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

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Not required — the title is enough

The sale runs on the title. A bill of sale cannot transfer a vehicle that must have a title. It can show the date of sale or price when the title does not. It cannot override what is written on the title. Indiana publishes its own Bill of Sale, State Form 44237. It does not need a notary.

Source: Indiana BMV, Proof of Vehicle Ownership: Bill of Sale; State Form 44237

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 Indiana 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

All vehicle owners must sign and print their names in the seller section before the sale. The seller also completes the odometer statement, the date of sale, the purchase price and the purchaser information section. Leaving the buyer's details or the price blank is a Class B infraction. No notary. Indiana is specific that BOTH the seller and purchaser sections must be completed in their entirety before the buyer visits a branch.

Source: Indiana BMV, Buying & Selling a Vehicle; BMV FAQ; IC 9-17-3-3.2, checked Oct 12 2026

What happens to the plates?

Off — and the BMV does not want them back

The BMV says you should remove the license plate at the time of the transaction. The law goes further: you must remove the plate and the registration from the vehicle. The BMV does NOT require the plates of sold vehicles to be returned. You may move them to another vehicle you own. By law the plate still belongs to the BMV. The buyer gets their own new plate.

Source: Indiana BMV, Buying & Selling a Vehicle; IC 9-18.1-4-6, 9-18.1-4-7

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

Not required — optional within 30 days

Nothing is required. Within 30 days of the sale, you may give the BMV your registration and a copy of the signed-over title. The BMV then records that you transferred the vehicle. The buyer must apply for the certificate of title within 45 days of acquiring the vehicle or pay an administrative penalty. Keep a copy of the completed title. Indiana law counts it as proof of the transfer.

Source: Indiana BMV, Buying & Selling a Vehicle; IC 9-18.1-4-6(b)

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the title, or form 43230

The seller completes the odometer statement on the certificate of title. Where the title or certificate of origin does not carry one, an Odometer Disclosure Statement, State Form 43230, is required instead. Trailers and vehicles over 16,000 pounds are exempt.

Source: Indiana BMV, title application packet; 49 CFR 580.5(c)

The forms Indiana publishes

• Bill of Sale (44237) — Optional. Shows the date of sale or price when the title does not. Where: forms.in.gov → State Form 44237. Revision: R6 / 12-24.
• Odometer Disclosure Statement (43230) — Only where the title itself carries no odometer statement. Where: in.gov/bmv → Title Forms. Revision: R5 / 4-26.

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 Indiana’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 Indiana compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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