Wisconsin Vehicle Bill of Sale

Introduction

Key Things to Know

1. 1

   MV2928 bill of sale is published but optional. WisDOT publishes Form MV2928 (Selling a Vehicle), which includes a bill-of-sale section, but states that "the Bill of Sale is provided for your convenience, it is not a required form." The documents that actually transfer the vehicle are the signed certificate of title and the MV1 Title and License Plate Application.

2. 2

   The price and odometer go on the title, not a separate form. Wisconsin integrates the two facts a bill of sale usually carries directly onto the certificate of title. For a model-year 2011 or newer vehicle, you write the odometer reading on the back of the title, and the selling price is entered on the title as well. That title-integrated flow is why a separate bill of sale is optional here.

3. 3

   No notarization required. Nothing in the WisDOT sell-your-vehicle steps requires the bill of sale or the title transfer to be notarized. The seller signs and dates the title in the space for the selling owner's signature, with no notary step listed. (Based on the absence of a notarization requirement in the WisDOT steps; confirm with the DMV if your situation is unusual.)

4. 4

   Odometer disclosure on the back of the title (MY2011+). If your vehicle is a model year 2011 or newer, you must write in the odometer reading on the back of the title. The federal 49 CFR 580 baseline, with its rolling 20-model-year coverage window, applies. The disclosure is made on the title itself rather than on a separate odometer form.

5. 5

   Tax is figured on the stated price minus trade-in. WisDOT collects sales tax on a vehicle purchase on behalf of the Department of Revenue, computed on "the money paid for the purchase of the vehicle, minus any trade-in allowance." Because the tax is driven by the price you enter, the stated selling price on the title matters. The Wisconsin state sales/use tax rate is 5% (plus county tax up to 0.5% and stadium tax up to 0.1%). (The 5% rate is well established for Wisconsin sales tax but was not confirmed verbatim as the used-motor-vehicle rate in the cited source; check the WisDOT title fee and tax tables for the current rate.)

6. 6

   Title through the WisDOT DMV using the MV1; apply promptly. You title and register the vehicle through the Wisconsin DOT DMV using the MV1 Title and License Plate Application. Wis. Stat. 342.15 directs the buyer to apply promptly after delivery of the vehicle; Wisconsin states a duty to apply promptly rather than a fixed number of days. Submit the signed title, the MV1, and payment for fees and tax.

7. 7

   A bill of sale is optional, not required to transfer. A bill of sale is not required to transfer or register a vehicle in Wisconsin. The signed certificate of title, with the odometer and selling price entered on it, plus the MV1 application, are the required documents. A bill of sale is still a useful private record of the price, the as-is terms, and the date of the sale.

Wisconsin Requirements for Bill of Sale

• MV2928 bill of sale is optional; transfer is on the title plus MV1

  WisDOT publishes Form MV2928 (Selling a Vehicle) with a bill-of-sale section, but states it "is provided for your convenience, it is not a required form." The signed certificate of title, with the odometer and selling price entered on it, plus the MV1 Title and License Plate Application, are the required documents to transfer the vehicle.

• No notarization required

  A Wisconsin vehicle bill of sale and the title transfer do not need to be notarized. The WisDOT sell-your-vehicle steps have the seller sign and date the title in the space for the selling owner, with no notary step. (Based on the absence of a notarization requirement in the WisDOT steps.)

• Vehicle description (VIN, year, make, model, body, color)

  Identify the vehicle by VIN, year, make, model, body type, and color so the record matches the certificate of title and the MV1 application.

• Odometer reading on the back of the title (MY2011+)

  For a model-year 2011 or newer vehicle, write the odometer reading on the back of the certificate of title. The federal 49 CFR 580 baseline, with its rolling 20-model-year window, applies. Wisconsin records the odometer on the title itself rather than on a separate form.

• Selling price entered on the title; date of sale

  Record the purchase price (and any trade-in allowance) and the date of sale. In Wisconsin the selling price is entered on the certificate of title, and it drives the sales tax WisDOT collects, so state it accurately.

• Sales tax on the stated price minus trade-in (WisDOT collects for DOR)

  WisDOT collects the sales tax due on a vehicle purchase on behalf of the Department of Revenue, computed on "the money paid for the purchase of the vehicle, minus any trade-in allowance." The Wisconsin state rate is 5%, plus county tax up to 0.5% and stadium tax up to 0.1%. (The 5% rate is well established for Wisconsin sales tax but was not confirmed verbatim as the used-motor-vehicle rate in the source; check the current WisDOT tax tables.)

• Title through the WisDOT DMV using the MV1; apply promptly

  Title and register the vehicle through the Wisconsin DOT DMV using the MV1 Title and License Plate Application. Wis. Stat. 342.15 directs the buyer to apply promptly after delivery of the vehicle; Wisconsin states a duty to apply promptly rather than a fixed number of days. Submit the signed title, the MV1, and payment for the title fee and sales tax.

• Signatures of buyer and seller

  Both the buyer and seller should sign and date the bill of sale and keep a copy. Notarization is not required for a Wisconsin private sale.