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

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Not required — and 82050 is both

The state form is titled Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale. Filed as a Notice of Sale the seller completes sections 1 and 3; used as a bill of sale both parties complete 1 and 3, plus 2 — the odometer statement — for a motor vehicle. FLHSMV calls it the legal receipt, so one form does both jobs.

Source: FLHSMV form HSMV 82050

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 Florida 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?

Not on the seller's checklist

FLHSMV's own seller checklist has no notary and no witness step, and the recommendation to notarize is made about the bill of sale rather than the title. A notary appears only as one of four people who may verify a VIN inspection on a vehicle not previously titled in Florida. An electronic title is different: the seller and buyer must both attend a motor vehicle service center with photo ID to complete a secure reassignment.

Source: FLHSMV, Selling a Vehicle, checked Oct 12 2026

What happens to the plates?

They come off, and stay with the seller

The plate belongs to the seller, not the vehicle. FLHSMV states that the seller must remove the plate and may transfer it to a replacement vehicle. It must be surrendered to a service center if the seller is moving to another state, or cancels the insurance on that plate.

Source: FLHSMV, Selling a Vehicle

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

Yes. Within 30 days

File form HSMV 82050, the Notice of Sale. Florida has required it of all sellers since July 2009. FLHSMV states that filing it removes the seller's registration from the vehicle and helps the seller avoid civil liability for the operation of the vehicle after the sale. State law gives you 30 days after the sale to file it. The buyer separately has 30 days to apply for the title.

Source: Fla. Stat. 319.22(2)(b); FLHSMV, Selling a Vehicle; form HSMV 82050

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the title

Florida titles carry a space for the odometer disclosure and the seller completes the Transfer of Title by Seller section, including the odometer reading, the selling price and the date sold. Both buyer and seller must acknowledge the disclosure. Federal law says the same thing for an owner selling their own vehicle.

Source: FLHSMV, Selling a Vehicle; 49 CFR 580.5(c)

The forms Florida publishes

• Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale (HSMV 82050) — File this with the state. It is also your receipt. Nothing in the kit replaces it. Where: flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/82050.pdf. Revision: Rev 03/21.
• Application for Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title (HSMV 82040) — The buyer files this, not you — within 30 days, or they pay a penalty. Where: flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/82040.pdf. Revision: Rev 07/23.
• Application for Duplicate Title (HSMV 82101) — Only if your paper title is lost before you sell. Where: flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/82101.pdf. Revision: Rev 01/13/21.

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 Florida’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 Florida compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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