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

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Required — and New Jersey lists what goes on it

Give it to the buyer with the signed title, carrying: the buyer's name and address; the date of sale; the mileage odometer reading; and the sale price. Four items, no form number — write it out.

Source: NJ MVC, Transferring Vehicle Ownership

Does the title need a notary or witnesses?

Neither

The seller signs the seller's section on the reverse of the title and hands it to the buyer. No notary. A notary appears only where somebody signs on your behalf — a General, Durable or Limited Power of Attorney must be notarized, and a Limited POA has to name the year, make and VIN and the specific transaction.

Source: NJ MVC, Transferring Vehicle Ownership, checked Oct 12 2026

What happens to the plates?

Off — and surrendered to an agency

Remove the plates and surrender them to a motor vehicle agency, unless you are moving them to another vehicle. New Jersey draws the line clearly: plates can be transferred to another VEHICLE, but never to another OWNER. You can hand them to staff at any MVC agency, put them in the plate drop box outside it, or mail them to an MVC agency.

Source: NJ MVC, Transferring Vehicle Ownership; NJ MVC, Plates

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

No notice — the plate surrender is the act

New Jersey publishes no seller notice of sale. Surrendering the plates is what closes your side. You give the signed title to the buyer. MVC mails you a receipt as proof the plates were surrendered. The buyer's clock is tight and specific: New Jersey or dealer-reassigned titles must be transferred within 10 WORKING days from the date of sale or a $25 penalty applies. Working days, not calendar days.

Source: NJ MVC, Transferring Vehicle Ownership

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the title and on the bill of sale

Write the mileage on the title. New Jersey also wants it on the bill of sale as one of the four required items. If the actual reading is inaccurate, New Jersey says the seller must give an ESTIMATE of what the actual reading should be. Federal rules say otherwise for the title: state there that the reading does not reflect the actual mileage.

Source: NJ MVC, Transferring Vehicle Ownership; 49 CFR 580.5(c)

The forms New Jersey publishes

• Plate surrender — Any MVC agency, the drop box outside it, or by mail. This is what closes your side. Where: https://www.nj.gov/mvc/vehicles/aboutplates.htm. Revision: no form — none needed.
• Application for Vehicle Registration (BA-49) — The buyer's form, not yours. They have 10 working days. Where: https://www.nj.gov/mvc/pdf/vehicles/BA-49.pdf. Revision: BA-49E (R10/25).

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 New Jersey’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 New Jersey compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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