Texas Bill of Sale
Texas does not require a bill of sale for most vehicle purchases—but you can draft your own for added protection.
Written by Max Werner
Reviewed by Carrie Adkins
Table of Contents
- What is a bill of sale?
- Is a bill of sale required in Texas?
- What is required in a Texas bill of sale?
- What should I do after I get a bill of sale?
- How to find affordable car insurance
Load full table of contents
A bill of sale is the ultimate
proof of purchase
for the transfer of any vehicle. In Texas
, a bill of sale is not required to finalize any vehicle-related transactions, but it can still be a useful document to have on hand.When completing a bill of sale in Texas, you should include your vehicle's make, model, year, and odometer reading, as well as some basic information about the buyer and seller, like names and current addresses.
To get you on the right track,
the car insurance
comparison and broker app, Jerry
, has a complete guide for filling out a valid bill of sale in the Lonestar state. What is a bill of sale?
A bill of sale is what officially documents the transfer of a vehicle. A bill of sale cannot authorize the transfer of a car—that would only result from a
title transfer
.To record the transaction, a bill of sale must outline every aspect of the agreement. This means including basic information about the buyer, seller, and purchase price, as well as notarized signatures from both parties.
Is a bill of sale required in Texas?
Texas does not require a bill of sale for any vehicle transactions—but this doesn't mean it’s not a valuable document to have. While you won’t need one to buy or sell a vehicle, creating a bill of sale can officiate a purchase if you run into legal obstacles down the road, especially with a
car loan
.What is required in a Texas bill of sale?
Texas does not provide a state-wide bill of sale, but a few counties do. If you don’t want to create your own, feel free to use the Jefferson county
bill of sale form
, applicable in any region.If you draft your bill of sale document, make sure to include the following information:
- Contact information for both the buyer and seller
- VIN
- Vehicle make, model, and year
- Known ownership history
- Transaction date and purchase amount
- Signatures (room for) by the buyer and seller
A bill of sale can be handwritten or typed. Be sure to use ink for the former.
What should I do after I get a bill of sale?
After completing the bill of sale, you’ll likely want to finish up the title transfer and—if you’re the new owner—have your vehicle registered. A title transfer can officially transfer the ownership of a car, while registration is necessary for legal driving.
While a bill of sale isn’t required, we strongly recommend completing this document. Not only will a bill of sale provide an official record, but it can also protect the previous owner from legal disputes that arise after a transaction is finalized.
How to find affordable car insurance
Texas is known by many as the Lone Star state, but when it comes to shopping for car insurance, it can’t hurt to have a posse.
Jerry is your ultra-talented
car insurance broker
for life. No need to sit across from anyone at a desk—Jerry is an app! It takes less than a minute to sign up and you’ll be presented with competitive rates
from more than 50 top providers. No long forms. No calling around. No hard work. Just savings for wherever the road takes you—and your new insurance partner.The best part? Jerry users save an average of $879 a year on car insurance!
“I will definitely recommendJerryto my friends! I was pretty happy with my Progressive insurance, but Jerry helped me bring the cost down even more. Good job Jerry team!” —Kristy K.
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