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

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Yes — the state says the seller should give the buyer a bill of sale

In addition to the title, the seller should give the buyer a Bill of Sale. South Dakota's own form is 1025, and the buyer submits it with their title paperwork at the county treasurer. A damage disclosure is no longer required. It stopped being mandated on 1 July 2015.

Source: South Dakota DOR, Motor Vehicle FAQ; DOR form 1025; SDCL ch. 32-3 (§§ 32-3-51.7 to 51.10 repealed 2015)

Does the title need a notary or witnesses?

Neither

The Motor Vehicle or Boat Title & Registration Application must be signed by the record owner or owners, or by an authorized agent — and where an agent signs, a Power of Attorney has to be attached to prove the appointment. No notary is required. Titling and registration go through your local county treasurer.

Source: South Dakota DOR, Motor Vehicle, checked Aug 23 2026

What happens to the plates?

You keep them — plate with owner

South Dakota states it in those words: this is a plate-with-owner state, so the license plates are retained by the owner. When you buy your next vehicle you transfer the plates to it at your local county treasurer's office. Take the old plates with you when you go — the transfer happens over the counter. State law requires you to remove the plates when you sell. If you leave them on, you lose the credit, the plates are no longer valid, and it is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Source: South Dakota DOR, Motor Vehicle FAQ; SDCL § 32-5-2.7

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

Yes — report the sale when you sell, and give the buyer a seller's permit

South Dakota requires a report of sale at the time of sale, naming the buyer and their address. Report it online in the Vehicle Registration & Plates portal (choose report of sale), or file form 1024 with your county treasurer. Do not give form 1024 to the buyer. Skipping the report is a Class 2 misdemeanor. You have 45 days to deliver the title to the buyer. You must also give the buyer a seller's permit. It is free. Print it from the online Vehicle Registration & Plates portal or get it at the county treasurer. It lets them drive the vehicle legally while waiting to apply for title, and it is valid for 45 days. Skipping it is also a Class 2 misdemeanor. A seller's permit cannot be issued for a boat or a snowmobile.

Source: SDCL §§ 32-5-2.10, 32-5-2.9, 32-3-7; South Dakota DOR, Motor Vehicle FAQ and Cars, Trucks & Vans; DOR form 1024

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the title

Write the reading in the odometer section of the title before you hand it over. South Dakota can refuse to transfer the title if that section is blank. Falsifying it is a Class 6 felony. Federal rules say a titled owner discloses on the title, not on a separate document. South Dakota also publishes an Odometer Disclosure form, 1021. Disclosure applies to model year 2011 and newer, for the first 20 years. Vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR are exempt.

Source: SDCL § 32-3-30.1; 49 CFR 580.5(c), 580.17; South Dakota DOR form 1021

The forms South Dakota publishes

• Seller's Permit — Required. You must give it to the buyer so they can drive it legally. Free. 45 days. Where: SD Vehicle Registration & Plates portal. Revision: online service.
• Odometer Disclosure (1021) — South Dakota's own odometer form. The reading must also go on the title. Where: sddor.seamlessdocs.com/f/1021. Revision: none printed.
• Bill of Sale (1025) — The seller should give it to the buyer with the title. The buyer submits it with their title paperwork. Where: sddor.seamlessdocs.com/f/1025. Revision: none printed.

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 South Dakota’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 South Dakota compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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