The paperwork side of buying and selling a car
Selling a car takes ten minutes of talking and an hour of forms. MyCarPapers handles the forms part: free tools that build the documents for you, and guides that explain what each state's motor vehicle office expects to see.
Bill of sale templates
Print-ready forms for every kind of sale, each with its own fields.
Vehicle bill of sale
Fill in seller, buyer, vehicle and price, then print it, save a PDF or download a Word file. Includes as-is terms and an odometer statement.
Open the template → Ready to useMotorcycle bill of sale
For street bikes, dirt bikes, scooters and mopeds, with the engine number and the right odometer rules.
Make a motorcycle bill of sale → Ready to useBoat bill of sale
Hull ID, outboard motor and trailer listed separately, each with its own price and an automatic total.
Make a boat bill of sale → Ready to useTrailer bill of sale
Utility, cargo, horse and travel trailers, with weights, VIN and a note for homemade trailers.
Make a trailer bill of sale → Ready to useRV and camper bill of sale
Motorhomes and towables, with slide-outs, generator hours and an odometer statement only when needed.
Make an RV bill of sale → Ready to useATV, UTV and golf cart bill of sale
Off-road machines, golf carts and snowmobiles, with the hour meter and off-highway decal number.
Make an ATV bill of sale → Ready to useGeneral bill of sale
Tractors, farm and construction equipment, tools and other items with serial numbers.
Make a general bill of sale → Ready to useHorse bill of sale
Registered name, markings, Coggins test, papers and tack, with as-is or warranty terms for horses and ponies.
Make a horse bill of sale →Title and registration
Paperwork after the sale and every year after that.
Title transfer checklist
Pick your state and situation to get the forms, deadline, notary rules and official link, ready to print.
Build my checklist → Ready to useCommercial vehicle checker
Enter weight, axles, passengers and use to see if you need a CDL, apportioned IRP plates, IFTA or Form 2290.
Check my vehicle → Ready to useRegistration renewal finder
Your state's official online renewal page, how early you can renew, what can block it, and late fees.
Find my renewal page →VIN tools
Decode, check and locate the 17-character vehicle identification number.
VIN decoder and recall check
Decode any VIN with NHTSA's official data and see recalls for that make, model and year.
Decode a VIN → GuideVIN verification by state
Who can inspect a VIN before a title is issued, from Florida's HSMV 82042 to California's REG 31, and what's exempt.
Check the rules → Ready to useWhere is my VIN?
VIN locations for cars, trailers, motorcycles and boats, plus a check-digit validator.
Find and check a VIN →Records, points and plates
Your driving history, where your points stand, and what the law lets you look up.
MVR request finder
How to order your driving record in any state, what it costs, and the consent rules for someone else's.
Get my driving record → Ready to useLicense points checker
Enter your points and see how close you are to your state's suspension limits, and how to bring them down.
Check my points → Ready to useCustom front plate designer
Preview your plate text, get shorter vanity ideas, download a PNG, and see if your state allows a front novelty plate.
Design a plate → Ready to useLicense plate lookup guide
What you can legally find from a plate in each state, and the official record request form when you qualify.
Check my options →Latest guides
Step-by-step answers to the paperwork questions people ask most. See all guides.
What to Do With License Plates After Selling a Car
New guide: keep, transfer or surrender: what happens to your plates after a sale, with rules for six states.
Read the guide → TitlesIs a Bill of Sale the Same as a Title?
New guide: what a title does, what a bill of sale does, when you need both, and when one stands in for the other.
Read the guide → RegistrationDoes the Dealership Register Your Car?
New guide: what a dealer files for you, the deadlines they face, and what to do when your plates are late.
Read the guide →How we work
Every tool runs in your browser. When you type a name, address or VIN into a form here, it stays on your device; nothing is uploaded, saved or shared. Close the tab and it's gone.
Every rule we describe comes from the agency that sets it: state motor vehicle departments, revenue offices and federal regulations such as the odometer rules in 49 CFR Part 580. Where states do things differently, we say so instead of pretending there's one answer for everyone.
We're adding more tools and guides over the coming months, covering titles, registration renewals, VIN checks, license plates and driving records. Each one goes live only when it's been checked against official sources.
MyCarPapers is independent and not connected to any DMV. We can't process titles, registrations or payments; we help you prepare for them.