Florida’s Form HSMV 82050 is a one-page notice that tells the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles you have sold, traded, or given away a motor vehicle, mobile home, off-highway vehicle, or vessel. To fill it out, complete Section 1 with the vehicle description, Section 2 with the odometer reading if it is a motor vehicle, and Section 3 with the buyer’s and seller’s names and signatures. To file it, submit the completed form to your county tax collector or a motor vehicle service center within 30 days of the sale.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 319.22 – Transfer of Title A blank copy is available on the FLHSMV website or at any county tax collector’s office.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel
Decide Which Version of the Form You Are Completing
The same form does two jobs. Completed as a Notice of Sale, the seller fills in Sections 1 and 3, and the buyer’s signature is optional. Completed as a Bill of Sale, both parties sign Sections 1 and 3, and Section 2 (the odometer disclosure) applies when the property is a motor vehicle.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel
Most private-party sellers complete it as both in a single filing. That way the buyer walks away with proof of purchase they will need when applying for a new title, and you have your notice on record.
Filling Out Section 1: Vehicle or Vessel Description
Section 1 identifies exactly what was sold. Have the Florida certificate of title in front of you, because every entry comes from it. Write in:
- Year, make or manufacturer, body type, model, and color
- Certificate of title number and issue date
- Full Vehicle Identification Number, or Vessel Identification Number for a boat
- Date of sale
- Selling price
Use ink and print legibly. Missing or unreadable entries can get the form rejected.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel
Filling Out Section 2: Odometer Disclosure
Section 2 applies only when the property is a motor vehicle. Skip it entirely for vessels, mobile homes, and off-highway vehicles.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel
For a motor vehicle, record the current mileage in whole miles (no tenths) and the date you read the odometer. Then check one of three boxes:
- Reflects actual mileage — the odometer accurately shows total miles driven.
- Exceeds mechanical limits — the odometer has rolled over past its maximum.
- Not actual mileage — you know or suspect the reading is inaccurate.
Federal and state law make it a crime to give a false odometer statement. Check the correct box even if the answer is unflattering.
Filling Out Section 3: Certification and Signatures
Section 3 is where both parties certify under penalty of perjury that the information is true. Print the buyer’s full legal name and current address, then the seller’s full legal name and address. The seller signs and dates the form. If you are completing it as a Bill of Sale, the buyer signs as well.
Co-owners matter here. If the title lists co-owners joined by “and,” every co-owner must sign, and the form provides a separate line for a co-seller.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel If the names are joined by “or,” either owner’s signature is enough to transfer the vehicle.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 319.22 – Transfer of Title
Where and When to File
File the completed HSMV 82050 with your local county tax collector’s office or a motor vehicle service center.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Selling a Vehicle Walking it in gives you immediate confirmation. If you mail it, certified mail is worth the small extra cost because you get tracking and delivery confirmation. Florida law gives you 30 days from the date of sale to file the notice, and the statute treats mailing as delivery once the notice is “placed in the United States mail, addressed to the department.”1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 319.22 – Transfer of Title
The form does not list a filing fee for the seller. Once the office processes it, state records will show the vehicle as sold and your registration will be removed from it.
Why Filing on Time Protects You
The 30-day rule is not just paperwork. Under Section 319.22, a seller who has either properly endorsed and delivered the title or filed the prescribed notice with the department is no longer considered the vehicle’s owner for civil liability purposes.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 319.22 – Transfer of Title Without that filing, you can be held responsible for toll violations, red-light camera fines, and even accident liability tied to a vehicle you no longer own.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Selling a Vehicle
Filing the HSMV 82050 satisfies the notice requirement on its own. That makes it your backup protection when the buyer takes their time applying for a new title.
Remove Your License Plate Before You Hand Over the Keys
Florida license plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle. When you sell, trade, or otherwise dispose of a motor vehicle, you must remove the plate.4Online Sunshine. Florida Code 320.0609 – Transfer and Exchange of Registration License Plates; Transfer Fee You then have two options:
- Transfer the plate to a replacement vehicle you own by filing a transfer application and paying a $4.50 transfer fee.4Online Sunshine. Florida Code 320.0609 – Transfer and Exchange of Registration License Plates; Transfer Fee
- Surrender the plate at your local tax collector’s office. This closes the loop between insurance and registration, and it may earn you credit toward a future registration.
Never leave the plate on the vehicle. If someone else uses it to run tolls or commit a crime, the charges come back to you.
If the Title Is Electronic
When the title is held electronically rather than on paper, the seller and buyer must visit a motor vehicle service center together with photo identification and complete a secure title reassignment using form HSMV 82994 or 82092. The odometer disclosure is handled at that same appointment.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Buying from a Private Sale Filing the HSMV 82050 as a Notice of Sale is still worth doing, because it records your liability protection independently of the title transfer.
What Filing Does Not Do
Filing the HSMV 82050 does not transfer ownership. The form’s own header states that ownership status will not change until the buyer applies for and is issued a new certificate of title.2Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle or Vessel That step is on the buyer, who submits a separate Application for Certificate of Title with the seller-endorsed title to a motor vehicle service center.3Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Selling a Vehicle You cannot force them to follow through, and that is precisely why filing the HSMV 82050 matters: it protects you whether or not they do.