A bill of sale is a short signed record that one person sold a specific item to another, for a stated price, on a stated date. Private sellers use it for things like used equipment, furniture, a laptop or a small business’s leftover inventory, and the buyer keeps it as proof they own what they paid for. Our free bill of sale template below works for most goods and is written in plain English.
When do you need a bill of sale?
You need one any time the item is worth enough that you’d be annoyed if the other side later said “that’s not what we agreed.” A café owner selling a $2,400 commercial espresso machine to another café is a typical case. A one-page bill of sale settles the price, whether the grinder was included, and that the buyer took it as-is.
There’s also a legal reason for bigger sales. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, which states use for sales of goods, a contract for goods priced at $500 or more generally isn’t enforceable unless there’s a signed writing showing a contract was made, including the quantity. A signed bill of sale does that job neatly.
When should you use something else? For a car, truck, motorcycle, a titled trailer or anything else with a state title, use our vehicle bill of sale template and check your state’s DMV first. If the buyer is paying you over time, pair this with a promissory note so the payment terms are written down separately. And if you haven’t agreed a price yet and you’re still pitching the job, a quote template fits better.
What should a bill of sale include?
Our simple bill of sale template covers these parts, in this order.
The parties and the date
Full legal names and addresses for the seller and the buyer, and the date of the sale. If a business is selling, use the business’s legal name and have someone with authority sign for it.
A description of the item
This is where most disputes start, so be specific. Make, model, serial number, color, condition, and anything included with it (accessories, manuals, spare parts). “Blue office chair” is weak. “Mesh-back office chair, black, serial ending 4471, small tear on left armrest” is strong.
Price and payment
The total price, how it’s being paid (cash, check, bank transfer, payment app) and whether it’s paid in full today. If there’s a deposit or a balance due later, the form has room for that.
Condition and “as-is” wording
The template lets you choose between selling as-is, with no promises about condition, or listing any specific promises the seller is making. As-is is normal for private sales of used goods. If you do make a promise (“works as of the date of sale”), write it down exactly, because that sentence is what the buyer will point to later.
Ownership and liens
The seller confirms they own the item and that nobody else (like a lender) has a claim on it. For a sample bill of sale covering financed equipment, this line matters: if there’s a loan on it, sort that out before you sell.
Delivery and risk
When and where the buyer picks it up, and the point at which the buyer becomes responsible if it’s damaged or lost.
Signatures
Both the seller and the buyer sign and date. Printable or electronic, both work for most goods.
What do you need to check for your state or situation?
Most everyday goods don’t need a state form. The exceptions are items a state titles or registers, the most common being motor vehicles. For those, the state agency that records the transfer may want its own bill of sale form, a signed title, or notarization, and the rules differ from state to state. The quickest way to find the right office is the USA.gov list of state motor vehicle agencies.
Whatever the item, write the real price. If an agency or a tax office ever looks at the sale, the bill of sale is the first document they’ll ask for.
How do you fill in the bill of sale and get it signed?
- Download the template in Word or PDF and fill in every blank. Delete options that don’t apply rather than leaving them ambiguous.
- Walk through the item description together, ideally with the item in front of you.
- Take payment in the way you agreed. For larger amounts, don’t hand over the goods until funds have actually cleared.
- Both sign. If you’re not in the same room, e-signing is the easy option: send the PDF to the buyer, each of you signs on a phone or laptop, and you both get the same completed file.
- Keep your copy with any receipts, photos and messages about the sale.
On the legal side, the federal ESIGN Act says a signature or contract “may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form.” Its exceptions cover things like wills and family-law matters and most of the UCC, but sales of goods under UCC Article 2 are specifically kept in, so an e-signed bill of sale for goods is on solid ground. If you want the detail, read are electronic signatures legally binding. For titled items, your state may still want a paper original or its own process, which is covered in documents you can’t sign electronically.
Download it, fill in the blanks, and send it for e-signature with any tool you like. (We’re building SignWren for exactly this; join the waitlist.)
This page is general information, not legal advice. For a specific contract or dispute, talk to a lawyer licensed where you are.