Rhode Island vehicle bill of sale

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When a vehicle is bought from a private seller, the buyer pays sales or use tax before registering and must show a bill of sale, or a copy, that supports the selling price (280-RICR-20-70-28.8(E)). If the buyer moves plates from another vehicle, they must carry the original bill of sale while driving during the 30-day transfer period (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-10). We found no notarization requirement for a bill of sale.

Rhode Island lists these items:

• Selling price (the buyer must show it when paying the sales or use tax)
• Date of sale
• Make and vehicle identification number (VIN)
• Seller's signature and address
• Registration number being transferred, if the buyer moves plates from another vehicle (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-10)
• Statement that both buyer and seller examined the title and it correctly reflects the odometer mileage (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23.2-6)

1. Sign the assignment and warranty of title in the space on the title, and give the title to the buyer when you deliver the vehicle (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-12).
2. Enter the odometer reading on the title and on the DMV mileage form, and have the buyer sign that you both viewed the odometer (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23.2-6).
3. Give the buyer a bill of sale with the selling price, date, make, VIN, and your signature and address.
4. Remove your plates, because the registration expires when ownership transfers (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-1).
5. Write the buyer's name, address and the transfer date on the back of your registration certificate and send it to the DMV right away (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-2).
6. Return the plates to the DMV and keep the receipt, or register another vehicle within 10 days and transfer the plates to it.

The seller signs the assignment and warranty of title in the space provided on the certificate of title and writes the odometer reading on the title (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 31-3.1-12 and 31-23.2-6). The seller also writes the buyer's name, address and the transfer date on the back of the registration certificate. The title signature does not need a notary in Rhode Island.

Required: registration certificate endorsement and plate return. Rhode Island has no separate notice of sale form.

Registration expires when the vehicle is sold. The seller removes the plates and either returns them to the DMV for a receipt or transfers them to another vehicle with the required fees; the plates do not have to be returned if the seller registers another vehicle within 10 days (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 31-4-1, 31-4-2 and 31-3-41). A seller who moves the plates to a newly bought vehicle may drive it for up to 30 days while carrying the original bill of sale (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-4-10).

Inspection. None tied to a private sale. Dealers must sell used vehicles with a new inspection (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-38-1). Rhode Island vehicles are inspected every two years, the DMV will not register a vehicle that is missing a required inspection, and the inspection fee is $55 (280-RICR-30-15-1).

Odometer disclosure. The seller writes the mileage on the title and on a DMV form signed by the seller and buyer stating that both viewed the odometer, attached to the transfer document. If the reading is not the true mileage, the seller marks it as not actual mileage. Any sales agreement between the parties must state that both buyer and seller examined the title and it correctly reflects the odometer mileage (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-23.2-6).

Sales tax. The buyer pays Rhode Island's 7% sales or use tax (R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-18-18) directly to the Division of Taxation on the Use Tax Return, Motor Vehicles (Form T-334-1), and must show a bill of sale or copy that supports the selling price. The tax is due before registration or by the 20th day of the month after the purchase, whichever comes first (280-RICR-20-70-28), and proof of payment is needed to register (R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3-4).

The title fee is $50.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Registration and title application (TR-1)

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles 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.