Legal form · Vehicles · official sources
Virginia vehicle bill of sale
As of October 26, 2026, in Virginia the sales price the seller writes on the title counts as the bill of sale; the buyer has 30 days to title the vehicle and pays 4.15% tax.1
Every owner listed on a Virginia title must print and sign as seller in Section A, along with the buyer’s name and address, the odometer reading, the date and the price.2
A Virginia buyer can take the completed title to a DMV customer service center or a DMV Select office, or mail it to the DMV.2
Virginia at a glance
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 Virginia
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.
Virginia’s rules, with sources
- State form
- For a sale between private individuals, the Virginia DMV treats the sales price the seller enters on the title certificate as the bill of sale.1
- When a Virginia vehicle is more than five years old and the title shows no sales price or a wrong one, the DMV accepts the Vehicle Price Certification (SUT 1) or a handwritten bill of sale.1
- A handwritten Virginia bill of sale must carry the signatures of seller and buyer and state the purchase price, year, make, model, vehicle identification number and date of sale.1
- The Virginia DMV says a bill of sale can be a handwritten statement signed by seller and purchaser or its own Vehicle Price Certification form signed by either one.4
- Virginia’s SUT 1 is meant for individuals, not dealers, certifying the purchase price of a vehicle more than five years old in order to obtain a title.5
- Signing
- Every owner listed on a Virginia title must print and sign as seller in Section A, along with the buyer’s name and address, the odometer reading, the date and the price.2
- Whoever signs Virginia’s Vehicle Price Certification makes the price statement under penalty of perjury.5
- For a vehicle five years old or less, Virginia’s Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (SUT 1A) has to be notarized before it is submitted with the titling paperwork.6
- Deadlines
- Code of Virginia Section 46.2-630 gives the buyer thirty days to send the signed-over title to the DMV with an application for registration and title.3
- Where it is filed
- A Virginia buyer can take the completed title to a DMV customer service center or a DMV Select office, or mail it to the DMV.2
- A vehicle that already has a Virginia title can be transferred entirely online through the DMV’s electronic titling, without a dealer.4
- A Virginia seller must notify the DMV of a sale, trade or donation, online, at a customer service center or by phone.2
- The Virginia DMV tells sellers to remove the license plates before the buyer takes possession of the vehicle.2
- Taxes and fees
- Virginia collects a 4.15 percent motor vehicle sales and use tax at titling whenever a vehicle is sold or changes owner.1
- The Virginia sales and use tax is computed on the gross sales price, with a $75 minimum.1
- A Virginia vehicle less than five years old needs the SUT-1A affidavit when its sales price is not within $1,500 of the NADA trade-in value.1
- The Virginia DMV lists a $15 titling fee, on top of the sales and use tax.4
- A Virginia buyer who receives a vehicle as a gift writes “gift” as the price and fills out the Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption (SUT-3).2
- Law
- Under Code of Virginia Section 46.2-628, a seller who willfully fails to endorse the title assignment fully and correctly commits a Class 3 misdemeanor.7
Questions about a Virginia bill of sale
Is the Virginia title itself the bill of sale?
For a private sale, yes. The DMV reads the price the seller writes in Section A of the title as the bill of sale, so a separate receipt is usually not needed to title the vehicle.
Section A also holds the buyer’s name and address, the odometer reading and the date, and every owner on the title signs as seller. The seller hands the title over together with the vehicle; willfully failing to endorse it correctly is a Class 3 misdemeanor.1,2,7
When does Virginia ask for a separate bill of sale?
When the price is missing or wrong on the title. For a vehicle more than five years old, the buyer can bring the DMV’s Vehicle Price Certification (SUT 1) or a handwritten bill of sale signed by both sides with the price, year, make, model, VIN and sale date.
For a vehicle five years old or less, the DMV asks for the Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (SUT 1A) when the price is more than $1,500 away from the NADA trade-in value.1,4,5
Does a Virginia bill of sale need a notary?
The DMV’s instructions ask for the seller’s and buyer’s signatures on a handwritten bill of sale, and the SUT 1 is signed by either party under penalty of perjury.
A notary enters with the SUT 1A: its instructions say to complete the form, have it notarized and submit it with the titling paperwork.1,5,6
How long does a Virginia buyer have to title the vehicle?
Thirty days. Section 46.2-630 has the buyer write a name and address in ink on the title and forward it to the DMV with the application for registration and title within that period.
The title can go in at a customer service center, at DMV Select or by mail, and a vehicle already titled in Virginia can be transferred online.2–4
What does a Virginia buyer pay at titling?
A 4.15 percent sales and use tax on the gross sales price, never less than $75, plus the $15 titling fee. Registration fees are separate.
A vehicle received as a gift shows “gift” as the price on the title, and the buyer certifies the exemption on form SUT-3.1,2,4
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
Does the Virginia seller have to tell the DMV about the sale?
Yes. The DMV says the seller must report a sale, trade or donation, online, at a customer service center or by phone, and should remove the license plates before the buyer drives away.2
Can a Virginia title transfer be done online?
When the vehicle already has a Virginia title, the DMV’s electronic titling lets buyer and seller transfer ownership online, with no dealer involved; this route issues a new registration and plates.4
Where this information comes from
Virginia’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.
- Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax (Virginia DMV) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Buying/Selling a Vehicle (Virginia DMV) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-630, Transfer and application for certificate of title forwarded to Department Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Title Your Vehicle or Trailer (Virginia DMV) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Vehicle Price Certification (SUT 1, 06/10/2014) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Affidavit of Vehicle Purchase Price (SUT 1A, 08/10/2017) Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-628, How certificate of title transferred Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
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