How to Fill Out the Washington Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale (Form TD-420-065)

Washington’s vehicle/vessel bill of sale is Form TD-420-065, the one-page document buyer and seller sign in a private sale to record the transaction, prove the purchase price for use tax, and support the buyer’s title application at a vehicle licensing office.1Washington State Department of Licensing. TD-420-065 Vehicle Vessel Bill of Sale Fill it out carefully the first time. The buyer has 15 days to transfer the title and the seller has 5 business days to file a Report of Sale, and a form with wrong or missing information will get rejected at the counter.

Gather Everything Before You Sign

A licensing office will not accept an incomplete form, and going back to patch in missing fields later is how transposition errors creep in. Pull every piece of information directly from the title or the vehicle itself, not from memory.

  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): the 17-character number on the dashboard near the windshield or on the driver’s door jamb. Copy it character by character.
  • Hull Identification Number (HIN) for a vessel: permanently affixed to the starboard outboard side of the transom, or on the outermost starboard side near the rudder or steering mechanism if the vessel has no transom.2Washington State Legislature. WAC 308-93-280 Hull Identification Number Requirement
  • Year, make, and model, taken from the current title or registration.
  • Full legal names and current residential addresses for both buyer and seller, matching each person’s government-issued ID.
  • The agreed sale price, which determines the buyer’s use tax.
  • The date of sale, which starts both parties’ legal clocks.
  • The odometer reading for most vehicles (see below).

Before anyone signs, the seller should confirm the title is clear of liens. A lienholder listed on the title means the seller cannot pass clean ownership, and the buyer will not get a new title until the lien is released. If the original title is lost, the seller needs to deal with that first through the Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest, covered further down.

Filling Out Form TD-420-065

The top of the form captures the vehicle or vessel: year, make, model, and VIN or HIN. Check the identification number against the physical plate or hull marking one character at a time. A single wrong digit is the most common reason a bill of sale comes back rejected.

Enter the buyer’s and seller’s full legal names and addresses in the labeled fields, using the names as they appear on each person’s ID. Record the sale price and the transaction date. The sale price feeds directly into the use tax the buyer owes when applying for the new title; Washington’s combined state and local use tax rate varies by location and runs roughly 7% to over 10%.

If the vehicle is a gift or inheritance, enter zero for the sale price. The DOL instructs buyers to do exactly that.3Washington State Department of Licensing. Buy and Register a Vehicle A zero price does not necessarily mean zero tax, though. The licensing office can assess use tax based on the vehicle’s fair market value.

Both parties should sign and date at the bottom. The DOL technically needs at least the seller’s signature to release ownership interest, but both signatures create a cleaner record of the terms. Use pen. Licensing agents scan these forms into the state system and pencil does not survive the scan. Keep the handwriting legible.

Odometer Disclosure

Federal rules that took effect in 2021 require an odometer disclosure on the title for vehicles model year 2011 and newer, for the first 20 model years of the vehicle’s life.4National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert – Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements In practical terms for 2026, any vehicle model year 2007 through 2026 needs an odometer statement. Vehicles model year 2010 and older fall under the prior 10-year rule and are exempt.

Two other categories are exempt: vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds, and vehicles that are not self-propelled. For everything else, the seller writes the current mileage on the title itself when signing it over. Falsifying an odometer reading is a federal offense, so record the actual number no matter how high it reads.

Buyer: Transfer the Title Within 15 Days

Take the signed bill of sale and the certificate of title to any vehicle licensing office and apply for a new title in your name. You have 15 days from the date of sale. Miss that window and penalties start at $50 on the 16th day, plus $2 for every additional day, capped at $125.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.17.140

Expect to pay several fees at the counter on top of any late penalty:

  • Title application fee: $18
  • Filing fee: $6.50 for title only, or $12.50 for title plus registration
  • Service fee: $18 for title only, or $29 for title plus registration
  • Use tax based on the sale price and your location’s combined tax rate

Other charges can apply case by case, including a $10 plate transfer, a $50 out-of-state stolen vehicle check, or a $65 Washington State Patrol VIN inspection when one is required.6Washington State Department of Licensing. Calculate Vehicle Tab Fees Budget more than the title fee alone, especially for an out-of-state purchase.

Seller: File a Report of Sale Within 5 Business Days

The seller has a separate obligation that often gets overlooked. File a Report of Sale within five business days of the transaction.7Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.12.650 – Releasing Interest, Reports of Sale, Transfer of Ownership That filing is what disconnects you from the vehicle in state records. Skip it and you can end up answering for parking tickets, tow bills, or civil liability tied to whatever the new owner does with the car.

You have three ways to file:

  • Online through the Washington DOL website.
  • By mail: send the completed Report of Sale form (TD-420-062) with an $18 check made out to “Department of Licensing” to a vehicle licensing office.8Washington State Department of Licensing. Sell a Vehicle
  • In person at any vehicle licensing office.

The report must include the sale date, both parties’ names and addresses, the VIN, the license plate number, and the purchase price.7Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.12.650 – Releasing Interest, Reports of Sale, Transfer of Ownership Your five-day clock runs no matter what the buyer does, so file on your own schedule.

What to Do if the Title Is Lost

Lost titles turn up often in private sales, especially with older vehicles. Washington handles this through the Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest. The seller completes the affidavit and every person listed as a legal or registered owner on the original title must sign it.9Washington State Department of Licensing. Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest If signed in front of a licensing agent, the agent certifies the signatures on the spot and no notary is needed.

The buyer then brings the completed affidavit, a Vehicle Title Application, and the bill of sale to the licensing office. If a lender holds a lien, the lender can provide the Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest to the buyer along with a release from the seller. It adds a step, but licensing offices process these routinely.

Keep Signed Copies

Both parties should walk away with a signed copy of the TD-420-065. The buyer needs it as backup if anything goes sideways with the title application and as documentation of the purchase price for use tax. The seller needs it as proof of the sale date and terms if the Report of Sale is delayed or disputed, and to show when the vehicle left their possession. A clear phone photo is better than nothing; a clean photocopy is better still.