Car bill of sale: what to include and a free template

Give the buyer a bill of sale and keep a copy for yourself. In the ACT you must give a receipt or invoice if you don’t have the rego papers. Wherever you are, it should show what Service NSW lists: the car’s details, the date and time of sale, and the name, address and signature of both the buyer and the seller.

The official guidance below was checked on 13 October 2026, and there’s a free template near the end.

Do you legally need a bill of sale?

Sometimes, and it’s always worth having. The ACT rule above is a firm “must”. In the NT, the notice of disposal itself has to be signed by both you and the buyer. Service NSW tells NSW sellers to give one and keep a copy.

The bill of sale is the record of the deal between you and the buyer: what was sold, for how much, when and to whom. On its own, it doesn’t tell the registry anything. That’s the job of your notice of disposal or transfer, which has its own deadline: 7 days in WA and Tasmania, and 14 days in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA and the NT. Access Canberra’s page sets no seller deadline, so notify it as soon as you sell. Our guide to selling a car in Australia sets out each state’s form.

You need both. The bill of sale is your evidence of the terms if a buyer later disputes the price or a fault, or if a fine arrives for a time after the sale.

What does Service NSW say it should include?

Service NSW publishes the most detailed official list we found. Its selling a vehicle guide says your proof of sale should record:

• The vehicle: plate number, VIN or chassis number, engine number, colour, and make and model.
• The date and time of sale.
• Both parties: the name, address and signature of the buyer and of the seller.

It’s written for NSW, but it’s a sound starting point anywhere.

The VIN and engine number tie the receipt to one car, because plates can be swapped. Copy them from your rego papers, and check the VIN against the car itself.

The time matters too. If a toll or camera notice turns up for the afternoon you sold, the time on the receipt shows who had the car. Our guide on a fine or toll for a car you’ve sold explains how to use it.

Check the buyer’s name against their driver licence before they sign.

What else should you add to protect yourself?

That list identifies the car and the people, but says nothing about the money, the condition or any loan. Add these lines.

Queensland’s online transfer asks the seller for the date of sale, the dutiable value and the odometer reading at the time of sale. Put the same date and odometer reading on your receipt so the two records agree, and take a photo of the dash at handover wherever you live.

Finance needs a line of its own. If you still owe money on a secured car loan, the lender’s interest shows up on the Personal Property Securities Register, so a buyer’s search will find it. WA Consumer Protection says you must let the buyer know about any finance owing before a sale, and Service NSW says to make sure all financial obligations are met before you sell. A line such as “loan with [lender] paid out on [date]” shows where things stand. If the payout happens as part of the sale, our page on selling a car under finance explains how that works.

Should you write “sold as is”?

You can, but know its limits. The ACCC says most consumer guarantees and state and territory laws don’t apply to second-hand cars bought through private or auction sales. WA Consumer Protection puts it more plainly: the Australian Consumer Law doesn’t apply to cars bought and sold privately. A private buyer has fewer comebacks with or without the words.

What “as is” won’t do is cover a fault you knew about and kept quiet. WA Consumer Protection warns that you may be held liable if you know about a serious defect and don’t tell the buyer.

Instead, list the faults you’ve disclosed and have the buyer sign underneath. A line such as “The buyer has inspected the vehicle and accepts it in its current condition, including these faults disclosed by the seller” is clearer than “as is”, because it shows the buyer knew. If a buyer comes back after the sale, our guide on a private buyer who wants a refund covers your next steps.

Selling to a dealer: what extra details should the paperwork show?

Two more: the dealer’s motor dealer licence number and its registered business name. Service NSW says to include both, and notes that the registered name may differ from the name the dealer trades under. In NSW you’ll need the same two details for your notice of disposal, where they go in place of a buyer’s driver licence.

Check them before you sign. Service NSW points sellers to Verify NSW to look up a dealer’s details, and our guide on how to check a car buyer is licensed walks you through it. For us, the registered business name is Autohaus Australia Pty Ltd and the NSW motor dealer licence is MD 077404. Sell Your Car Australia is our trading name.

If the dealer prepares the paperwork, your job is checking it. Read it against this list before you sign:

• Your name and address are correct.
• The plate, VIN and engine number match your rego papers.
• The price is the one you agreed.
• Any deposit already paid is recorded.
• If there’s finance, the payout to your lender and the equity paid to you are shown.
• The dealer’s licence number and registered business name are on it.

In the ACT and NT, when is the official form your receipt?

ACT. You and the buyer complete and sign the transfer and notice of disposal sections on the back of the rego certificate, and the buyer keeps the transfer section. If you don’t have the rego papers, Access Canberra says you must give the buyer a receipt or invoice, and a copy of the notice of disposal can also be used as a receipt. On a private sale, a handwritten receipt is fine if it shows:

• The plate number or VIN.
• The sale date.
• Your full name or licence number, and your signature (both signatures if the car is in joint names).
• The buyer’s name or licence number.
• The price.

It must also state clearly that the vehicle was sold by you to the buyer.

NT. The notice of disposal can be MVR’s R06 form, your latest rego certificate, a clearly written document or an email, and both of you must sign it. The NT Government’s seller page says it must include both parties’ full names and addresses, the buyer’s date of birth, the sale date, and the price or market value. It also needs the rego number, make and model, VIN or chassis number and engine number. A bill of sale that holds every one of those details and both signatures fits that description, but check with MVR before you rely on it. Either way, submit it to MVR within 14 days, by email, mail or in person. There’s no online portal.

Which details does each authority ask for?

This table pulls together what each official source asks for, on a receipt or on its own disposal or transfer form. Put these details on your bill of sale and you’ll have them to hand when you lodge.

When should you sign it, and what should you keep?

Sign last. The NSW Government’s advice is not to sign anything that transfers ownership until you’ve been paid. Once the receipt says “paid in full”, you’ve confirmed you have the money. Check the balance in your own banking app, not a screenshot or an email, before either of you signs.

Make two copies and both sign each one, so you each keep an original. Photograph your copy before the car leaves, then file it with the bank statement showing the payment and a copy of your notice of disposal. Service NSW tells NSW sellers to keep the receipt and a copy of the notice, and in Victoria, VicRoads says to keep the transfer form with both parties’ details.

Is a bill of sale a tax invoice?

Not on a private sale. It records the deal, and the ATO says GST isn’t payable when you sell a privately owned asset. The ATO also says private cars are generally exempt from capital gains tax. If the car is registered to an ABN or was used in a GST-registered business, GST may be included in the price. If it’s a ute or was used for work, talk to your accountant. Our guide on whether you pay tax when you sell your car goes further.

Free bill of sale template

Copy this into a document and print two copies, or write it out by hand. Leave out any line that doesn’t apply, such as the dealer licence on a private sale.

Bill of sale: motor vehicle

Declaration. The seller sells the vehicle described above to the buyer for the sale price shown, and has been paid that price in full, including any amount paid directly to a lender. The seller has told the buyer about any finance owing and the faults listed above. The buyer has inspected the vehicle and accepts it in its current condition.

If the car is in joint names, add a signature line for each owner.

Selling to us: who prepares the paperwork?

Sell privately and every line of that template is yours to write and check. Sell to us and we prepare the sale paperwork and help with the transfer of ownership, so your part is checking it against the dealer list above. We’ll make sure your notice of disposal is done correctly. In most states it’s a quick online form, and in NSW you list our dealer licence, MD 077404, in place of a buyer’s licence.

The order doesn’t change. You get a genuine offer by phone from a licensed dealer, not an online estimate, and a deposit, often the same day. The inspection happens after you accept, at a time and place that suits you. The balance goes into your bank account, and we collect the car, anywhere in Australia, only after you confirm the funds have cleared. If there’s finance, we deal with your lender directly to pay out the loan, then pay any equity to you. Settlement usually takes 2 to 3 business days. As Roy put it: “From paperwork and working with the lenders, to a personal touch.”

We buy cars, utes, SUVs and 4WDs 2021 or newer with 100,000 km or less. If yours is older or has more kilometres, send it through anyway and we’ll tell you straight away if we can help. The valuation is free, with no obligation and no fees taken out of the offer. Call 1800 73 55 73.