Arizona car bill of sale Do you need one? And what else does Arizona require?

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Not required — Arizona publishes one anyway

The signed title transfers the vehicle. Arizona does publish a Title Transfer Bill of Sale, for Arizona-titled vehicles only. MVD accepts it in place of the signed title. It records the odometer reading and has a notary or MVD agent block.

Source: Arizona MVD, Selling Your Vehicle

Not required. Still worth having.

The title transfers ownership — and the buyer leaves with it. A separate bill of sale gives both of you something to keep.

It records who bought and who sold, the agreed price, when the vehicle changed hands, and any other terms you write into it, such as what was included or that it was sold as-is.

It does not replace the signed title or any notice Arizona requires. You may not need one for the state. You may still want one for your own records.

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Does the title need a notary or witnesses?

Neither

Arizona now stores titles electronically, so you may not have a paper one. For a paper title, the instruction is short: sign the back of your title and give it to the buyer, who takes it to an MVD or Third Party office to complete the transfer. The title itself needs no notary. If you use Arizona's Title Transfer Bill of Sale (Form 38-1306) instead of the title, it has a block for a notary or MVD agent. Where there is more than one owner, the Legal Status recorded on the title decides whose signatures are needed. You can also transfer online with eTitle Transfer. Sellers pay no fee, and a Sold Notice is generated automatically.

Source: Arizona MVD, Selling Your Vehicle; eTitle Transfer; Form 38-1306, checked Oct 12 2026

What happens to the plates?

Off before they take possession

MVD's note is explicit about the timing, not just the fact: remove the license plate before the new owner takes possession of the vehicle. Keep the plate. Within 30 days you must transfer it, turn it in, or file an affidavit that it was destroyed.

Source: Arizona MVD, Selling Your Vehicle

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

Yes. As soon as you sell

MVD says to submit a Sold Notice as soon as you sell, trade, end a lease, donate or otherwise transfer the vehicle. The paper form, 46-8502, says within 10 days. It is free and filed online through AZ MVD Now. What it protects you from is specific: without it you remain the owner of record, so an abandoned vehicle bill lands on you — MVD warns an abandoned vehicle carries a $500 fee or higher — and sellers have been contacted by law enforcement when a vehicle they had sold was used in a crime.

Source: Arizona MVD, Selling Your Vehicle; ADOT, Sold Your Car? File a Sold Notice

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the title, and do not guess

Arizona's instruction: take the time to record the reading on your odometer, do not guess at it — proper recording is required by law and helps the vehicle hold its value. In most cases, disclosure is required for model year 2011 or newer and recommended for older vehicles.

Source: Arizona MVD, Selling Your Vehicle; 49 CFR 580.5(c)

The forms Arizona publishes

• Sold Notice — Yours to file, as soon as you sell, free, on AZ MVD Now. Or mail paper form 46-8502 (R07/25). Nothing in the kit replaces it. Where: azmvdnow.gov. Revision: online service.
• Registration refund application — A credit for unused registration, less a $12 processing fee. Apply right away, because it cannot be backdated. You are not eligible if you register the vehicle in another state. Where: azmvdnow.gov. Revision: online service.
• Title Transfer Bill of Sale (38-1306) — Can be used in place of the signed title. Arizona-titled vehicles only. Where: apps.azdot.gov/files/mvd/mvd-forms-lib/38-1306.pdf. Revision: R07/25.

Selling here, registering somewhere else

These are the rules where you are selling, not where the buyer is taking it. The title is signed under Arizona’s rules, and the plate and the notice are yours to handle here.

Registering it and paying tax falls under the buyer’s own state’s rules.

How Arizona compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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