, a bill of sale should include information about the vehicle, along with the names, addresses, and signatures of the buyer and the seller. Additionally, you should list the purchase price and the current registration number of the car.

If you are a party in a private car sale, filling out a bill of sale is an important step. A bill of sale may not be legally required in your home state, but it’s probably a good idea to fill one out anyway because it will help record and establish the transaction details.

We've put together everything you need to know about drawing up a Wisconsin bill of sale—whether you choose to download the state DMV form or create your own.

What is a bill of sale?

If you're

selling a car in Wisconsin

, a bill of sale provides you and the buy with a private sale receipt for a vehicle. These documents generally contain useful information about the car being transferred.

Bills of sale typically include some essential elements:

Vehicle identification number (VIN)

Odometer reading at the time of sale

Purchase price agreed upon by buyer and seller.

You can also use the bill of sale to find the information about the signatures and addresses of both the buyer and seller.

Remember: Completing a bill of sale does not legally transfer ownership of the car.

You will have to complete a title transfer to make the sale official since the certificate of title is the legal document establishing ownership of the vehicle. But the bill of sale details the specific terms of the agreement and will help clarify these details if there are any issues following the sale.

Is a bill of sale required in Wisconsin?

It is not required to complete a bill of sale for private car sales in Wisconsin. But as a matter of best practice, you should always fill out a bill of sale if you are a buyer or seller in a private vehicle sale.

A bill of sale will act as proof of the details of the transaction—such as odometer reading and the purchase price.

What is required in a Wisconsin bill of sale?

There are two ways to create a bill of sale in Wisconsin. You can make your own document or use the sample bill of sale on Form MV2928, which is included on the Wisconsin DMV’s

Instructions for Selling a Vehicle

page.

If you are writing up your bill of sale, you need to include all the following information:

Vehicle make, model, year, style, color, and VIN

Vehicle registration number

Odometer reading

Purchase price

Name, address, and signature of the seller(s)

Name, address, and signature of the buyer(s)

When the car is being gifted to a family member, substitute the car’s value for the purchase price. Additionally, be sure to indicate that the transfer of ownership is taking place as a gift.

MORE:

Wisconsin car loans

What should I do after I get a bill of sale?

Once both parties have a copy of the bill of sale for a car, the next step is to complete a

Wisconsin title transfer

to legally change the ownership of the vehicle.

The bill of sale acts as a receipt but won’t establish that the private transfer actually took place!

Sellers often need to report the sale to the DMV and turn in their plates. And buyers will probably need to register their car with the DMV to get new plates.

Always hold onto a copy of the bill of sale to keep in your records. You could need this document as proof of the terms of the sale if you are pursuing or facing legal consequences following the sale.

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