TX private-sale guide
Find the official Texas title application and odometer steps, or create a free bill of sale to record your agreement.
Official Texas paperwork
Form 130-U is the Texas title and registration application. Read the steps for the assigned title and odometer disclosure.
Open official Form 130-U PDFRead the odometer stepsFree from TxDMV · Opens in a new tab
Your transaction record
Create a record of the vehicle, price and sale terms. Have both names and the vehicle details ready, then preview and download your PDF.
Create my free Texas bill of saleFree PDF · No account or email required
The bill of sale records your agreement. Complete the official title and odometer paperwork separately.
Source and review record
Research reviewed by Bill Sale Now editorial team. This is an editorial source review, not a review by an attorney.
Texas odometer disclosure statement
The seller enters the reading on the assigned title, and Form 130-U provides fields for the reading and its status.
Use the current whole-mile reading. Texas Form 130-U asks for the odometer reading in box 9 without tenths.
If the reading is not the vehicle's actual mileage, exceeds the odometer's mechanical limits, or the vehicle is exempt, mark the applicable status instead of presenting the number as actual mileage.
The odometer information on the assigned title and Form 130-U should agree. Correct discrepancies before the buyer visits the county tax office.
A private vehicle sale in Texas comes down to a clean paper trail and a prompt title transfer. The buyer and seller agree on a price, then the seller signs over the title and provides a bill of sale that records who sold the vehicle, who bought it, the vehicle identification number (VIN), the sale price, and the date. Texas does not require the bill of sale itself to be notarized, so you can complete it without a notary.
Your bill of sale should capture the full legal names and addresses of both parties, the year, make, and model of the vehicle, the VIN, the agreed price, and the odometer reading on the day of sale. Federal rules generally require disclosure for model-year 2011 and newer vehicles until they reach 20 years old, subject to specific exemptions. An "as-is" line is common in private Texas sales and makes clear there is no warranty.
To finish the transfer, the buyer takes the signed title, the bill of sale, and Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) to a county tax office, usually within 30 days of the sale to avoid late transfer penalties. The buyer pays motor vehicle sales tax (calculated on the sale price or the standard presumptive value, whichever applies) along with title and registration fees at that time.
Keep a signed copy for your own records. The seller should also file a Vehicle Transfer Notification with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles so the state's records show the vehicle is no longer in the seller's name, which helps protect the seller from tolls or tickets the new owner might incur.
Official form: Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U)
More sale paperwork
No. Texas does not require a vehicle bill of sale to be notarized. Both parties simply sign it, and the buyer uses it alongside Form 130-U for the title transfer.
Yes. A federal odometer disclosure is required for most vehicles at the time of sale, so record the mileage and have both buyer and seller acknowledge it.
Texas uses Application for Texas Title and/or Registration, Form 130-U, filed at a county tax office. The bill of sale supports the private sale record.
Yes. Texas accepts a self-written bill of sale as long as it includes the buyer, seller, VIN, sale price, odometer reading, and date. A clear template helps make sure nothing is missed.
It is strongly recommended. Having both parties sign documents the agreement, confirms the odometer reading, and gives each side a record of the sale.
No. A bill of sale records the transaction, but it does not transfer title by itself. The seller must properly assign the title, and the buyer must submit the signed title and Form 130-U to the county tax office.
This is practical paperwork guidance, not legal advice. State DMV rules change; confirm current titling, notarization, and odometer requirements with Texas before relying on this document.