Wisconsin Vehicle Bill of Sale
Wisconsin's MV2928 bill of sale is optional: the price and odometer go on the title itself.
Introduction
Wisconsin makes a separate vehicle bill of sale optional because the two facts a bill of sale usually records, the selling price and the odometer reading, are written directly onto the certificate of title. WisDOT does publish Form MV2928 (Selling a Vehicle), which includes a bill-of-sale section, but the state is explicit that "the Bill of Sale is provided for your convenience, it is not a required form." What actually transfers the vehicle is the signed title plus the MV1 Title and License Plate Application. For a model-year 2011 or newer vehicle, you write the odometer reading on the back of the title; the federal 49 CFR 580 baseline, with its rolling 20-model-year window, applies. Nothing in the WisDOT sell-your-vehicle steps requires notarization: the seller signs and dates the title, and no notary step is listed. You title and register through the Wisconsin DOT DMV using the MV1, and Wis. Stat. 342.15 directs the buyer to apply promptly after taking delivery (no fixed day count is stated). WisDOT collects sales tax on behalf of the Department of Revenue, figured on the money paid for the vehicle minus any trade-in allowance, so the price you state drives the tax. DocDraft drafts a Wisconsin vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with attorney review available.
Key Things to Know
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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
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
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.)
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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.
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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.)
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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.
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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.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Bill of Sale in Wisconsin, 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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Wisconsin Requirements for Bill of Sale
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.
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.)
Identify the vehicle by VIN, year, make, model, body type, and color so the record matches the certificate of title and the MV1 application.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A bill of sale is not required to transfer or register a vehicle in Wisconsin. WisDOT states that the bill of sale "is provided for your convenience, it is not a required form." The documents that transfer the vehicle are the signed certificate of title, with the odometer and selling price entered on it, and the MV1 Title and License Plate Application. A bill of sale is still a useful record of the price, the as-is terms, and the date of sale.
No. Wisconsin does not require a vehicle bill of sale or the title transfer 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. (This reflects the absence of a notarization requirement in the WisDOT steps.) Both buyer and seller should still sign and date the bill of sale and keep a copy.
WisDOT publishes Form MV2928 (Selling a Vehicle), which includes a bill-of-sale section, but it is optional, not required. Wisconsin integrates the selling price and the odometer reading directly onto the certificate of title, so a separate bill of sale is supplementary. The required documents are the signed title and the MV1 Title and License Plate Application.
WisDOT collects the sales tax due on a vehicle purchase on behalf of the Department of Revenue, figured on the money paid for the vehicle minus any trade-in allowance, so the stated price drives the tax. 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 here, so check the current WisDOT tax tables.
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 taking delivery of the vehicle. Submit the signed certificate of title, with the odometer and selling price entered on it, the MV1 application, and payment for the title fee and the sales tax WisDOT collects.
Include the seller and buyer names and addresses, the vehicle description (VIN, year, make, model, body type, color), the odometer reading, the sale price (and any trade-in), the date of sale, an as-is statement if there is no warranty, and both signatures. In Wisconsin the odometer and selling price also go on the certificate of title itself, and for a model-year 2011 or newer vehicle the odometer reading is written on the back of the title.