North Dakota vehicle bill of sale

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

In a private sale with a North Dakota title, the seller writes the buyer's name and the selling price in the title assignment (NDCC 39-05-17), and NDDOT's checklist lists a bill of sale as required only for purchases from a dealership. NDDOT also publishes a Private Party Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 62502), which has no notary section and asks for the price, any gift relationship, the vehicle's condition, and any trade. If the seller cannot provide a title, a notarized Seller's Certificate and Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 2888) is required.

Use the official form if you prefer it: Private Party Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 62502).

North Dakota 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. Make sure every lien shown on the front of the title is released.
2. Complete and sign Part 1, the Assignment and Warranty of Title, with the buyer's legal name and address, the date of sale, and the selling price. A co-owner must also sign if the names are joined by "and".
3. For a 2011 or newer vehicle, complete the odometer disclosure, which is usually on the title.
4. If the vehicle is less than nine model years old, complete a Damage/Salvage Disclosure Statement (SFN 18609) for the buyer.
5. Deliver the signed title to the buyer within 30 days of the sale (NDCC 39-05-17).
6. Remove your license plates, because the registration expires when ownership transfers (NDCC 39-04-36).
7. To use your plates and remaining registration credit on a replacement vehicle, apply within 30 days of buying it and pay the $5 fee.

The seller signs Part 1, the Assignment and Warranty of Title, and prints the buyer's legal name and address and the selling price (NDCC 39-05-17; Registration Manual). For 2011 and newer vehicles, the seller also completes the odometer certification on the title. A company title must be countersigned. The title signature does not need a notary in North Dakota.

North Dakota doesn't require you to report the sale to the state. Instead, remove your plates at the sale, because the registration expires when ownership transfers (NDCC 39-04-36), and deliver the signed title to the buyer within 30 days.

North Dakota's plate-with-owner law covers most vehicles. When you sell, remove the plates; the registration expires and the vehicle is unlicensed (NDCC 39-04-36; Registration Manual). When you transfer the registration to a replacement vehicle, you must use those plates, and you get credit for the unused months by applying within 30 days of buying it and paying a $5 credit transfer fee. Lost plates are replaced for $5. The buyer may drive for up to five days with a dated bill of sale or a dated copy of the title, or use a temporary permit good for 75 days. The plate-with-owner rule does not apply to snowmobiles, off-highway vehicles, prorate trucks and trailers, antique and collector vehicles, DAV and POW plates, and government vehicles.

Inspection. None tied to the sale.

Odometer disclosure. For 2011 and newer vehicles, the seller completes the odometer disclosure, which is usually on the title (NDDOT What to Bring). Form SFN 2877 cannot be used for vehicles that need odometer disclosure; NDDOT points instead to its secure Reassignment/Odometer Disclosure form (SFN 18773). Federal rules exempt model year 2011 and newer vehicles once they are 20 years old (49 CFR 580.17).

Sales tax. The buyer pays a 5% motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price when applying for title (NDCC 57-40.3-02). SFN 62502 says the tax is based on the vehicle's fair market value under established standards and guides, so the parties must explain a price below fair market value. Gifts between spouses, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and brothers and sisters are exempt (NDCC 57-40.3-04).

The buyer has 30 days to apply for a new title. The title fee is $5.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Private Party Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 62502)
• Part 1, Assignment and Warranty of Title (SFN 2877)
• Damage/Salvage Disclosure Statement (SFN 18609)
• Seller's Certificate and Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 2888)
• Application for Certificate of Title and Registration of a Vehicle (SFN 2872)

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), Motor Vehicle Division 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.