A Delaware bill of sale records the transaction, but the buyer still needs the properly assigned title and must complete the applicable DMV transfer process. For a Delaware-titled vehicle, the buyer must apply immediately after purchase and no later than 30 days. Use KarKiosk’s free vehicle bill of sale PDF to record the agreed transaction details, with notarization when the document is submitted as purchase-price evidence under Delaware law.

Delaware Bill of Sale Quick Facts

The title and deadline rules appear in Delaware DMV’s transfer instructions and 21 Del. C. §§2503 and 2508. Document-fee requirements appear in 30 Del. C. §3002.

Does a Delaware Bill of Sale Replace the Title?

No. The assigned title remains the central ownership-transfer document.

The Delaware DMV title-transfer requirements require the seller to complete the title assignment with the buyer’s details, sale date, purchase price and required odometer disclosure.

DMV’s Tips on Purchasing a Used Vehicle gives this warning:

“Do not accept other documents such as a bill of sale or registration in place of a title.”

A separate sale record is useful for payment terms, the handover time and supporting transaction details. It does not cure an unsigned title, an unresolved lien or a seller who lacks authority to transfer ownership.

Which Documents and Title Sections Must Be Completed?

For an ordinary Delaware-to-Delaware transfer, prepare:

• Original title: Seller and buyer complete the applicable assignment fields in Section 1.

• Purchaser’s application: Buyers complete and sign Section 4.

• Lien information: Complete Section 3 when the purchased vehicle is financed.

• Insurance and identification: Delaware liability-insurance evidence and a Delaware driver’s license or accepted residency documentation.

• Supporting sale documents: The bill of sale and applicable original lien-release or representative-authority documents.

• Inspection records: Any inspection or VIN-verification documents required for the vehicle.

DMV’s general titling instructions require original documents rather than photocopies. Review the title before the meeting so missing signatures or lender documents can be resolved.

Which Owners Must Sign?

On a Delaware title, “AND” requires all listed sellers to sign. With “AND/OR,” one listed seller can complete the seller’s assignment.

All buyers must complete their required signatures on the purchaser’s application. One seller’s authority to release the vehicle does not remove another buyer’s application requirement.

Does a Delaware Bill of Sale Need Notarization?

The title and a separate bill of sale follow different rules.

Delaware DMV says its titles do not require notarization. However, Delaware’s motor vehicle document-fee statute, 30 Del. C. §3002(b), specifies a notarized bill of sale as evidence of the purchase price.

Do not extend the title’s no-notary rule to every document used in the transaction. When relying on a separate bill of sale as purchase-price evidence for the document fee, have that document notarized.

A notarized bill of sale still does not replace the seller’s completed title assignment.

How Is Delaware’s Vehicle Document Fee Calculated?

Delaware DMV publishes a 5.25% document-fee rate for ordinary vehicle titling. Its transfer instructions use the higher of the sale price or the recognized average trade-in value.

A low price on the receipt therefore does not guarantee a proportionately low fee. DMV may also consider an appraisal from a licensed Delaware dealer when determining the vehicle’s value.

This is a government titling charge, not a private seller’s administrative fee. It is separate from the title-transfer charge, registration and any applicable powertrain-related fees.

Ask DMV for the final calculation when valuation adjustments, credits or special fee provisions apply.

Can Selling Your Old Car Reduce the Document Fee?

Yes. A qualifying private sale can support a document-fee credit or refund.

Delaware DMV’s Vehicle Credit instructions require Form MV347, Document Fee Credit/Refund Application, when the vehicle was not traded to a Delaware dealer.

The key conditions are:

• The old vehicle was sold within 60 days before or after the replacement vehicle was titled in Delaware.

• The old vehicle had a Delaware title.

• At least one owner’s name appears on both the old and replacement vehicle titles.

• The applicant provides the required sale and ownership documentation.

The timing is tied to the replacement vehicle’s Delaware title date—not simply its purchase date.

When the old vehicle was sold first, submit MV347 with the replacement title application. When it sells afterward, DMV’s Administrative Office must receive the refund application within 30 days after that sale.

What Other Title and Registration Fees Apply?

Under 21 Del. C. §§2305, 2508 and 2151, the standard title charge is $35, and base passenger registration is $40 per year. Lien-related, special-plate and other applicable charges are additional.

Delaware DMV’s fee schedule also lists annual powertrain-related charges. For vehicles below 6,000 pounds manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating, these include:

• Non-plug-in hybrid: $60.

• Plug-in hybrid: $85.

• Battery-electric or fuel-cell electric: $110.

These charges are added to the applicable base registration amount. They are not substitutes for the document fee paid during the ownership transaction.

Check the vehicle’s weight classification before using the light-vehicle amounts.

What Are the Buyer’s and Seller’s Deadlines?

Buyer: Apply Immediately and No Later Than 30 Days

Under 21 Del. C. §2503, the purchaser of a Delaware-registered vehicle must apply for the new title immediately after purchase, with a 30-day maximum.

Section 2508 imposes a $35 late title penalty when the application for a Delaware-titled vehicle arrives after that period, unless an authorized extension applies.

The filing window is not permission to drive on the seller’s registration.

Seller: Submit the Transfer Report Promptly

Section 2502 requires the seller to notify DMV immediately through the prescribed registration-transfer process. DMV’s instructions also require the Seller’s Report of Sale, identifying the buyer and the date and hour of the transaction.

Keep copies of the completed title assignment and sale report. Delaware’s current report form explains that reporting a transfer flags the vehicle record but does not itself change ownership in DMV’s records.

What Happens to the Seller’s Delaware Plate?

DMV’s private-sale instructions tell the seller to remove the plate and return it or arrange retention through DMV.

Do not simply let the buyer borrow the plate. An arrangement to retain or transfer a Delaware plate must be handled through the applicable DMV process.

For a buyer taking the vehicle to New Jersey, the New Jersey bill of sale and title-transfer guide covers the destination-state paperwork. The buyer must also arrange valid temporary authority or transportation for the trip.

Delaware DMV provides permit procedures for specific movements, including bringing a vehicle directly to DMV. A sale receipt alone does not authorize those journeys.

Does an Out-of-State Vehicle Need Inspection?

Delaware DMV’s inspection guidance generally requires a vehicle being titled in Delaware for the first time to undergo the applicable inspection process.

Vehicles within the newest seven model years, weighing 10,000 pounds or less, may qualify for VIN verification rather than a full inspection. Confirm the vehicle’s eligibility before choosing an inspection lane.

DMV inspections are provided without an inspection fee, although repairs and registration charges remain the buyer’s responsibility.

For a Maryland-titled purchase, collect the seller’s documents using the Maryland bill of sale and title requirements. A Maryland sale record or inspection certificate does not automatically complete Delaware’s first-title requirements.