How To Get A Car Title With A Bill Of Sale

Can you get a car title with a bill of sale? Yes, you can get a car title with a bill of sale, but only in certain situations.

What is a bill of sale?

A bill of sale is proof of the vehicle transaction. The bill of sale does not prove ownership of the vehicle, just that the sale of the vehicle occurred. A bill of sale is a legal document used to transfer ownership from one person to another. It can be used as proof of ownership when selling a vehicle privately or through a dealership. In all states, the seller needs to complete and sign the bill of sale before handing over the title.

For more tips regarding your bill of sale, check out our article How to Write a Bill of Sale.

Bill of sale only car titles

There are a few circumstances where a state will allow a vehicle to be registered with only a bill of sale. Those circumstances generally are:

• If you are using the Vermont title loophole
• If you are applying for a bonded title
• If your state has specific titling restrictions for certain year vehicles

Using a bill of sale for the Vermont title loophole

The Vermont title loophole, more formally known as the Vermont registration process, is one of the most common ways to get a title for a vehicle using only a bill of sale. While vehicles that are 15 years or older can be registered in Vermont, they cannot be titled under Vermont law. This means that the registration document provided by the Vermont DMV is legally equivalent to a vehicle title in that state. With this legal proof of ownership, you can use this in lieu of a prior title to obtain a new title in your name.

Learn more about the Vermont title loophole!

Using a bill of sale for a bonded title

If your vehicle doesn’t meet the model year criteria for the Vermont title loophole, a bonded title is another valuable way to obtain a title using a bill of sale if your state allows for this method. Currently, only 35 out of the 50 U.S. states allow for a bonded title process. A bonded title requires you to obtain a vehicle title bond, or surety bond, to secure your claim of ownership.

Learn more about the bonded title process!

Titling restrictions by model year

In some states, titles are not required or optional for certain model-year vehicles. Typically, these model years vehicles are upwards of 25+ years old. For example, in Georgia, you can obtain a vehicle registration that is equivalent to a title for model years 1962 and older. Because titling is not required for these vehicles, similar to the Vermont title loophole, the Georgia registration document is equivalent to a title for that vehicle.

Overall, unless your vehicle meets these specific requirements, it will likely not be possible to get a title using only a bill of sale. But if your vehicle meets this criterion, these are very valuable and reputable methods to obtain a vehicle title. CarTitles.com takes the hassle out of applying for a title for your vehicle. Our team of title experts can help prepare your paperwork for any title method provided.