An Ohio bill of sale is a critical piece of paperwork for selling or buying a vehicle in the state of Ohio. Many states require a bill of sale form in order to show the identities of the buyer and seller, as well as the sale price and other relevant information. Some of the information may also be provided on the title of the vehicle, but states still require bill of sale forms to be recorded for some transactions.
Bill of sale forms for the state of Ohio are available online. Some websites charge for downloading this kind of paperwork. Others may offer the service free of charge. Sellers can get a blank bill of sale or vehicle bill of sale sample in electronic form and print it for use. Individuals may be able to find out more about the availability and requirements for bill of sale forms at their County Clerk's office by county at the Ohio DMV website.
There's a bit more on the bill of sale form for Ohio sales than some other states include. The basic recorded information starts with names, addresses and contact information for both the buyer and the seller. The year and make of vehicle are recorded, along with the VIN number, that is the serial number for the vehicle.
Along with this basic data, the Ohio bill of sale form includes portions for recording warranty and inspection information, as well as an odometer reading. States use odometer information to try to prevent odometer fraud on vehicles, where previous owners may roll back or tamper with the manual odometer. Digital odometer styles have limited this kind of activity by dishonest car sellers.
The Ohio bill of sale also includes a "promissory note" section. This is information regarding satisfying any lien on the vehicle, where the owner will owe money to a lender who is helping to finance the sale.
Generally, the bill of sale goes along with the title when the buyer presents documentation to change over the title into his or her name, and to register the vehicle as its new owner. In Ohio, this process falls on the County Clerk's office. The bill of sale goes to the office along with the title for processing. The buyer may also be required to show a bill of sale at the DMV.
Buyers and sellers should keep a copy of the bill of sale on hand. The buyer can use it to meet any challenges regarding ownership, and the seller can use it is a Release of Liability, where the individual cannot be responsible for claims related to the vehicle when it has been legally sold. It's important to note that the seller may also have to contact the DMV about the sale in order to be released from liability.
When you buy a car on installments in Ohio, a promissory note that is part of the bill of sale must be submitted with the title transfer and registration documents in order for you to be able to register the vehicle. The promissory note is official notification to the State of Ohio and the Motor Vehicles Department that there is an installment payment plan that the vehicle purchase is contingent upon. The promissory note must state the name of the buyer, the seller and the principal purchase price, along with the monthly payment amount and how many payments are to be made.
Do You Need an Ohio Car Title Transfer When You're Switching Registration from Another State?When performing an out of state to Ohio car title transfer, you will need to obtain an Ohio certificate of title before you will be allowed to register the vehicle at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. You must have the original certified title from the state of origin of the car, and a vehicle inspection report verifying that the car in question is the car being described with license number, vehicle identification number, body type, and the make and model of the vehicle. The signed original certificate of title is the title transfer document.
