Free Printable Indiana Bill of Sale | Form 44237

Indiana Bill of Sale Form 44237 is a free printable document from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles that records a private sale of a vehicle or watercraft. Both the seller and buyer complete it, both sign it, and the buyer takes it to a BMV branch when applying for the new title. You can download the PDF directly from the state’s forms portal.¹

When You Actually Need Form 44237

Most private vehicle sales in Indiana do not require a bill of sale as the primary ownership document. When the seller hands you a properly assigned certificate of title with the sale price filled in, that title is usually enough to get a new one issued in your name.

The BMV accepts Form 44237 (or a similar document) as proof of ownership only in a defined set of situations: the vehicle never legally required a title, you bought it out of state where no title was required, it came from a sheriff’s sale or a government auction of an abandoned vehicle, it was purchased from the federal government using Standard Form 97, or it is one of the older trailer and off-road categories the BMV lists specifically (utility trailers bought before January 1, 1990; pop-up trailers bought before July 1, 2016; off-road vehicles acquired before January 1, 2010).²

Outside those situations, Form 44237 plays a supporting role. It documents the sale date and, most importantly, the purchase price. That price matters at the counter: Indiana collects 7% use tax on private vehicle sales at registration, and without a signed statement of the actual price paid, the BMV will calculate tax from the vehicle’s average value in a used-vehicle pricing guide, which is often higher than what you actually paid.³

How to Fill Out Form 44237

Print the form in black or blue ink and complete it clearly. Errors or illegible entries can slow down the title application at the branch.¹

Seller and Buyer Information

Both parties enter their printed name (last, first, middle initial, or company name) and full mailing address, including street, city, state, and ZIP. The buyer’s address determines where the new title is mailed and which tax jurisdiction applies.¹

Vehicle or Hull Identification Number

The form has one field for either a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or a Hull Identification Number (HIN). Copy the number character by character from the physical plate on the vehicle or watercraft. A single transposed digit can cause the BMV to reject the application.¹

If you are titling a watercraft using a bill of sale, the BMV also requires a completed Physical Inspection of a Vehicle or Watercraft (State Form 39530), filled out by an approved inspector.²

Purchase Price

Enter the exact dollar amount the buyer paid. This number directly sets the use tax owed, so an accurate figure keeps the buyer from overpaying and protects both parties if the amount is ever questioned later.

Signatures

Both parties sign and date the form. The signature block on Form 44237 includes a sworn statement that the information is correct and that a false statement may constitute perjury.¹ Notarization is not required.²

Selling “As-Is”

Nearly every private vehicle sale in Indiana is as-is, meaning the buyer accepts the vehicle in its current condition with no implied warranty. To make that explicit, write “sold as-is” on the bill of sale. An as-is clause protects the seller from later claims about mechanical problems, but it does not shield a seller who lied about the vehicle’s history, hid frame or flood damage, or rolled back the odometer. Fraud overrides as-is language.

Taking Form 44237 to the BMV

The buyer brings the completed bill of sale, along with any other required documents, to a BMV branch in person. Indiana law gives you 45 days from the date of purchase to apply for a certificate of title.⁴ Miss that window and a $30 administrative penalty is added on top of the regular fees.⁵

Expect two main charges at the counter: a $15 title fee and 7% use tax on the purchase price listed on the bill of sale.⁵ On a $5,000 vehicle, the tax comes to $350. The BMV issues a temporary registration while the permanent title is processed and mailed.

Sellers have their own duty in the transfer. Indiana law requires the person transferring a titled vehicle to endorse the certificate of title, fill in the buyer’s name, address, and sale price, and deliver the title to the buyer at the time of sale. Failing to complete the title information is a Class B infraction.⁶

Gifts and Inherited Vehicles

If no money changes hands, Indiana exempts the transfer from sales and use tax, and the same exemption applies to inherited vehicles. The buyer still completes a title application, but instead of paying the 7% tax, they file a Certificate of Gross Retail or Use Tax Exemption indicating there was no consideration.⁷

Watch one trap. If the buyer takes over the seller’s remaining loan payments, Indiana treats those payments as consideration and the transfer is not a gift. The only exception is if the person assuming the loan was already listed on the original financing agreement, and a copy of that agreement must be submitted with the title paperwork to prove it.⁷

Odometer Disclosure

Federal law requires the seller to give the buyer a written odometer reading during any vehicle title transfer.⁸ Most Indiana titles include an odometer disclosure section on the back, so the seller completes it when signing the title over. If the odometer has been replaced, is broken, or shows a reading the seller knows is wrong, the disclosure must state that the actual mileage is unknown.

Vehicles 20 model years old or older are exempt. Under a rule that took effect January 1, 2021, model-year 2011 and newer vehicles still require odometer disclosure, and the earliest of those (2011 models) will not age out of the requirement until 2031. For anything from 2011 forward, include the mileage on the title assignment.

1
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles State Form 44237
2
Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Proof of Vehicle Ownership: Bill of Sale
3
Legal Information Institute. Indiana Code 45 IAC 2.2-3-5 – Use Tax; Motor Vehicles
4
Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Titles: Buying and Selling a Vehicle
5
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV Fee Chart
6
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 9 Motor Vehicles 9-17-3-3.4
7
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Certificate of Gross Retail or Use Tax Exemption for the Purchase of a Vehicle, Watercraft, or Aircraft
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 32705 – Disclosure Requirements on Transfer of Motor Vehicles