How to Fill Out and File an Oklahoma Vehicle Bill of Sale

An Oklahoma vehicle bill of sale is the document that records the sale price, vehicle details, and both parties’ identities in a private sale, and it works alongside the assigned title to let Service Oklahoma transfer ownership and calculate excise tax. There isn’t a single universal form. The right paperwork depends on whether the title is paper or electronic and whether a sale document was prepared at the time of the transaction. The buyer then has 30 days from the purchase date to bring everything to a tag agent and pay the fees.

Which Form You Need

Oklahoma handles the bill of sale three different ways depending on the situation.

Paper title, documented at the time of sale. The seller assigns the Oklahoma certificate of title to the buyer on the back of the title itself, which has spaces for the sale price, buyer information, and seller signature. A separate written bill of sale or purchase agreement showing the price should go with the title.

Electronic title. There is no physical title to hand over, so the seller and buyer complete Form 718, Bill of Sale of an Electronic Title. Form 718 stands in for the title assignment and must be notarized. As of July 2025, electronic titles are the default for any vehicle with an active lien in Oklahoma.¹

No bill of sale was created at the time of purchase. The buyer fills out Form 722-1, Declaration of Vehicle Purchase Price. This sworn statement establishes the price after the fact and must also be notarized.²

For most in-person private sales of a paper-titled vehicle, a simple written bill of sale paired with the assigned title does the job. The bill of sale itself doesn’t convey ownership. The title assignment does. The bill of sale’s role is to lock down the purchase price for tax purposes and give both parties a receipt.

What Every Bill of Sale Should Contain

Missing or inconsistent information is the most common reason paperwork gets rejected at the tag agent’s counter. Whether you use Form 718, a purchase agreement, or something you draft yourself, include:

The 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN), copied directly off the dashboard or driver’s door jamb. Transposing one digit stops the transfer.
Year, make, and model, matching the current title exactly.
The actual sale price in dollars, excluding any trade-in credit. This figure drives the excise tax.
The date of sale. The buyer’s 30-day clock starts here.
Full legal names and addresses for both parties, as they appear on their driver’s licenses.
Signatures from both parties. Form 718 and Form 722-1 require those signatures to be notarized.

Form 718 also asks for the electronic title number, the title issue date, and lienholder information if any.³ If you’re drafting your own, more detail is always safer than less.

When You Need a Notary

Oklahoma requires notarization in two places. The seller’s signature assigning the paper title to the buyer must be notarized.¹ Form 718 and Form 722-1 both carry built-in notary blocks and will be rejected without a notary’s seal and signature.

A standalone bill of sale or purchase agreement used alongside a notarized paper title assignment has no separate statutory notarization requirement. Having one notarized anyway costs little (typically $5 to $10 per signature in Oklahoma) and adds a layer of fraud protection worth considering.

Odometer Disclosure

Federal law requires the seller to disclose the vehicle’s mileage. Oklahoma uses Form 729, Odometer Disclosure Statement, for this, and it applies to vehicles manufactured in 2011 or later that have an odometer.⁴ The seller records the exact reading and certifies whether it reflects actual mileage, exceeds mechanical limits, or is inaccurate. The buyer signs to acknowledge the disclosure, and the completed form travels with the title and bill of sale to the tag agent.

If the Vehicle Still Has a Loan on It

When the seller still owes money, a lienholder’s name sits on the title and the title cannot be cleanly assigned until the lien is released. The lender (bank or credit union) holds the paper or electronic title until the loan is paid.

The practical path: the seller contacts the lender for an exact payoff amount, which may differ from the current balance because of accrued interest or early payoff fees, pays off the loan, and obtains a lien release. Once that release reaches Service Oklahoma, the system updates to show the title as free and clear. There’s no state fee for releasing the lien, though issuing a new clean paper title costs the standard $11.¹

Buyers should think twice before paying the full price in cash before the lien is released. An escrow arrangement, where a neutral third party holds the funds until the release is confirmed, protects both sides.

Family Gift Transfers

If you’re giving a vehicle rather than selling it, Oklahoma exempts certain transfers from the 3.25% excise tax. The exemption covers transfers made without payment between spouses and between parents and children in either direction. You claim it by filing a Family Affidavit (Form 794) with the other title transfer documents.⁵

The exemption does not reach in-laws or transfers from grandparents to grandchildren. Those are taxed at the standard rate. Separately, on the federal side, if the vehicle’s fair market value exceeds $19,000, the giver may need to file IRS Form 709 (Gift Tax Return), though no gift tax is actually owed until lifetime gifts cross the estate tax exemption.⁶

What to Bring to the Tag Agent

The buyer takes the paperwork to any Service Oklahoma office or licensed operator (tag agent) location. For a used vehicle bought from a private seller inside Oklahoma, bring:⁴

The assigned Oklahoma title, properly signed over and notarized by the seller. For electronic titles, bring a completed and notarized Form 718 in its place.
The bill of sale or purchase agreement showing the price. If none exists, bring a completed Form 722-1.
Form 729, Odometer Disclosure Statement, for vehicles made in 2011 or newer.
Proof of active Oklahoma liability insurance on the vehicle.
A valid driver’s license.

If the vehicle was bought from a seller or dealer outside Oklahoma, you also need Form 701-6 (Application for Oklahoma Certificate of Title), and you have to bring the vehicle itself for a VIN inspection.⁷

Fees and Excise Tax

Expect to pay the following at the counter:

Title fee: $11.00⁸
Transfer fee: $17.00⁹
Insurance verification fee: $1.50⁹
Motor vehicle excise tax: 3.25% of the vehicle’s value.¹⁰

Excise tax is the big variable. On a $15,000 vehicle, it comes to $487.50. The state bases the tax on either the sale price or the NADA book value, and if the stated purchase price looks low relative to market value, the tag agent can assess tax at the NADA figure instead. That’s the practical reason the bill of sale needs a real, documented sale price: without one, you have no argument for the lower taxable value. Service Oklahoma offers a sales and excise tax calculator online for estimating costs ahead of time.⁷

The 30-Day Deadline

Oklahoma gives the buyer 30 days from delivery to present the assigned title and pay the fees. Missing the deadline triggers delinquent penalties.⁸ Service Oklahoma’s Ready, Set, Tag program lets buyers pre-register online and gives temporary operating authority while they gather documents, but it doesn’t push back the 30-day title transfer window.¹¹

After the Transfer

Once the tag agent processes everything and takes payment, the buyer gets a registration receipt that acts as temporary proof of ownership and allows legal operation while the permanent title is mailed. If a lien exists, the new title goes to the lienholder. Otherwise, it typically mails to the buyer within two business days.⁷

Oklahoma plates belong to people, not vehicles. The seller removes the plates before handing over the car and can transfer them to another vehicle they own or surrender them. The buyer gets new plates during registration or moves plates from another vehicle they already own.¹¹

Sellers who want written confirmation that the state knows the vehicle changed hands can file Form 773, Notice of Transfer of Ownership. It’s optional, not required, and notifies Service Oklahoma that you no longer own the vehicle.¹² It creates a paper trail of the date you gave up the vehicle, which matters if the buyer delays transferring the title and parking tickets or toll violations start showing up in your name. Keeping your own signed copy of the bill of sale and title assignment serves the same purpose.

1
Service Oklahoma. Vehicle Titles
2
Service Oklahoma. Declaration of Vehicle Purchase Price – Form 722-1
3
Service Oklahoma. Bill of Sale of an Electronic Title – Form 718
4
Service Oklahoma. New and Used Vehicle Registration
5
Legal Information Institute. Oklahoma Administrative Code 260:135-7-244 – Excise Tax Levy and Exemptions
6
Internal Revenue Service. Gifts and Inheritances
7
Service Oklahoma. Out-of-State Title Transfers
8
Justia. Oklahoma Code 47-1107 – Sale or Transfer of Ownership
9
Service Oklahoma. Fees
10
Oklahoma State Courts Network. Oklahoma Code 68-2103 – Excise Tax on Motor Vehicles
11
Service Oklahoma. Ready, Set, Tag!
12
Service Oklahoma. Notice of Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle – Form 773