The Arizona bill of sale is a document that proves the transaction of any personal property between the two parties. In most cases, it is used for motor vehicle purchases, since many states require the bill of sale in the motor vehicle registration process.

However, you can use it to transfer any kind of property, like boats, firearms, animals, trailers, etc. Even when the law does not require the bill of sale, parties choose to make one in order to track the transfer of the ownership over the property and prevent any future disputes and liability.

By the end of this article, you will know all the benefits of having the bill of sale, what elements to include in it, and what to do after signing the bill of sale.

Arizona Bill of Sale Parties

The main parties to the bill of sale are the seller and the buyer. In some cases, the parties can decide to have witnesses sign the bill of sale to strengthen the bill of sale’s authenticity.

Seller

The person transferring ownership over a certain item is called the seller or the transferor. In certain cases, there can be more than one seller.

Buyer

This is the person that is obtaining ownership over a certain item. The buyer can also be referred to as the transferee in the bill of sale.

Buyer And Seller Disclosure

When selling a motor vehicle, the seller is obliged to include the odometer reading disclosure in the bill of sale.

Additionally, the bill of sale can include the “as is” disclosure. This means the item is transferred with all its existing damages and flaws. By signing such a bill of sale, the buyer agrees to buy the item in the seen condition and cannot have any future claims unless the damages were hidden.

Arizona Bill of Sale Description of Goods

The bill of sale shall also have a detailed description of the item being sold. The item description will be different depending on its type.

If the transferred item is a motor vehicle, the description should include:

The description shall also include the disclosure of any damages the item has. It will protect the seller from any claims from the buyer after the ownership is transferred. However, it is important that the bill of sale contains the “as is” disclosure.

If the item has any other detail that can individualize it, especially the serial or registration number, it shall be included in the item description.

Arizona Bill of Sale Purchase Price

This section outlines the counteraction the buyer must complete to obtain the item. There are three main counteractions used between the seller and the buyer:

#1. Payment

This is the most common method among the three. The buyer will pay the seller in cash or using a check, credit card, or bank transfer.

#2. Trade

When doing the trade-in, the buyer will give the seller one of their items. If necessary, the buyer will also make the additional payment to cover the difference in the value of the two items.

#3. Gift

This method is often used to transfer ownership of an item between the members of one family. With it, the buyer doesn’t have to make any counteraction. In some cases, the parties will still provide the estimated price of an item for tax purposes.

Arizona Bill of Sale for Motor Vehicles (Cars) Requirements

The Arizona MVD is the official state body that regulates the requirements for the ownership transfer and registration of vehicles. You should check their website and make sure you have all the required documents to register the car that you’ve purchased.

Out-of-State Vehicles

Although the Arizona MVD doesn’t explicitly require a bill of sale for the car purchased in another state, many sellers will provide it in order to make the ownership transfer record.

Abandoned or Junk Vehicles

The buyer should obtain the bill of sale for the junk or abandoned vehicle even if it is not explicitly required by the Arizona MVD. The reason for this is that it will help the buyer obtain the title from the state for vehicles without a title.

Vehicles Sold by Dealers

In case you are purchasing the car from a dealer in Arizona, and all the information about the car is in an electronic database, the dealer will issue an Arizona dealer retail bill of sale, which doesn’t have to be notarized.

Vehicles Sold by Private Parties

The bill of sale for the car ownership transfer between two private parties includes the following:

Arizona Bill of Sale for Boats (Vessel) Requirements

The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) requires a bill of sale for registering the watercraft. The watercraft bill of sale includes the names of the buyer and seller, the manufacturer, and the hull identification number.

Arizona Bill of Sale for Firearms Requirements

Your firearm bill of sale shall include the following:

Arizona Bill of Sale for Horses Requirements

The Arizona Department of Agriculture is the state body where you can register the ownership of your horse. Although the registration and bill of sale are not mandatory, many horse owners choose to make the record of the ownership transfer this way.

Arizona Bill of Sale for Trailers (RVs) Requirements

Trailers in Arizona must be registered with the Arizona MVD. To do the registration, the new owner shall submit the bill of sale that contains the following:

Arizona Bill of Sale Other Requirements

The bill of sale can be drafted in any language as long as both parties understand it. However, if the bill of sale is required for vehicle registration, the bill of sale should be submitted in English. Alternatively, the official English translation should be attached to it.

Each party to the bill of sale should have at least one copy of it. If the new owner must register their ownership, they should get at least one additional copy of the bill of sale that will be submitted to the state registering body.

Arizona Bill of Sale Taxes

The Arizona bill of sale includes a warning about the legal consequences in case the parties report the false purchase price for tax purposes.

Arizona Bill of Sale FAQ