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North Carolina · Paperwork

North Carolina bill of sale — requirements and free generator

North Carolina puts the legal weight on the title, and it puts a notary in the room. Under N.C.G.S. § 20-72(b), the seller must execute the assignment and warranty of title on the back of the NC title in the presence of a person authorized to administer oaths — in practice, a notary public — and title does not pass until that assignment is executed and the vehicle delivered. A separate bill of sale is never required by statute, but NCDMV recommends one and it is the natural place to record the as-is terms. The buyer then has 28 days to apply for a new title (N.C.G.S. § 20-73; a $20 civil penalty applies after that). At the License Plate Agency the buyer pays the $66.75 title fee plus the 3% Highway Use Tax instead of sales tax — and for private-party sales, N.C.G.S. § 105-187.3 bases that 3% on the vehicle’s market value, not automatically on the price you wrote down.

Not legal advice — general information for North Carolina. Last reviewed: July 2026.

North Carolina: bill of sale — recommended · notarization: not required

North Carolina title assignments are signed before a notary; the bill of sale is supporting proof of the price and terms.

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MOTOR VEHICLE BILL OF SALE

State of North Carolina

1. The Parties. This Bill of Sale is made effective as of ______________________ (the “Sale Date”) by and between ______________________, with a mailing address of ________________________________________ (the “Seller”), and ______________________, with a mailing address of ________________________________________(the “Buyer”).

2. The Property.The Seller agrees to sell, transfer, and deliver to the Buyer the following described property (the “Property”):

  • Year: ________
  • Make: ______________________
  • Model: ______________________
  • Color: ____________
  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): ______________________
  • Odometer Reading: ____________ miles

3. Consideration. The Buyer agrees to pay the Seller the total sum of $____________ USD, receipt of which is acknowledged by the Seller as full payment for the Property.

4. Ownership. The Seller certifies that the Seller is the legal owner of the Property, that the Property is sold free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims, and that the Seller has full right and authority to sell and transfer it.

5. Odometer Disclosure Statement

Federal law (49 U.S.C. § 32705) requires that you state the mileage upon transfer of ownership. Failure to complete an odometer statement, or providing a false statement, may result in fines and/or imprisonment. I, ______________________, certify to the best of my knowledge that the odometer reading of ____________ miles:

  • ☑ reflects the ACTUAL mileage of the vehicle;
  • ☐ exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits;
  • ☐ is NOT the actual mileage — WARNING: ODOMETER DISCREPANCY.

6. Condition. The Buyer accepts the Property in its present condition, “AS-IS, WHERE-IS”, with all faults. The Seller makes no warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, except the warranty of ownership stated above.

Seller’s Signature

Printed Name: ______________________

Date: ____________________

Buyer’s Signature

Printed Name: ______________________

Date: ____________________

Generated with the free Brixaz bill of sale generator (brixaz.com/tools/bill-of-sale). General information, not legal advice. For vehicles, the certificate of title transfers ownership — this document is supporting proof of the sale.

North Carolina requirements for a private sale

  • ✓The seller signs the title assignment before a notary — N.C.G.S. § 20-72(b) requires execution "in the presence of a person authorized to administer oaths"; a pre-signed title can be rejected.
  • ✓No bill of sale is required by law, and NCDMV publishes no official form — but a signed bill of sale is recommended proof of price, date, and as-is terms.
  • ✓The buyer applies for a new title within 28 days (N.C.G.S. § 20-73); missing the window carries a $20 civil penalty.
  • ✓At the License Plate Agency the buyer files Form MVR-1 (Title Application), shows NC insurance and ID, and pays the $66.75 title fee (NCDMV fee schedule, eff. July 1, 2024).
  • ✓The 3% Highway Use Tax replaces sales tax (N.C.G.S. § 105-187.3); for sales by a non-dealer it is computed on the vehicle’s market value, less any trade-in allowance.
  • ✓The seller removes the license plates — NC plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle (N.C.G.S. § 20-72(a)).

Notarization: not required

The bill of sale itself does not need a notary in North Carolina — but the title assignment does. Both parties usually meet at a notary (banks, UPS stores, some License Plate Agencies) so the seller can sign the title correctly in one stop.

Official form

NCDMV has no official bill-of-sale form for private vehicle sales — its forms library (MVR series) covers the title application (MVR-1) and odometer disclosure, not the receipt. A generated bill of sale like this one fills that gap.

Worked example: selling a car in North Carolina

Say you buy a 2018 Honda CR-V EX in Raleigh for $15,200. The seller signs the title assignment in front of a notary at her bank; you both sign two copies of the bill of sale. Within 28 days you take the notarized title, Form MVR-1, and proof of NC insurance to a License Plate Agency in Wake County. You pay the $66.75 title fee and 3% Highway Use Tax — if NCDMV values the CR-V at $15,200, that is $456; if its market-value data says $16,000, the 3% runs on $16,000 ($480) even though you paid less. Miss the 28-day window and a $20 penalty is added. There is no county add-on: the 3% HUT is the same in all 100 counties.

North Carolina bill of sale FAQ

Does a car title have to be notarized in North Carolina?

Yes. N.C.G.S. § 20-72(b) requires the seller to execute the title assignment before a person authorized to administer oaths — a notary. The buyer’s side of the paperwork (MVR-1) is signed at the License Plate Agency. The bill of sale, by contrast, needs no notary.

I signed the NC title at home before seeing a notary. Now what?

A notary cannot legally notarize a signature that was not made in their presence, and NCDMV can reject the assignment. In practice the fix is usually applying for a duplicate title (Form MVR-4) and signing the fresh one correctly before a notary — an avoidable multi-week delay. Never sign the title until the notary is watching.

How much is the Highway Use Tax on a private sale in NC?

3%, with no local add-ons, paid when the buyer titles the vehicle. For private (non-dealer) sales, N.C.G.S. § 105-187.3 sets the base at the vehicle’s market value less any trade-in — NCDMV uses its own valuation data, so writing a lowball price on the bill of sale does not lower the tax.

Do the license plates go with the car in North Carolina?

No — the seller removes the plates and either transfers them to another vehicle they own or returns them to NCDMV (N.C.G.S. § 20-72(a)). The buyer needs insurance in place to get a new plate at the License Plate Agency, so the car cannot legally drive home on the old plate.

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