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Indiana · Paperwork

Indiana bill of sale — requirements and free generator

Indiana runs private sales through the title, on a 45-day clock. The seller assigns the certificate of title; the buyer applies for a new one at the BMV within 45 days of the purchase, or pays a $30 administrative penalty on top of the normal fees. At that same BMV visit the buyer pays Indiana’s 7% sales tax on the purchase price — private-party sales are not exempt, and if you paid another state less than Indiana would have charged, you owe the difference. The bill of sale has an unusually well-defined legal role here: the BMV publishes exactly when one is accepted as proof of ownership (vehicles that do not require a title, sheriff’s sales, certain older trailers and off-road vehicles, auctioned abandoned vehicles) and states flatly that "a bill of sale cannot be used to transfer vehicle ownership for a vehicle that requires a certificate of title." For a normal car sale, then, the bill of sale is not the transfer instrument — it is the record of the price the BMV taxes and the date liability changed hands. It never needs a notary.

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

Indiana: bill of sale — required in some cases · notarization: not required

A bill of sale (State Form 44237) is accepted as proof of ownership only in limited circumstances; normally the title does the work.

Official state form: State Form 44237 — for DMV title/registration paperwork, use the official form; keep this generated document as your signed record of the deal.

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MOTOR VEHICLE BILL OF SALE

State of Indiana

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.

Indiana requirements for a private sale

  • ✓Apply for the new title within 45 days of the purchase — after that the BMV charges a $30 administrative penalty (in.gov/bmv, Buying & Selling).
  • ✓Indiana collects 7% sales tax on the purchase price when the buyer titles a privately purchased vehicle at the BMV; tax paid to another state below Indiana’s amount means paying the difference.
  • ✓"A bill of sale cannot be used to transfer vehicle ownership for a vehicle that requires a certificate of title" — the assigned title is the transfer document (in.gov/bmv).
  • ✓A bill of sale (State Form 44237 or equivalent) works as proof of ownership only in limited cases: vehicles not required to be titled, sheriff’s sales, pre-1990 utility trailers, pre-2016 pop-up campers, pre-2010 off-road vehicles, and abandoned vehicles sold at auction.
  • ✓The BMV lists what the document must contain: purchaser’s name, vehicle year/make/model, VIN, and the seller’s signature and address — and confirms it need not be notarized.
  • ✓The title assignment carries the federal odometer disclosure — required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles.

Notarization: not required

The BMV says it directly: the bill of sale "is not required to be notarized or signed under penalties for perjury." Indiana title assignments do not require a notary either — the state dropped that formality years ago, so the entire private sale closes with plain signatures.

Official form

Indiana’s official Bill of Sale is State Form 44237, published by the BMV — but its official role is narrow: proof of ownership for the handful of vehicle types that do not take a title. For an ordinary car or truck sale it is optional paperwork, and a generated bill of sale with the BMV’s required fields (purchaser, vehicle, VIN, seller signature and address) does the same job.

Worked example: selling a car in Indiana

Say you buy a 2016 Chevy Equinox LT in Indianapolis for $9,500. The seller assigns the title — price, odometer, signature — and you both keep a signed bill of sale recording the $9,500 and the handover date. At the BMV you pay 7% sales tax: $665, plus title fees. Go before day 45 and that is the whole bill; show up on day 50 and a $30 administrative penalty joins it. The bill of sale earns its keep twice: it is the number the BMV taxes, and if the Equinox gets photographed running a toll three days after the sale, the dated document shows exactly when it stopped being the seller’s problem.

Indiana bill of sale FAQ

Can I use a bill of sale to title a car in Indiana?

Not for a normal car — the BMV is explicit that a bill of sale cannot transfer ownership of any vehicle that requires a certificate of title. It counts as proof of ownership only for special cases like pre-1990 utility trailers, pre-2010 off-road vehicles, sheriff’s sales, and auctioned abandoned vehicles.

How long do I have to title a vehicle in Indiana after buying it?

45 days from the purchase. Applying later adds a $30 administrative penalty to the transaction. The BMV visit is also where the 7% sales tax on your purchase price gets paid, so budget for both at once.

Do I pay sales tax when buying a car from a private seller in Indiana?

Yes — 7% of the purchase price, collected by the BMV when you apply for the title. There is no casual-sale exemption in Indiana. The price on your bill of sale and title assignment is what the tax is computed on, which is one more reason to document it accurately.

What must an Indiana bill of sale include?

Per the BMV: the purchaser’s name, the vehicle’s year, make, and model, the VIN (mandatory when the document serves as primary proof of ownership), and the seller’s signature and address. Notarization is not required. Adding the price, date, and an as-is clause — as this generator does — protects both sides.

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