Legal form · Vehicles · official sources
Pennsylvania vehicle bill of sale
As of October 26, 2026, a Pennsylvania seller signs the title before a notary or authorized PennDOT agent, and the buyer has 20 days from that assignment to apply for a new title.1
Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 1111 requires the seller’s assignment and warranty of title to be sworn to before a notary public or another officer empowered to administer oaths.1
In Pennsylvania the agent, dealer or online processor sends the title application straight to PennDOT and keeps the paperwork out of the customer’s hands.2
Pennsylvania at a glance
- Buyer must title within
- 20 days1
A dash or a missing box means the official pages we read do not state that rule; we never fill it in from memory.
Preview of the document
Vehicle Bill of Sale
State of Pennsylvania
1. The parties
This Vehicle Bill of Sale is made on Date between Seller’s full name (the “Seller”) and Buyer’s full name (the “Buyer”).
2. The vehicle
The Seller sells and transfers to the Buyer the following motor vehicle (the “Vehicle”): year Year, make Make, model Model, vehicle identification number (VIN) VIN.
3. Purchase price or gift
4. Odometer statement
5. Condition and warranty
6. Ownership and title
7. Title, registration and taxes
8. Entire agreement
9. Signatures
Sections 3–9 unlock after purchase. Prepared with SimplePaperwork, which is not a law firm.
Pennsylvania’s rules, with sources
- State form
- PennDOT’s fact sheet tells the Pennsylvania seller to get a receipt from the buyer acknowledging delivery of the vehicle and the transferred title, and prints an example of one.2
- In the sample PennDOT receipt, the buyer signs a statement acknowledging a properly assigned title and delivery of the vehicle described.2
- PennDOT tells the Pennsylvania seller to keep the signed buyer’s receipt as evidence of the sale and of delivery of the vehicle.2
- Form MV-3 tells a Pennsylvania buyer to keep the receipt from the seller, the canceled check or cash receipt and the form itself, because the Department of Revenue may audit the sale.3
- A used vehicle with a Pennsylvania title is transferred with Form MV-4ST, the Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration, which only authorized PennDOT agents have.4
- When a vehicle is a gift, Pennsylvania requires Form MV-13ST, the Affidavit of Gift, completed by everyone giving and receiving it and attached to the title application.4
- Signing
- Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 1111 requires the seller’s assignment and warranty of title to be sworn to before a notary public or another officer empowered to administer oaths.1
- PennDOT says the Pennsylvania seller writes in the buyer’s name and address and the odometer reading and signs the title in the presence of an authorized agent, and the buyer signs and prints a name as well.2
- An authorized dealership may verify Sections A and D of a Pennsylvania certificate of title in place of a notary.2
- PennDOT recommends that the Pennsylvania buyer and seller meet at a notary, tag service or motor vehicle dealer so the title application is completed correctly.4
- Deadlines
- Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 1111 gives the buyer 20 days from the assignment of the title to apply for a new title.1
- A used vehicle sold in Pennsylvania without a valid inspection sticker has to be inspected within 10 days of the sale, and that is the buyer’s job.2
- A Pennsylvania buyer with no plate to transfer can get a temporary registration, valid for 90 days, from an authorized PennDOT agent.2
- Where it is filed
- In Pennsylvania the agent, dealer or online processor sends the title application straight to PennDOT and keeps the paperwork out of the customer’s hands.2
- After the transfer, the Pennsylvania seller removes the registration plate, never hands it to the buyer, and either moves it to another vehicle or returns it to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.2
- When a lienholder holds the Pennsylvania title electronically, a paper title has to be obtained before the seller can transfer the vehicle.2
- Taxes and fees
- Pennsylvania sales tax on a vehicle is 6 percent of the purchase price or current market value, 7 percent for Allegheny County residents and 8 percent for City of Philadelphia residents.2
- The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue figures vehicle sales tax on fair market value and may review a sale priced far below it, which PennDOT says often happens between family members.4
- Form MV-3 asks the Pennsylvania buyer and seller to explain a price below 80 percent of the average fair market value, or under $500 for a vehicle more than 15 years old.3
- Authorized PennDOT agents may charge their own market-driven service fee in addition to the state’s statutory fees.2
- Law
- Under Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 1111, the seller must deliver the certificate of title to the buyer at the time the vehicle is delivered.1
- Breaking the Pennsylvania title assignment rule is a summary offense, with a $100 fine for a first offense and $300 to $1,000 for a later one.1
- Seller and buyer each sign Form MV-3 under penalty of perjury under Pennsylvania law, and a conviction for unsworn falsification carries a fine of at least $1,000.3
Questions about a Pennsylvania bill of sale
Is a bill of sale required to sell a car in Pennsylvania?
The document that moves ownership is the Pennsylvania title: the seller completes Section A on the back, the buyer completes Section D on the front, and an authorized PennDOT agent files it with Form MV-4ST. Neither checklist in PennDOT’s fact sheet lists a bill of sale.
What PennDOT does suggest is a receipt. Its fact sheet prints a sample “Buyer’s Acknowledgement of Delivery of Vehicle & Title” with the sale date, make, year and model, title number, VIN and the buyer’s name and address; the buyer signs it and the seller keeps it as evidence of the sale.2,4
Does a Pennsylvania vehicle sale need a notary?
The title assignment does. Section 1111 of the Vehicle Code has the seller swear to it before a notary public or another officer who can administer oaths, or have it verified by a licensed dealer that is an issuing agent. PennDOT’s fact sheet adds that an authorized dealership may verify Sections A and D instead of a notary.
Both people sign and print their names in front of the agent, which is why PennDOT suggests meeting at a notary, tag service or dealer.1,2,4
How long does a Pennsylvania buyer have to title the vehicle?
Twenty days from the assignment of the title, under Section 1111(b). Within 10 days of the sale the buyer also has to get the vehicle inspected if it lacks a valid inspection sticker.
A buyer who has no plate to move over can drive on a temporary registration, valid for 90 days, issued by an authorized PennDOT agent.1,2
How is sales tax figured on a private Pennsylvania car sale?
At 6 percent of the purchase price or the current market value, rising to 7 percent in Allegheny County and 8 percent in Philadelphia. The Department of Revenue looks at fair market value, so a family sale at a token price can be reviewed.
When the price is under 80 percent of the average fair market value, or below $500 for a vehicle over 15 years old, the agent completes Form MV-3 and both parties explain the price under penalty of perjury.2–4
What happens to the license plate after a Pennsylvania sale?
It stays with the seller. Once the title is transferred the seller takes the plate off, keeps it for another vehicle or mails it back to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; it should never go to the buyer.2,4
What to have at hand
- Vehicle identification number (VIN), year, make, model and plate
- Odometer reading on the day of sale
- Sale price, or the value if it is a gift
- Full legal names and addresses of seller and buyer
It does not replace the title. Ownership moves when the signed title and the state’s title application reach the motor vehicle agency.
Frequently asked questions
Who keeps the receipt in a Pennsylvania private sale?
The seller keeps the buyer’s signed acknowledgment of delivery, per PennDOT’s fact sheet. When Form MV-3 is used, the buyer is told to keep the receipt from the seller, the canceled check or cash receipt and a copy of the title application in case the Department of Revenue audits the sale.2,3
Can a Pennsylvania buyer take the title paperwork to PennDOT in person?
In most cases the transfer runs through an authorized PennDOT agent, tag service or dealer, and the fact sheet says the agent must send the application directly to PennDOT and may not hand the paperwork to the customer.2
Where this information comes from
Pennsylvania’s rules above come from the state’s own statutes, agency pages and forms, read on the date shown. A rule that passes its review date without a new check is removed automatically.
- Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S. § 1111, Transfer of ownership of vehicle Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Buying or Selling Your Vehicle in Pennsylvania (PennDOT fact sheet, February 2025) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Motor Vehicle Verification of Fair Market Value by the Issuing Agent (Form MV-3, rev. 3-25) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Buying or Selling a Vehicle (PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
Something changed? Tell us what is out of date and we will check the official page again.