Does a Bill of Sale Need to Be Notarized?

For most everyday sales — furniture, electronics, a used bike sold to a neighbor — a bill of sale is a simple written record and doesn't need to be notarized. Vehicle and boat sales are the real exception: a handful of states specifically require a notarized bill of sale before their titling agency will process the ownership transfer, on top of (not instead of) whatever the title document itself requires.

States That Require a Notarized Bill of Sale for Vehicles

Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and West Virginia are the states most consistently cited as requiring notarization for a private-party vehicle bill of sale, though several other states (including Texas, Florida, and Arkansas) require it in specific situations rather than universally — for example, when the sale price isn't otherwise documented on a notarized title assignment. Confirm directly with your state's DMV or titling agency before your sale, the same way you would for a title transfer itself — see the related guide below for why this category of rule shifts by state and over time.

Louisiana is worth calling out specifically: beyond a standard sale, the state also requires notarization for an "Act of Donation" — the document used when a vehicle is gifted rather than sold, such as to a family member. Both the donor's and recipient's signatures need to be notarized on that form, a requirement that's easy to miss since "I'm not selling it, I'm giving it away" sounds like it should be simpler, not the same process plus paperwork.

What a Bill of Sale Should Include

• Full names and addresses of buyer and seller
• Item description — for a vehicle, this means year, make, model, and VIN
• Sale price and date of sale
• Signatures of both parties (and, where required, a notary acknowledgment)
• Odometer reading, for vehicle sales — separate from federal odometer disclosure requirements, which apply regardless of notarization

Why Notarizing a Bill of Sale Even When It's Optional Can Help

Even in states that don't require it, a notarized bill of sale carries more weight if a dispute arises later — over the sale price for tax purposes, whether the item was sold "as-is," or whether the transaction happened at all. Notarization doesn't verify the truth of what the document says, only that the named signer really is who they claim to be and signed willingly — but that identity verification is often exactly what's in question if a bill of sale is ever challenged.