale for substantiating the price.