South Dakota vehicle bill of sale

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

The Department says that in addition to the title, the seller should give the buyer a bill of sale, and its FAQ says you will need the bill of sale to sell a vehicle. The Department's Bill of Sale (Form 1025) has no notary section, and the buyer submits it with the title paperwork to the county treasurer. The must_include list below is the content of Form 1025.

Use the official form if you prefer it: Bill of Sale (1025).

South Dakota lists these items:

• Seller's name and address
• Buyer's name
• Date of sale
• Amount sold for
• Year, make and model
• VIN or hull identification number (HIN)
• Title number
• Seller's signature and date

1. Fill in the assignment on the title with the buyer's name and the date of sale, and sign it (SDCL 32-3-5 and 32-3-31).
2. Complete the odometer disclosure on the title before you hand it over (SDCL 32-3-30.1).
3. Give the buyer the signed title and a bill of sale (Form 1025); the law requires the title to be delivered within 45 days of the sale (SDCL 32-3-7).
4. Remove your license plates (SDCL 32-5-2.7).
5. Give the buyer a free seller's permit, printed online or at a county treasurer's kiosk, so the vehicle can be moved for up to 45 days (SDCL 32-5-2.9).
6. File a report of sale with the buyer's name and address at the time of sale, online or on Form 1024 (SDCL 32-5-2.10).
7. Move your plates to your next vehicle at the county treasurer to get credit for the unexpired months.

The seller fills in the assignment on the title showing the buyer's name and the date of purchase, signs it, and completes the odometer disclosure section on the title (SDCL 32-3-5, 32-3-30.1 and 32-3-31). The title signature does not need a notary in South Dakota.

Required. File Seller - Report of Sale (1024). You can file it online. It protects you if the buyer gets tickets or tolls, or abandons the car, before retitling it.

South Dakota is a plate with owner state. The seller must remove the plates; moving them to another vehicle gives credit for the unexpired months, but no refund is issued if they are not reattached. A seller who leaves the plates on the vehicle loses the credit, and the plates are no longer valid (SDCL 32-5-2.7). The seller gives the buyer a free seller's permit that is good until the vehicle is registered, but no later than 45 days after the purchase (SDCL 32-5-2.9).

Inspection. None tied to the sale.

Odometer disclosure. The owner or seller must complete the odometer disclosure on the title before transferring it, following the federal Truth in Mileage Act, and the Department may refuse to transfer the title if it is not completed (SDCL 32-3-30.1). Falsifying the odometer statement is a Class 6 felony. The Department also has a separate odometer disclosure form, Form 1021.

Sales tax. The buyer pays a 4% motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price, plus the $10 title fee, when titling at the county treasurer within 45 days, and the Department says there are no extensions. Transfers with no payment between spouses, parent and child, or siblings are exempt from the tax but still owe the $10 title fee. After 45 days, interest is added each month, after 60 days a penalty of 10% or $10 applies, and a late title fee of $1 a week, up to $50, also applies.

The buyer has 45 days to apply for a new title. The title fee is $10.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Bill of Sale (1025)
• Seller - Report of Sale (1024)
• Odometer disclosure statement (1021)
• Title application (completed by the buyer), 1001

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the South Dakota Department of Revenue, 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.