Florida Vehicle Bill of Sale

Is a bill of sale required to sell a car in Florida?

Yes. Florida law requires sellers to file Form HSMV 82050 (Notice of Sale / Bill of Sale) with a motor vehicle service center after every private-party sale. This is not optional — if the buyer fails to register the vehicle and the seller has not filed the HSMV 82050, the seller can be held civilly liable for the operation of the vehicle after the sale. The form serves both as the bill of sale documenting the transaction and as the seller's notice to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) that the vehicle has changed hands.

Does a Florida bill of sale need to be notarized?

No — not if the bill of sale includes a statutory perjury declaration instead. Florida allows either notarization or a signed declaration under Fla. Stat. § 92.525(2), which prescribes the exact language: "Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have read the foregoing document and that the facts stated in it are true." This is the same approach used on the official HSMV 82050 form. A false perjury declaration is a third-degree felony under Florida law.

The bill of sale generated here includes this statutory perjury declaration above the signature lines, so no notary visit is needed for the bill of sale. A generic bill of sale that lacks both notarization and a perjury clause may not be accepted by the county tax collector's office for title transfer processing.

What information does a Florida vehicle bill of sale need to include?

A complete Florida bill of sale must include the names and addresses of the buyer and seller, the vehicle identification number (VIN), year, make, model, body type, color, the selling price, the date of sale, and an odometer disclosure. Federal law (49 CFR §580.5) requires a written odometer statement for vehicles less than 20 model years old. The HSMV 82050 form has a built-in odometer disclosure section with the required federal language about mileage accuracy.

If a non-HSMV form is used as the bill of sale, it must contain a complete description of the vehicle including the VIN, the printed names and signatures of both parties, and either a notarization or perjury clause. The FLHSMV will accept a generic bill of sale that meets these requirements, but using the official HSMV 82050 avoids potential processing issues.

What taxes and fees does the buyer owe?

The buyer owes Florida's 6% state sales tax on the purchase price (Florida Statute §212.05), plus a county discretionary sales surtax that ranges from 0% to 2% depending on the buyer's home county. The surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the purchase price — a detail that is often overlooked. In most Florida counties, the county surtax adds between 0.5% and 1.5%. The total combined rate typically falls between 6.5% and 7.5%. Sales tax is collected by the county tax collector at the time of title transfer.

Title transfer and registration fees are separate from sales tax. Gift transfers between immediate family members may qualify for a sales tax exemption but require a sworn statement documenting that no monetary consideration was exchanged.

Do license plates stay with the vehicle or the seller?

In Florida, license plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle. The seller must remove the plates before delivering the vehicle to the buyer. The seller can transfer the plates to another vehicle or surrender them at a motor vehicle service center. The buyer must obtain new plates when registering the vehicle, or transfer plates from another vehicle they already own.

What should the seller do after the sale?

The seller should file the HSMV 82050 with the local county tax collector's office as soon as possible after the sale. There is no explicit statutory deadline for filing the notice of sale, but filing promptly is strongly in the seller's interest — until the form is filed, the seller may be held liable for the vehicle. The seller should keep copies of the bill of sale, the signed certificate of title, and any other transaction documents. The buyer has 30 days from the date of sale to apply for a title and registration.

What if the vehicle has multiple owners?

If the vehicle is titled to more than one person, all owners on the title must sign the bill of sale. Use the "Add a co-seller" option on the form to add the second seller's name and address. Both sellers' names and signature lines will appear on the document. For electronic signing, each co-owner can sign on the same device in sequence, or the document can be passed from one device to another via QR code or shared link. Both buyers can likewise be named on the bill of sale using the "Add a co-buyer" option.