How to Fill Out a Tennessee Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale Form

A Tennessee motor vehicle bill of sale is a one-page form that records a private vehicle sale between a buyer and seller, and the buyer takes it to the county clerk along with the signed title to register the vehicle. You can download the form from the Tennessee County Clerk system or pick up a blank copy at any county clerk’s office.¹ There is no fee to complete the bill of sale itself. The costs come later, when you apply for the title and registration.

What Goes On the Form

The form has three blocks: buyer information, seller information, and vehicle description. Every entry should match the vehicle’s existing certificate of title, because the clerk compares the two documents side by side.

Buyer’s full name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code.
Seller’s full name and address in the same format.
Vehicle make, model, year built, color, and full Vehicle Identification Number.¹
The actual sale price in dollars. This figure determines how much sales tax the clerk collects, and understating it triggers extra paperwork (see the 75-percent rule below).
Signatures and dates from both the buyer and the seller.

If the seller’s title is held by a lienholder, the bill of sale must also include the lienholder’s name and address.²

Joint Owners: The “And” vs. “Or” Rule

If the title lists two or more sellers, the word between their names controls how many signatures you need:

“And” means every joint owner must sign.
“Or” means one signature is enough.
“And/or” is treated the same as “or.”³

On the buying side the rule is stricter. When two or more people are purchasing together, all buyers must sign, regardless of the conjunction.³

Do You Need It Notarized?

Tennessee does not require notarization for every private vehicle sale. It is mandatory in only two situations:

The seller’s certificate of title is being held by a lienholder. In that case the seller can sign a separate bill of sale instead of the back of the title, but it must be notarized.²
The vehicle comes from a jurisdiction that does not issue certificates of title. The Department of Revenue will then accept a notarized bill of sale paired with the foreign registration as proof of ownership.⁴

Outside those two situations, notarization is optional. Some buyers and sellers still choose to notarize as protection against forgery disputes.

Odometer Disclosure

Federal law requires an odometer reading at every transfer of a vehicle less than twenty years old.⁵ For a 2026 transfer, that means any vehicle with a model year of 2007 or newer needs a disclosure; model year 2006 and older is exempt.

The seller usually records current mileage in the assignment section on the back of the title and certifies it is accurate; the buyer signs to acknowledge it. If the title has no space or a separate document is needed, Tennessee provides an Odometer Disclosure Statement that both parties sign.⁶ Skipping it or falsifying the mileage is a federal offense, and the county clerk will not process a transfer for an eligible vehicle without one.

The 75-Percent Rule on Sale Price

Write down the real price. If the amount on the bill of sale is less than 75 percent of the vehicle’s fair market value in an authoritative pricing guide such as NADA, the clerk will not process the transfer until additional paperwork is completed. The buyer and seller must fill out an Affidavit of Non-Dealer Transfer of Motor Vehicles and Boats.⁷

If the seller is unavailable to sign, the buyer can instead provide a notarized appraisal from a licensed dealer.⁸ Without either the affidavit or the appraisal, sales tax is calculated on 100 percent of the vehicle’s fair market value rather than on the price paid.⁷ Writing “gift” or “$1” for a vehicle with real value is a reliable way to end up paying more tax than you would have on the honest price.

What to Bring to the County Clerk

After the sale, the buyer goes to the county clerk’s office to apply for title and registration. Tennessee handles both at the same time; you cannot title the vehicle without registering it.⁸ Plan to go in person with original documents.

The certificate of title, with the seller’s assignment on the back signed exactly as the name appears on the front.
The completed and signed bill of sale.
A valid photo ID.
The odometer disclosure, whether recorded on the title or on a separate statement.
Proof of Tennessee liability insurance.

If a lienholder is holding the title, bring the notarized bill of sale (with the lienholder’s name and address on it) in place of the signed title. The lienholder sends the title to the clerk or the new owner separately.²

Taxes and Fees at the Clerk

The clerk collects everything at the time of application:

State sales tax of 7 percent of the purchase price on every vehicle sale.⁹
State single article tax of 2.75 percent on the portion of the price between $1,600 and $3,200; amounts above $3,200 are not subject to it.¹⁰
Local sales tax at the county’s rate, applied to the first $1,600 of the purchase price.¹⁰
County wheel tax where it applies. Many counties charge this motor vehicle privilege tax at registration, and the amount depends on where you live and the type of vehicle.¹¹
A standard passenger plate fee of $26.50, with title and plate transfer fees adding roughly $17.50. Some counties add their own fees, so check with your local clerk for the exact total.¹²¹³

Driving the Vehicle Before You Register

If you need to drive the vehicle before you can complete registration, Tennessee issues a Temporary Operating Permit good for 30 days. A private, casual sale that needs to be transported to the clerk or driven while registration is pending is one of the qualifying reasons. One additional 30-day permit may be issued if the registration issue is not resolved in the first 30 days.¹⁴

What the Seller Should Do After the Sale

Handing over the keys and the title is not the end of the seller’s involvement. Until the buyer registers the vehicle in their own name, the seller’s name is still linked to it in state records, and parking tickets, toll violations, and insurance verification notices can still come back.

Keep a signed copy of the bill of sale; it proves the date and terms of the transfer if something is disputed later. If you receive a Department of Revenue notice about a vehicle you no longer own, report the sale at driveinsuredtn.com by clicking “respond to your notice” and completing the online questionnaire.¹⁵ Take your license plates off before handing over the vehicle. Plates are registered to you, not to the vehicle, and leaving them attached ties you to whatever the buyer does before they re-register.

1
Tennessee County Clerk. Tennessee Vehicle Bill of Sale Form
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 55-3-118 – Transfer of Title
3
Tennessee County Clerk. Transfer of Ownership
4
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Bill of Sale
5
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert – Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements
6
Tennessee County Clerk. Odometer Overview
7
Tennessee Department of Revenue. County Clerk Sales and Use Tax Guide for Automobile and Boats
8
Knox County Clerk. Current Tennessee Residents Purchasing a Vehicle
9
Tennessee Department of Revenue. VTR-34 – Sales Tax on a Vehicle Purchase
10
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Single Article Special Tax Rates
11
County Technical Assistance Service. County Motor Vehicle Privilege Tax (Wheel Tax)
12
Tennessee Department of Revenue. VR-4 – Registration Fees
13
Knox County Clerk. Tennessee Sales Tax and Other Fees
14
Tennessee County Clerk. Temporary Operation Permits (TOPs)
15
Tennessee Department of Revenue. DIFD-9 – No Longer Own Vehicle