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

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Required — MV-912, signed by both

The Vehicle Bill of Sale, MV-912, is signed by the seller AND the buyer, and New York requires it even when the vehicle is a gift. An acceptable bill of sale carries the year and make, the VIN, the date of sale, the purchase price, and the names and signatures of both parties. The buyer gives the ORIGINAL to the DMV when they title and register — so both of you should photocopy it first. That copy is the only one you will have.

Source: NY DMV, Buy, Sell, or Transfer Vehicle Ownership; form MV-912

Does the title need a notary or witnesses?

Neither

The seller completes and signs the transfer ownership section of the title certificate and signs the Vehicle Bill of Sale (MV-912). The buyer signs the MV-912 too. No notary anywhere in a New York private sale.

Source: NY DMV, Buy, Sell, or Transfer Vehicle Ownership; Acceptable Proofs of Ownership for Vehicles, checked Oct 12 2026

What happens to the plates?

Surrender them — and get money back

If you are not transferring the registration to another vehicle you must surrender the plates to the DMV. Eighth money-back state: you may be eligible for a refund if you surrender them before the registration expires. Complete a Plate Surrender Application (PD-7) for each set. The DMV posts you a plate surrender receipt, form FS-6T — that receipt is your proof the plates went back, so keep it.

Source: NY DMV, Surrender (Return or Turn-in) Your Vehicle Plates and Registration; form PD-7

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

No notice — the surrender and the receipt are it

New York publishes no seller notice of sale. Your record is the signed title section, your copy of the bill of sale, and the FS-6T plate surrender receipt the DMV posts you. New York states the principle better than any other site here: two things are needed for most successful sales — proof of sale, and proof of ownership. That is the whole kit in a sentence.

Source: NY DMV, Buy, Sell, or Transfer Vehicle Ownership

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the back of the title, 2011 and newer

Where the vehicle was manufactured in or after the 2011 model year and is 20 model years old or newer, the seller must complete the Odometer Disclosure Statement on the back of the title certificate.

Source: NY DMV, Buy, Sell, or Transfer Vehicle Ownership; 49 CFR 580.5(c)

The forms New York publishes

• Vehicle Bill of Sale (MV-912) — Required, signed by both — even for a gift. Photocopy it; the buyer hands the original in. Where: dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv912.pdf. Revision: 11/21.
• Plate Surrender Application (PD-7) — One per set of plates. Gets you the FS-6T receipt and any refund. Where: dmv.ny.gov/forms/pd7.pdf. Revision: 6/23.
• Statement of Transaction – Sale or Gift of Motor Vehicle (DTF-802) — Used when sales tax was not collected at purchase, or for a gift. The SELLER completes Section 6 for a gift or below-market sale, unless the buyer is a spouse, parent, child, stepparent or stepchild. Where: tax.ny.gov/pdf/current_forms/st/dtf802.pdf. Revision: 5/15.

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 York’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 York compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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