A bill of sale for a boat documents the sale of a boat from a seller to the buyer. This document serves as the buyer’s proof the boat belongs to them and is used to register the ownership of the boat with the DMV.
Get a Template
Instead of making your own bill of sale from scratch, use our template. At the bottom of the page, we have templates that are customized for the requirements of each state.
The steps below may vary slightly by state, but are generally how a bill of sale for a boat is filled out.
Step 1 – List the Purchase Price
Enter the purchase price of the boat in the bill of sale. If the purchase price includes a trailer or other equipment that is being sold as well, those individual components need to be itemized separately.
Not doing so may increase the taxes for licensing the boat and/or trailer.
Step 2 – Identify the Purchaser and Seller
Enter the name and address of the buyer and seller. This is important to correctly identify the parties involved and get the title moved to the buyer.
Step 3 – Include Information of the Boat
Identify the make, year, serial number and other required information your state requires. If a trailer is included in the sale, enter the make, model, year and VIN. Alternatively, you may want to consider a separate trailer bill of sale.
Step 4 – Sign and Date
The purchaser and seller need to sign and date the boat bill of sale. It’s a good idea to have a witness observe the signing of the document and even better if a notary public signs as well.