How to Fill Out and File the Washington Vehicle Report of Sale

In Washington, a Vehicle Report of Sale is the one-page filing that tells the Department of Licensing you no longer own a vehicle. File it within five business days of handing the vehicle over, pay the $18 fee, and you’re released from liability for anything the new owner does with the car afterward. You can file online, by mail, or in person at any vehicle licensing office.

Why the Five-Business-Day Deadline Matters

Under RCW 46.12.650, a seller who files the Report of Sale and properly endorses the title to the buyer is no longer liable for civil or criminal violations connected to the vehicle after delivery. That covers parking tickets, red-light camera citations, toll charges, towing bills, and accidents caused by whoever drives it next.¹ Skip the filing, and the state still treats you as the responsible party.²

An incomplete report is nearly as bad. The DOL will accept a partially filled-out form, but if it doesn’t meet the legal requirements it may not shield you from civil or legal action if the vehicle is later abandoned or used in a crime.² Fill every field, and fill it right.

What You Need Before You File

Every entry has to match the title exactly. A transposed VIN digit or a misspelled name creates a mismatch in the DOL system and can leave you exposed.

Vehicle identification number (VIN), copied character by character from the title — not from memory.
License plate number, including all letters and numbers currently on the plate.³
Model year and make.
Date of sale or transfer — the day you actually handed the vehicle over. This starts the five-business-day clock.
Sale price. Enter zero if the vehicle was a gift or an inheritance; you still have to file within five business days.³
Buyer’s full legal name and mailing address. If the DOL needs to contact the new owner, whatever address you write here is where correspondence goes.²

If the title still shows a lienholder, make sure the lien has been satisfied and released before you sell. The Report of Sale records the transfer between you and the buyer. It does not clear an old lien.

Three Ways to File

You can file online, by mail, or in person at any Washington vehicle licensing office.² The fee is $18 either way. Online is fastest and works from a phone.

Online

The DOL offers two paths. You can file without an account through the one-time reporting page, or you can log into your License Express account and file from there.³ Both walk you through the same fields. At the end, print or save the receipt. Do that immediately.²

By Mail

Print DOL form 420-062, fill it out, and include a check for $18 made out to “Department of Licensing.” Mail it to the vehicle licensing office of your choice; a directory is on the DOL website. Photocopy the completed form before you seal the envelope. If the mail is lost, that copy is your proof of what you sent and when.³

In Person

Bring the completed form and $18 to any vehicle licensing office. Staff process it on the spot and hand you a receipt. This is the surest option if you want the filing confirmed before you leave.

Take Your Plates Off

Washington law requires sellers to remove the license plates before handing the vehicle over. Leaving them on exposes you to toll bills, speed-camera tickets, and parking violations run up by the new owner before they register the vehicle in their name.³ Under RCW 46.16A.200, standard-issue plates must be replaced when ownership changes, but you can transfer your old plates to another vehicle you own for a transfer fee.⁴

The Other Paperwork That Travels With the Sale

The Report of Sale is not the only document in a private vehicle sale. Handle these in the same sitting so nothing slips.

Sign Over the Title

Sign and date the assignment section on the back of the certificate of title, either before or at the time of sale. This is a separate obligation from the Report of Sale — RCW 46.12.650 requires the seller to endorse the title, assign it to the buyer, and deliver it along with the vehicle.¹

Bill of Sale

The DOL’s Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale (form TD-420-065) records the transaction — buyer, seller, VIN, date, and price — with signatures from both parties. It does not transfer the title and does not function as a Report of Sale. It’s a separate record, and the buyer needs it along with the signed title to apply for a new title.⁵

Odometer Disclosure

Washington requires a written odometer disclosure with every title application. It can appear on the title itself or on a separate DOL-approved form, and it must state the cumulative mileage shown at the time of sale.⁶ Federal law under 49 U.S.C. § 32705 requires the same disclosure in writing. If you know the reading doesn’t reflect actual mileage — say, the odometer was replaced or rolled over — you must disclose that the true mileage is unknown. A false reading is a federal violation.⁷ Model year 2011 and newer vehicles are subject to disclosure for 20 years from the model year; model year 2010 and older vehicles follow the previous 10-year rule and are already exempt.⁸

What Happens If You File Late

The DOL will still accept a late Report of Sale, but it becomes effective only on the day the department receives it, not the date of the sale. You remain legally tied to the vehicle for the gap between the sale and the filing. Parking tickets, towing charges, and accident liability from that window can still come back to you.⁹ File on time, even if you’re doing it from your phone in the driveway five minutes after the buyer pulls away.

After You File

Keep the receipt or a copy of the completed form somewhere you can find it. If a toll agency or parking authority sends you a bill months later for something the buyer did, that receipt is the fastest way to get the charge dismissed. Most agencies drop the matter once they see a properly filed Report of Sale predating the violation.

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.12.650 – Releasing Interest, Reports of Sale, Transfer of Ownership, Requirements, Penalty, Exceptions
2
Cornell Law Institute. Washington Administrative Code 308-56A-525 – Vehicle Sellers Report of Sale
3
Washington State Department of Licensing. Sell a Vehicle
4
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.16A.200
5
Washington State Department of Licensing. Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale
6
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.12.665 – Odometer Disclosure Statement Required
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 32705 – Disclosure Requirements on Transfer of Motor Vehicles
8
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements
9
Washington Law Help. Report the Selling or Buying of a Vehicle