Pennsylvania Bill of Sale — Free Template & Generator
Pennsylvania notarises both ends of a private sale. The seller swears the assignment of title before a notary public, an authorised licensed auction, or an issuing agent; the buyer then has 20 days to present that same sworn certificate and apply for a new title. The bill of sale below records the price and the odometer that back both filings.
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How it works
- 01 Pennsylvania is already selected
The governing-law clause names the state; change it only if the sale happens elsewhere.
- 02 Enter the item and the parties
Vehicle, boat or general item — VIN and odometer, or HIN — plus price, payment method, seller and buyer.
- 03 Review clause by clause
The as-is terms, the seller’s title warranty and, for vehicles, the federal odometer statement.
- 04 Download, then file Pennsylvania’s paperwork
Word & PDF on your device; the state steps and forms are listed below, each cited to the source.
What Pennsylvania actually requires
Pennsylvania rules for a private sale
Last verified September 6, 2026- Notarisation Required on both sides
75 Pa.C.S. § 1111(a) requires the owner, on sale or transfer, to “execute an assignment and warranty of title to the transferee in the space provided on the certificate or as the department prescribes, sworn to before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths,” or verified by a licensed wholesale vehicle auction or a licensed issuing agent. Subsection (b) applies the same oath to the buyer’s side: the transferee applies “by presenting to the department the properly completed certificate of title, sworn to before a notary public.”
75 Pa.C.S. § 1111(a)–(b) (2025 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes)
- Buyer’s deadline 20 days
The transferee “shall, within 20 days of the assignment or reassignment of the certificate of title, apply for a new title.” The clock starts from the assignment being made, not from the day the buyer gets round to visiting an agent — which is why Pennsylvania sellers and buyers usually sign in front of the same notary or tag service on the day of the sale.
75 Pa.C.S. § 1111(b) (2025 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes)
- Odometer Federal disclosure at transfer
The mileage statement is a federal requirement that rides along with the Pennsylvania paperwork: the transferor must disclose the mileage in connection with the transfer of ownership, and the title issued to the buyer must contain the mileage the transferor disclosed. Exemptions are by age — 20 years after 1 January of the model year for model year 2011 and later, 10 years for 2010 and earlier — plus vehicles over 16,000 lb GVWR and vehicles that are not self-propelled.
How this document fits Pennsylvania’s paperwork
Official form: Pennsylvania moves ownership through the assignment and warranty of title in the space provided on the certificate — or as the department prescribes — sworn before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths, a licensed wholesale vehicle auction, or a licensed issuing agent. There is no separate state bill-of-sale form in that chain; the bill of sale is the parties’ own record.
Because the notary sees both signatures anyway, the practical Pennsylvania sequence is: agree the price, fill in this bill of sale, then take it with the title to a notary, tag service or licensed issuing agent and sign the assignment there. The bill of sale is what proves the purchase price for sales tax and what the buyer can point to if the odometer or the lien position is later disputed; the sworn assignment is what actually moves the title inside § 1111(b)’s 20 days.
FAQ
Pennsylvania bill of sale questions
- Does a Pennsylvania bill of sale have to be notarized?
- The Vehicle Code puts the oath on the title documents rather than on the bill of sale. § 1111(a) requires the seller’s assignment of title to be sworn before a notary public, an officer empowered to administer oaths, a licensed wholesale vehicle auction or a licensed issuing agent, and § 1111(b) requires the buyer to present a certificate of title sworn the same way. Signing the bill of sale in the same appointment is simply convenient.
- Who can notarize a Pennsylvania vehicle title?
- The statute names a notary public, another officer empowered to administer oaths, a wholesale vehicle auction licensed by the State Board of Vehicle Manufacturers, Dealers and Salespersons or its employee, and a licensed issuing agent. In practice most private sales are completed at a tag service or notary that is also an issuing agent, so the assignment and the new title application happen in one visit.
- How long do I have to transfer a title in Pennsylvania?
- 20 days from the assignment or reassignment of the certificate of title, under § 1111(b). Note the trigger: it runs from the assignment, not from when payment cleared or when the car was collected.
- What should a Pennsylvania bill of sale include?
- The seller’s and buyer’s names and addresses, the date, the sale price and how it was paid, a description of the vehicle with the VIN, the odometer reading, an as-is statement if the sale is as-is, and the seller’s warranty that the vehicle is free of liens. Those are the facts the sworn title assignment and the tax calculation both rely on.
- Is this legal advice?
- No. Free Contract Generator provides self-help templates and general information, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Vehicle-transfer rules are set by each state and change; confirm the current rule with the agency cited and consult a licensed attorney for advice about your situation.