A Florida bill of sale is your written proof that a private sale happened: who sold what, to whom, for how much, and when. For a car, truck, or motorcycle, Florida publishes a combined Notice of Sale and Bill of Sale, Form HSMV 82050, and the document that actually moves ownership is the signed certificate of title plus the buyer's title application (Form HSMV 82040). Two clocks start on the day you sign. The buyer has 30 days to apply for a Florida title and pay 6 percent tax at a county tax collector office, and the seller should file a notice of sale within the same 30 days to drop liability.
Free to use. Legally binding under the ESIGN Act, UETA, and eIDAS.Updated November 2026 by Document eSign
A Florida bill of sale records the sale of personal property, most often a used vehicle, from a seller to a buyer. It fixes the four facts that matter if the deal is ever questioned: what was sold, who was on each side, the price, and the date. The general mechanics of a bill of sale are the same everywhere and are covered on our national bill of sale page. What Florida changes is specific. The state does publish its own form, HSMV 82050, titled Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale, so the same piece of paper can both serve as the receipt and give the state its notice of sale. Florida does not require that form or the certificate of title to be notarized for an ordinary sale. The buyer applies for a Florida title with Form HSMV 82040 within 30 days, pays 6 percent sales tax plus a county surtax on the first $5,000 of the price, and the seller has a separate duty to report the sale. The bill of sale does not move ownership on its own. The signed certificate of title does that, and the bill of sale is the supporting record. It is useful when the signed title is incomplete, when you need a clear paper trail for a boat or trailer, or simply to prove the price and date you agreed to.
Who uses it
A private seller of a used car, truck, or motorcycle in FloridaA buyer who needs the bill of sale to back up the title transfer or prove the priceA seller filing a notice of sale with the Florida DHSMV to drop liabilitySomeone handing a vehicle to a family member who still wants a paper recordAnyone selling a trailer, boat, or other personal property who wants a clear Florida paper trail
What's inside
The buyer and seller names and addresses
A full vehicle description with the VIN, plate number, make, model, model year, and color
The sale price, or a note that no money changed hands on a gift
The date of sale and how payment was made
An as-is clause that sells the property in its current condition, with no warranty
The seller's statement that they own it and it is free of liens
A federal and Florida odometer disclosure section, tied to the title assignment
A Florida clause covering Form HSMV 82040, the 30-day title deadline, the 6% tax, and the $20 late penalty
A notice-of-sale clause for the seller's Form HSMV 82050 duty
A governing-law line for Florida and a signature block for both parties
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The details
Everything to know before you send it.
1
What Florida actually requires
Florida is one of the states that does publish an official form. HSMV 82050 is titled Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel, and it does double duty: used as a bill of sale it records the deal, and filed with the state it serves as the seller's notice of sale. A bill of sale is not what legally transfers the car, though. Ownership moves when the seller completes the Transfer of Title by Seller section on the certificate of title and the buyer applies for a new title with Form HSMV 82040. Keep the bill of sale anyway: it records the price and date, it backs up the title assignment if it is ever questioned, and for untitled items like a trailer or furniture it may be the only proof the sale happened.
Record the make, model, model year, VIN, plate number, color, date of sale, and price.
The signed title plus the buyer's Form HSMV 82040 application moves ownership; the bill of sale is the supporting record.
Fill in the Transfer of Title by Seller section on the title cleanly; a crossed-out or altered assignment gets rejected at the tax collector office.
2
No notary needed, and that trips people up
You do not have to notarize a Florida vehicle sale. The FLHSMV title-processing procedure states plainly that notarization is not required in the Transfer of Title by Seller section of the certificate of title, even where the form leaves a space for it, and the HSMV 82050 is signed under penalty of perjury rather than before a notary. Plenty of out-of-state advice says otherwise, which is where the confusion comes from. A notary does come back in a few narrow situations: when someone signs the title under a power of attorney, when a lien release needs it, or when an out-of-state title is being brought into Florida and the paperwork calls for it. For an ordinary private sale between two people with a clean Florida title, no notary is involved, and an electronic signature on the bill of sale is valid.
The Florida title and the HSMV 82050 bill of sale do not need to be notarized for a normal sale.
A notary can still be required for a power of attorney, certain lien releases, or bringing in an out-of-state title.
If the vehicle was last titled outside Florida, expect a VIN verification (Form HSMV 82042) instead.
3
The buyer's 30-day clock, the tax, and the $20 penalty
Florida puts the first deadline on the buyer. Section 319.23, Florida Statutes, requires the application for a certificate of title to be filed within 30 days after the vehicle is delivered. You apply at a county tax collector or license plate agent office. At the counter you pay 6 percent state sales or use tax on the price you paid, from the Florida Department of Revenue's motor vehicle tax rules, plus the county discretionary sales surtax. The surtax is the part people miss: it applies only to the first $5,000 of the price and is charged at the rate for the county where you live, which the state lists on Form DR-15DSS. You also pay the state title fee, currently $75.25 for an electronic title or $77.75 for a printed paper title under section 319.32, along with registration and plate fees. Miss the 30-day window and section 319.23(6) adds a flat $20 late penalty fee on top.
Tax is 6% of the price, plus the county surtax on the first $5,000 only.
Apply within 30 days at a county tax collector office or pay the $20 late penalty.
The surtax rate follows the buyer's home county, not where the car was bought.
4
The seller's own deadline: the notice of sale
This is the Florida step sellers forget. After you hand over the keys, the state record still shows the car tied to you until the buyer titles it, and if the buyer drags their feet, tickets, tolls, and anything else the car does can trace back to you. The fix is the notice of sale. File it within 30 days, either by completing the Notice of Sale section on the back of the certificate of title or by submitting Form HSMV 82050 to a tax collector office. Filing it removes your registration from the vehicle and, as FLHSMV puts it, helps you avoid civil liability for the operation of the vehicle after the sale. Take your license plate off before the buyer drives away, too. In Florida the plate belongs to you, not the car, and you can transfer it to your next vehicle or surrender it.
5
Inspections: Florida does not have them
If you are coming from a state with yearly inspections, this part is simpler than you expect. Florida does not run a periodic safety inspection. It ended the statewide safety program in 1981. It also does not require emissions testing: the state operated an emissions program in a handful of counties through 2000, and the Department of Environmental Protection discontinued it that year. So there is no inspection sticker or emissions result a buyer has to produce to register a car here. The one check that can apply is a VIN verification on Form HSMV 82042, and only when the vehicle was last titled in another state or country. A Florida compliance examiner, a licensed dealer, a notary, or a law enforcement officer can complete it.
No annual safety inspection (ended 1981) and no emissions testing (ended 2000).
Nothing inspection-related blocks registering an ordinary in-state vehicle.
A VIN verification (Form HSMV 82042) applies only to out-of-state vehicles.
6
How to fill it in
Most fields are self-explanatory. The two to get exactly right are the vehicle description and the price, because the tax collector office and the tax calculation both read them.
Buyer and seller: full legal names and current addresses.
Vehicle: make, model, model year, the VIN, the plate number, and the color.
Price and date: the real amount paid, how it was paid, and the date of sale. For a genuine gift, note that no money changed hands rather than writing a token price.
Odometer: record the exact mileage and check the matching statement. Leave the section out for non-vehicles.
Both parties sign and each keeps a copy. The buyer applies for the title within 30 days, and the seller files the notice of sale.
7
Common mistakes
The errors that cause trouble later are easy to avoid.
Letting the buyer's 30-day title window lapse and picking up the $20 late penalty.
The seller skipping the notice of sale and staying on the hook for a car they no longer own.
Assuming the sale must be notarized and paying for a notary that Florida does not require.
Treating the bill of sale as the title transfer; the signed title plus Form HSMV 82040 is what moves ownership.
Forgetting the county surtax, or thinking it applies to the whole price rather than the first $5,000.
Leaving the VIN or the odometer line blank, or altering the title assignment.
This template and the guidance on this page are provided for general information only and are not legal advice. Laws differ by country and state, so review the final document against your own situation and have a qualified lawyer check anything high-value or regulated before you sign.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is a bill of sale required in Florida?
A bill of sale is not what legally transfers a vehicle in Florida; the signed certificate of title and the buyer's Application for Certificate of Title (Form HSMV 82040) do that. Florida does publish an official form, HSMV 82050, titled Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale, and it is worth using. As a bill of sale it records the price and date, it backs up the title assignment if it is ever questioned, and for untitled items it is often the only proof of the sale.
Does a Florida bill of sale need to be notarized?
No. Florida does not require a motor vehicle bill of sale or the certificate of title to be notarized for an ordinary sale. The FLHSMV title-processing procedure states that notarization is not required in the Transfer of Title by Seller section, even where the form leaves a space for it, and Form HSMV 82050 is signed under penalty of perjury. A notary can still be needed in narrow cases, such as a power of attorney, certain lien releases, or bringing an out-of-state title into Florida. An electronic signature is valid.
What is the Florida bill of sale form number?
It is HSMV 82050, the Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel, published by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The separate form the buyer files to get a new title is HSMV 82040, the Application for Certificate of Title. This template gives you a clean bill of sale to keep alongside the signed title and the title application.
How long do I have to transfer a title in Florida?
The buyer has 30 days from the date the vehicle is delivered to apply for a Florida certificate of title, under section 319.23, Florida Statutes. You apply at a county tax collector or license plate agent office. If you apply 30 days or more after the sale, section 319.23(6) adds a $20 late penalty fee on top of the normal title and registration charges.
How much is sales tax on a used car in Florida?
Florida charges 6 percent state sales or use tax on the price you paid, under the Department of Revenue's motor vehicle tax rules, plus a county discretionary sales surtax. The surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the price and is set by the county where you live, listed on Form DR-15DSS. You pay the tax, the state title fee ($75.25 for an electronic title or $77.75 for paper), and registration and plate fees when you title the vehicle.
Does the seller have to do anything after the sale in Florida?
Yes, and sellers often miss it. Within 30 days of the sale, file a notice of sale with FLHSMV, either by completing the Notice of Sale section on the back of the title or by submitting Form HSMV 82050. That removes your registration from the vehicle and helps you avoid civil liability for what the buyer does with it. Remove your license plate as well, since in Florida the plate stays with the seller and can move to your next vehicle.
Does Florida require a car inspection or emissions test?
No. Florida ended its statewide safety inspection program in 1981 and discontinued emissions testing in 2000, so there is no inspection or emissions result a buyer needs to register an ordinary vehicle. The only check that can apply is a VIN verification on Form HSMV 82042, and only when the vehicle was last titled in another state or country. A Florida examiner, a licensed dealer, a notary, or a law enforcement officer can complete it.
Is the Florida bill of sale available in Word and PDF?
Yes. Download the Florida bill of sale as a Word (.docx) file and edit it in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Pages, or download a print-ready PDF. You can also fill it in and sign online without downloading anything.
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