Washington Vehicle Bill of Sale
Washington uses the official DOL Vehicle Bill of Sale, Form TD-420-065, with 15 days to transfer title.
Introduction
A Washington vehicle bill of sale records the sale of a car, truck, motorcycle, or trailer between a private buyer and seller and feeds the title transfer at the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL). Washington publishes its own named form for this: the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale, Form TD-420-065. DOL directs both the buyer and the seller to complete it as part of buying and registering a vehicle, so it is not just a courtesy receipt. After you buy or receive a vehicle, you have 15 days to transfer the title into your name. Miss that window and the penalties escalate fast: $50 on the 16th day, then $2 per day after that, up to a $125 cap. Notarization is not required when you complete the title transfer in person at a vehicle licensing office. The title only needs to be signed in front of a notary if the registered owner signs away from a licensing office, such as a mailed or remote application. The odometer disclosure is captured on the title face or on DOL's separate Odometer Disclosure Statement, not on the bill of sale. The sale price you enter on the form drives the use tax DOL calculates, so enter the actual price, or zero for a gift or inheritance. DocDraft drafts a Washington vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with attorney review available.
Key Things to Know
- 1
Washington has an official form. The Department of Licensing publishes the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale, Form TD-420-065 (form id 420065), and DOL instructs both the buyer and the seller to complete it for the title transfer. It is required for the transfer and registration process, not optional.
- 2
Notarization is not required for an in-person transfer. If you complete the title transfer in person at a vehicle licensing office, no notary is needed. The title signature must be notarized only when the registered owner signs away from a licensing office, for example on a mailed or remote title application.
- 3
The odometer disclosure is separate from the bill of sale. Washington requires a written odometer disclosure with every application for a certificate of title under RCW 46.12.665, but it is captured on the title face or on DOL's separate Odometer Disclosure Statement, not on the bill of sale. Exemptions include vehicles over 16,000 lbs gross weight, non-self-propelled vehicles, and older model years.
- 4
Use tax is calculated from the sale price on the form. The sale price you enter on the bill of sale is what DOL uses to calculate the use tax on the vehicle. Enter the actual price for an arm's-length sale, or enter zero if the vehicle was a gift or inheritance.
- 5
You title the vehicle at DOL within 15 days. You have 15 days to transfer the ownership into your name at the Washington Department of Licensing or a vehicle licensing office after you buy or receive a vehicle.
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The bill of sale is required to transfer and register. DOL treats the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale as part of the title transfer process and instructs the buyer and seller to complete it, so a Washington transfer is not a place to skip the document.
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The late-transfer penalty escalates day by day. If you do not transfer within 15 days you owe $50 on the 16th day, then $2 per day after that, up to a maximum of $125.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Bill of Sale in Washington, 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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Washington Requirements for Bill of Sale
Washington publishes the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale, Form TD-420-065 (form id 420065), through the Department of Licensing. DOL instructs both the buyer and the seller to complete it as part of the title transfer and registration process. Use the official form so the recorded parties, vehicle, and sale price match what DOL needs.
No notary is required when the title transfer is done in person at a vehicle licensing office. The title signature must be notarized only when the registered owner signs away from a licensing office, such as on a mailed or remote title application. All registered owners must sign in front of a licensed notary or in person at a vehicle licensing office.
Record the year, make, model, body type, color, and VIN of the vehicle. Washington requires a written odometer disclosure with every application for a certificate of title under RCW 46.12.665, but the disclosure goes on the title face or DOL's separate Odometer Disclosure Statement, not on the bill of sale. Exemptions include vehicles over 16,000 lbs gross weight, non-self-propelled vehicles, and older model years.
Enter the actual sale price on the bill of sale. The Department of Licensing uses that price to calculate the use tax on the vehicle for an arm's-length sale, rather than a separate book value. Enter zero if the vehicle was a gift or inheritance. Check with DOL for the current use tax rate that applies.
Title and register the vehicle at the Washington Department of Licensing or a vehicle licensing office within 15 days of buying or receiving it. The bill of sale supports the title transfer along with the signed title.
If you do not transfer the title within 15 days, the penalty is $50 on the 16th day, then $2 per day after the 16th day, up to a maximum of $125. The penalty rises each day past the deadline, so file the transfer promptly.
The Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale is part of the Washington title transfer process. DOL instructs the buyer and the seller to complete it when buying and registering a vehicle, so it is required for the transfer rather than optional supplementary paperwork.
Both the buyer and the seller sign and date the bill of sale. DOL directs both parties to complete the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale, so a signature from each party records the sale for the title transfer. Keep a copy for your records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Washington Department of Licensing directs both the buyer and the seller to complete the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale as part of buying and registering a vehicle, so it is part of the title transfer process rather than an optional receipt. Washington publishes an official version, Form TD-420-065. The buyer then uses it, along with the signed title, to transfer ownership at DOL or a vehicle licensing office within 15 days of the sale.
Not for an in-person transfer. If you complete the title transfer in person at a vehicle licensing office, no notary is required. The title signature must be notarized only when the registered owner signs away from a licensing office, such as on a mailed or remote title application. Washington requires all registered owners to sign the completed form in front of a licensed notary public or in person at a vehicle licensing office.
Yes. The Washington Department of Licensing publishes the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale, Form TD-420-065 (form id 420065). DOL instructs both the buyer and the seller to complete it as part of the process to buy and register a vehicle. Using the official form keeps the recorded sale price, parties, and vehicle details consistent with what DOL needs for the title transfer.
Washington calculates use tax on the vehicle from the sale price you enter on the bill of sale, not from a separate book value, for an arm's-length sale. DOL uses that entered price to compute the use tax when you transfer the title. If the vehicle was a gift or an inheritance, you enter zero as the sale price. Check with DOL or a vehicle licensing office for the current use tax rate that applies to your transfer.
You title and register a vehicle at the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) or a vehicle licensing office. After you buy or receive a vehicle, you have 15 days to transfer the ownership into your name. If you miss that deadline, the penalty is $50 on the 16th day, then $2 per day after the 16th day, up to a maximum of $125.
Washington's official Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale, Form TD-420-065, records the seller and buyer names, the vehicle description including the VIN, year, make, and model, the date of sale, the signatures of both parties, and the sale price. The sale price matters because DOL uses it to calculate the use tax. The odometer disclosure is handled separately on the title or DOL's Odometer Disclosure Statement, not on the bill of sale itself.