North Carolina vehicle bill of sale

Fill in the free North Carolina bill of sale on this page and print it.

NCDMV's document list for a vehicle bought from an individual, donated or gifted does not include a bill of sale. It lists one only for vehicles bought from a dealer. Ownership is transferred on the back of the title, which must be notarized. We found no official NCDMV bill of sale form.

North Carolina doesn't publish a required list. A complete bill of sale usually has:

• The seller's and buyer's names and addresses
• Year, make, model and VIN
• Odometer reading
• Sale date and price
• An "as is" statement if there's no warranty
• Both signatures and the date

1. If there is a lien on the title, get a lien release to give the buyer.
2. With the buyer, complete the back of the title: buyer's name and address, date of sale or delivery, odometer reading (if required) and damage disclosure.
3. Sign and hand-print your name on the title in front of a notary.
4. Complete the odometer (MVR-180, if required) and damage (MVR-181) disclosure forms that NCDMV lists for a private sale.
5. Give the buyer the notarized title when you deliver the vehicle. Do not hand over a title signed in blank.
6. Remove your license plate. Transfer it to another vehicle, or surrender it at a license plate agency or by mail before you cancel your insurance.
7. If the sold vehicle still shows on your registration record, file a notarized form MVR-46F to have it canceled.

Back of the North Carolina title. The seller and buyer both complete it, and the seller signs and hand-prints their name in front of a notary. For an out-of-state title, NCDMV follows that state's rules.

North Carolina doesn't require you to report the sale to the state. Instead, remove your plate and surrender it (or transfer it to another vehicle) before canceling insurance. If the sold vehicle still appears on your registration record, file a notarized Affidavit for Removal of Registered Vehicle from Vehicle Registration Files (MVR-46F). Form: Affidavit for Removal of Registered Vehicle from Vehicle Registration Files (MVR-46F).

Remove the plate when you sell the vehicle (G.S. 20-72(a)). To move it to another vehicle, apply within 20 days after it was last used on the sold vehicle. A transfer fee applies in most cases. Otherwise, surrender the plate immediately at any license plate agency or by mail to NCDMV Vehicle Registration Section, Renewal, Title and Plate Unit, 3148 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27697-3148. Return the plate before you cancel liability insurance to avoid fines. Since Oct. 1, 2026, North Carolina uses all-electronic registration, without plate stickers or printed registration cards.

Inspection. A used vehicle bought in a private sale in North Carolina must be inspected before it is registered, unless it passed an inspection within the previous 12 months. In 19 counties, an emissions inspection is done at the same time as the safety inspection.

Odometer disclosure. The seller writes the mileage on the title (or the document used to reassign it), signs it and prints their name. The buyer prints their name, signs and gives an address (G.S. 20-347). Exempt: model year 2010 or older, and model year 2011 or newer vehicles transferred at least 20 years after January 1 of the model year. NCDMV also lists form MVR-180 for private sales. A damage disclosure, on the title or form MVR-181, is required too.

Sales tax. North Carolina charges a 3% highway-use tax instead of sales tax when a title is issued. For a sale by someone who is not a dealer, the tax is based on the vehicle's market value, presumed from the Commissioner's schedule of values, less any trade-in allowance. The buyer pays it when applying for title. Gifts between spouses, parent and child, or stepparent and stepchild are exempt with form MVR-613.

The buyer has 28 days to apply for a new title. The title fee is $66.75.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Title Application (MVR-1)
• Odometer Disclosure Statement (MVR-180)
• Damage Disclosure Statement (MVR-181)
• Highway Use Tax Exemption Certification (MVR-613)
• Affidavit for Removal of Registered Vehicle from Vehicle Registration Files (MVR-46F)

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) if anything about your sale is unusual. Last verified October 20, 2026.

Listing it first? Good photos sell cars faster: see how to take pictures of a car to sell, and read the full guide to selling a car. Buying or selling in another state? Pick it on the bill of sale page.