Sales And Transfers
Vehicle Sale Agreement
Sell or buy a vehicle with the terms written down — price, payment, condition, odometer disclosure, and how any outstanding loan gets cleared.
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Customized Agreements
$29.99Guided questions and tailored clauses for agreements that need specific protections.
When to use this document
- A private sale between individuals
- A sale where the buyer pays over time or leaves a deposit
- A vehicle with an outstanding loan that needs paying off at transfer
- Any sale where delivery happens later than payment
Information you will need
- Seller and buyer details, matching the title
- Year, make, model, VIN, and current registration
- Odometer reading and its disclosure status
- Title status and any lien, with how it will be paid off
- Price, payment terms, and payment method
- Condition, known defects, and whether it is sold as is
- Delivery date, when risk of loss passes, and the governing state
What you receive
- A nine-article Vehicle Sale Agreement
- Signature blocks for seller and buyer
- Completion and transfer instructions
- PDF and editable DOCX export
Special situations
- A vehicle cannot transfer clear while a lienholder holds the title. Where a loan is outstanding, arrange the payoff through the lender rather than paying the seller and trusting them to clear it.
- Federal law requires the mileage disclosed on transfer, and a false statement can carry fines or imprisonment. This agreement records it between the parties; the disclosure on the title itself is separate and still required.
- A salvage or rebuilt title materially changes value and insurability, and failing to disclose one is actionable in every state.
- Cashier's cheques are forged routinely and transfers can be reversed. Wait for funds to actually clear before handing over keys and title.
- File the release of liability with your state promptly. Until you do, tickets and tolls the buyer incurs can still come to you.
Jurisdiction
Titling, transfer deadlines, sales tax, emissions and inspection requirements, and disclosure duties are set by state law and vary. This agreement states no deadline or tax rate, and directs both parties to the requirements where the vehicle is registered.
Frequently asked questions
The seller still owes money on the car. Can we do this?
Yes, but carefully. The lender holds the title until the loan is cleared, so the transfer cannot complete until it is. Arrange the payoff directly with the lender — a buyer who pays the seller and trusts them to clear the loan can end up with neither the money nor a title.
Do I have to fill in the odometer reading?
Yes, and on the title itself as well as here. Federal law requires the mileage disclosed on transfer of ownership and states that a false statement may result in fines or imprisonment. If the reading is not the true mileage, the honest disclosure is to say so.
What does selling as is actually protect me from?
It disclaims implied warranties in most states, so the buyer cannot come back over ordinary faults. It does not protect a seller who concealed something they knew about — that is misrepresentation regardless. Disclosing known defects protects you far more than staying quiet.
When should I hand over the keys?
After the funds have actually cleared, not when a payment has been presented. A cashier's cheque can be forged and a transfer can be reversed days later. The gap between presented and cleared is where private sale fraud lives.
What happens if the car is damaged before the buyer collects it?
That is what the risk of loss term decides. Until it passes, the loss is the seller's; afterwards it is the buyer's. Where payment and collection happen on different days, leaving this unstated is how a straightforward sale becomes an argument.
Related documents and guides
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Last reviewed July 29, 2026.