What do I need on a vehicle bill of sale?

The VIN, the odometer reading on the day, the licence plate if it is still fitted, the make, model and year, the price, the date, and both names. Many registries also want an odometer statement.

Do I need the VIN if I already wrote the plate?

Yes. Plates move between vehicles; the VIN does not. It is the only number that reliably identifies the vehicle you sold.

Should I record the odometer reading?

Always. Write the exact number shown on the day of the sale and photograph the dashboard. It protects you against later claims that the mileage was misrepresented.

Does this replace the title transfer?

No. A bill of sale records the deal between the two of you. The registration or title transfer still has to be done through your local motor vehicle authority.

Vehicle bill of sale

Selling a car, motorbike, trailer or boat privately? The record needs a few things an ordinary bill of sale does not: the VIN, the odometer reading on the day, and the plate.

The details to capture

VIN — 17 characters on most modern vehicles. Photograph the plate on the dash or door frame rather than typing it from memory.
Odometer reading exactly as shown on the day, plus a photo of the cluster.
Licence plate, and whether it stays with the vehicle or comes off.
Year, make, model and trim, and the colour.
Known faults — warning lights, rust, accident history, worn tyres, keys missing.
What is included — second key, winter tyres, service book, roof bars.
Price, payment method and date.
As-is wording and the buyer's acknowledgement.

Do this before you hand over the keys

Walk around the vehicle with the buyer and photograph every panel, plus the interior.
Photograph the odometer and the VIN plate.
Write the faults down honestly — an undisclosed fault is what turns into a dispute.
Have the buyer confirm the record on their own phone before money changes hands.
Complete the registration or title transfer with your motor vehicle authority.

In SaleSafe, choose the Vehicles category and the VIN, odometer and plate fields appear. Once the buyer accepts, the record locks and neither of you can change it. For non-vehicle items, see the general bill of sale template.

Make one in about two minutes

Fill in the item, add photos, show the buyer a QR code. They confirm on their own phone and you both get a receipt you can check later. Your first one is free.

Create a Sale Record

Common questions

SaleSafe documents what the seller recorded and the buyer acknowledged. It is not legal advice, escrow, insurance, identity verification, ownership verification, authenticity verification or a guarantee against fraud. See the disclaimer.