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West Virginia Vehicle Bill of Sale

West Virginia's Form DMV-7-TR is notarized; the notarized price sets the 6% titling tax or the DMV uses NADA value.

Introduction

A West Virginia vehicle bill of sale records the sale of a car, truck, trailer, or boat between a buyer and a seller, listing the parties, the vehicle and its VIN, the price, the odometer reading, and that the vehicle sells as-is. West Virginia publishes an official named form for this: Form DMV-7-TR, the Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat, issued by the WV Division of Motor Vehicles. The form is technically optional because a private notarized bill of sale is also accepted, but notarization is the feature that matters. The WV DMV states that a notarized bill of sale must accompany the application for title, or the tax will be assessed on the NADA Clean Loan Book value, so an un-notarized bill of sale does not set the price for tax. Tax is the second distinctive feature. West Virginia charges a 6% titling sales tax on a net purchase price over $500, or a flat $30 on a price under $500. With a notarized bill of sale the stated price sets the 6% basis; without one the DMV defaults the tax to the NADA Clean Loan Book value. You title through the WV Division of Motor Vehicles, and mileage must be recorded at transfer. DocDraft drafts a West Virginia vehicle bill of sale from your facts, attorney review available.

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Key Things to Know

  1. 1

    West Virginia has an official named form: Form DMV-7-TR, the Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat, issued by the WV Division of Motor Vehicles. Its use is optional in form because a private notarized bill of sale is also accepted, but the WV DMV states that all notarized bill of sales or the DMV form Bill of Sale (DMV-7-TR) must be accompanied by a copy of both the buyer and seller's driver's license.

  2. 2

    Notarization is functionally required. The WV DMV states that a notarized bill of sale must accompany the application for title, or the tax will be assessed on the NADA Clean Loan Book value. An un-notarized bill of sale is not honored to set the price for taxation, so both parties should sign before a notary public. The exact on-form notary block text could not be quoted from the DMV-7-TR PDF; the notary acknowledgment below follows standard West Virginia form.

  3. 3

    Odometer disclosure is mandatory at transfer. The WV DMV states that mileage must be accurately and truthfully recorded on the Certificate of Title, Dealer Reassignment Form, or Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form DMV-TM-1). This tracks the federal 49 CFR 580 baseline, under which disclosure is required for model-year-2011-and-newer vehicles for 20 years from manufacture.

  4. 4

    West Virginia charges a 6% titling sales tax on a net purchase price over $500, or a flat $30 on a price under $500. With a notarized bill of sale the stated net purchase price sets the 6% basis; without one the DMV defaults the tax to the NADA Clean Loan Book value. The 6% rate is the consumers sales tax the DMV applies at titling; confirm the current rate and any minimum with the WV DMV.

  5. 5

    You title through the WV Division of Motor Vehicles. The controlling registration document is the title application (Form DMV-1-TR), and the notarized bill of sale supports the purchase price and tax basis. There is a $15 title fee in addition to the titling sales tax.

  6. 6

    The notarized bill of sale is supporting, not the transfer instrument. The title application (Form DMV-1-TR) is the controlling document that registers the vehicle; the notarized bill of sale (DMV-7-TR or a private equivalent) supports the price and tax basis and is functionally required to be taxed on the stated price.

  7. 7

    The notarized-price-versus-NADA rule is the strongest distinctive feature. Because the 6% tax otherwise defaults to the NADA Clean Loan Book value, a notarized bill of sale stating the actual price is what lets the lower stated price set the tax, which matters most when the price is below book value.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Bill of Sale in West 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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WEST VIRGINIA VEHICLE BILL OF SALE Form DMV-7-TR (Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat)

Note: West Virginia publishes Form DMV-7-TR, the official Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat, issued by the WV Division of Motor Vehicles. Its use is optional because a private notarized bill of sale is also accepted. Either way, the WV DMV states that a notarized bill of sale must accompany the application for title, or the tax will be assessed on the NADA Clean Loan Book value, so this document must be notarized. The title application (Form DMV-1-TR) is the controlling registration document. Submit a copy of both the buyer's and seller's driver's licenses with this bill of sale.

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

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

VEHICLE Year: [YEAR] Make: [MAKE] Model: [MODEL] Body Style: [BODY STYLE] Color: [COLOR] Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): [VIN]

SALE PRICE The Seller sells the above vehicle to the Buyer for the net purchase price of $[PRICE]. Date of Sale: [DATE] This stated price is the actual purchase price. When this bill of sale is notarized, the stated net purchase price sets the West Virginia 6% titling sales tax basis (or $30 flat on a net purchase price under $500). Without a notarized bill of sale the WV DMV assesses the 6% tax on the NADA Clean Loan Book value. Confirm the current rate with the WV DMV.

ODOMETER DISCLOSURE The odometer now reads [ODOMETER] miles. [ ] Actual mileage [ ] In excess of its mechanical limits [ ] Not the actual mileage (warning). Mileage must be accurately and truthfully recorded on the Certificate of Title, Dealer Reassignment Form, or Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form DMV-TM-1), consistent with federal 49 CFR 580.

AS-IS The vehicle is sold AS-IS, without any warranty except as stated in writing here: [WARRANTY OR NONE].

SIGNATURES Seller Signature: ______________________________ Date: [DATE] Buyer Signature: ______________________________ Date: [DATE]

NOTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT West Virginia requires a notarized bill of sale to set the price for tax, so the seller and buyer sign before a notary public. The exact notary block on Form DMV-7-TR could not be reproduced verbatim; the following follows standard West Virginia form.

State of West Virginia County of [COUNTY]

The foregoing instrument was acknowledged before me this [DAY] day of [MONTH], [YEAR], by [SELLER NAME] and [BUYER NAME], known to me or proved to me on satisfactory evidence to be the persons whose names are signed above, who acknowledged that they signed it.

Notary Public Signature Printed Name: [NOTARY NAME] My commission expires: [DATE] [NOTARY SEAL]

West Virginia Requirements for Bill of Sale

Form DMV-7-TR and Notarization

West Virginia publishes Form DMV-7-TR, the official Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat, issued by the WV Division of Motor Vehicles. Its use is optional because a private notarized bill of sale is also accepted, but the WV DMV states that a notarized bill of sale must accompany the application for title, or the tax will be assessed on the NADA Clean Loan Book value. Have both parties sign before a notary public.

Seller and Buyer Information

Record the full names and addresses of both the seller and the buyer. The WV DMV also requires a copy of both the buyer's and seller's driver's licenses to accompany the notarized or DMV-7-TR bill of sale.

Vehicle Description With VIN

Describe the vehicle by year, make, model, body style, color, and the full Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The VIN ties the bill of sale to the certificate of title processed by the WV Division of Motor Vehicles.

Odometer Disclosure at Transfer

The WV DMV states that mileage must be accurately and truthfully recorded on the Certificate of Title, Dealer Reassignment Form, or Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form DMV-TM-1). This tracks the federal 49 CFR 580 baseline. Record the current odometer reading and note if it is not the actual mileage or exceeds mechanical limits.

Net Purchase Price and Date

State the net purchase price (the actual price paid) and the date of sale. When the bill of sale is notarized, the stated net purchase price sets the 6% titling tax basis; without a notarized bill of sale the DMV uses the NADA Clean Loan Book value.

6% Titling Tax and the Notarized Price

West Virginia charges a 6% titling sales tax on a net purchase price over $500, or a flat $30 on a price under $500. With a notarized bill of sale the stated price sets the 6% basis; without one the WV DMV assesses the tax on the NADA Clean Loan Book value. The 6% rate is the consumers sales tax the DMV applies at titling; confirm the current rate with the WV DMV.

Title Through the WV Division of Motor Vehicles

Title and register through the WV Division of Motor Vehicles. The controlling registration document is the title application (Form DMV-1-TR), submitted with the assigned title and the notarized bill of sale. Expect a $15 title fee in addition to the titling sales tax.

Driver's Licenses With the Bill of Sale

The WV DMV states that all notarized bills of sale or the DMV form Bill of Sale (DMV-7-TR) must be accompanied by a copy of both the buyer's and the seller's driver's licenses. Include both copies when you submit the title application so the notarized price is honored for tax.

Frequently Asked Questions

A notarized bill of sale is functionally needed. The WV DMV states that a notarized bill of sale must accompany the application for title, or the tax will be assessed on the NADA Clean Loan Book value. West Virginia publishes Form DMV-7-TR, the Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat, and a private notarized bill of sale is also accepted. The title application (Form DMV-1-TR) is the controlling registration document, and the bill of sale supports the price and tax basis.

Yes, in practice. The WV DMV states that a notarized bill of sale must accompany the application for title, or the tax will be assessed on the NADA Clean Loan Book value. An un-notarized bill of sale is not honored to set the price for taxation, so both the seller and the buyer should sign before a notary public. This applies whether you use Form DMV-7-TR or a private bill of sale, and the DMV requires a copy of both parties' driver's licenses with it.

Yes. West Virginia publishes Form DMV-7-TR, the Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Trailer, or Boat, issued by the WV Division of Motor Vehicles. Its use is optional because a private notarized bill of sale is also accepted, but either way the bill of sale must be notarized to set the purchase price for tax. The WV DMV requires a copy of both the buyer's and seller's driver's licenses with any notarized or DMV-7-TR bill of sale.

West Virginia charges a 6% titling sales tax on a net purchase price over $500, or a flat $30 on a price under $500. With a notarized bill of sale the stated net purchase price sets the 6% basis; without one the DMV assesses the 6% tax on the NADA Clean Loan Book value. The 6% rate is the consumers sales tax the DMV applies at titling, and there is a separate $15 title fee. Confirm the current rate with the WV DMV.

You title and register through the WV Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Bring the assigned title, a completed title application (Form DMV-1-TR), and a notarized bill of sale (Form DMV-7-TR or a private equivalent) with a copy of both parties' driver's licenses so the stated price sets the 6% tax. Expect a $15 title fee plus the 6% titling sales tax. Without a notarized bill of sale the tax is assessed on the NADA Clean Loan Book value.

Include the seller and buyer names and addresses, the vehicle description with VIN, year, make, model, body style, and color, the sale price, the odometer reading, the date of sale, and an as-is statement. Because West Virginia assesses the 6% titling tax on the NADA Clean Loan Book value unless a notarized bill of sale is supplied, have both parties sign before a notary public, use Form DMV-7-TR or a private equivalent, and include a copy of both driver's licenses.