A separate Louisiana bill of sale is not required when the actual selling price appears in a properly completed title assignment. When the title does not contain the necessary sale information, the buyer generally needs an original notarized bill of sale or invoice showing the price and a full description of the vehicle.

The buyer must apply for a Louisiana title within five days after receiving the assigned title or vehicle. The seller must notify the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles within 15 days of the transfer. (expresslane.la.gov)

Louisiana Bill of Sale Quick Facts

These requirements come from the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, the Louisiana Legislature, and the Louisiana Department of Revenue. (expresslane.la.gov)

Is a Louisiana Bill of Sale Required?

Louisiana OMV states:

“A separate bill of sale is not required if the selling price is included on the title assignment.”

When the price is not shown on the title assignment, OMV requires an original notarized bill of sale or invoice. It must identify the vehicle and state the actual consideration paid. (expresslane.la.gov)

Even when the title contains the price, a separate bill of sale is useful. It gives both parties a record of the payment, mileage, sale date, vehicle condition, and transfer of possession.

Which Louisiana Forms May Be Required?

The official Louisiana vehicle title and registration forms library provides the forms used for standard and special transactions.

Louisiana requires an Act of Donation to be notarized. An active lien must also be properly released before the title transfer can be completed. (expresslane.la.gov)

What Documents Does the Buyer Need?

Proof of insurance and a copy of each owner’s current photo identification are required when the buyer requests a Louisiana license plate. (expresslane.la.gov)

Does a Louisiana Bill of Sale Need to Be Notarized?

When a separate bill of sale is submitted, Louisiana OMV generally requires the original notarized document.

The standard title-transfer method also has the seller assign the title before a notary. Louisiana law recognizes limited alternatives, including a properly acknowledged witness process and certain transactions witnessed by an authorized officer of a federally insured financial institution when a lien is recorded. (expresslane.la.gov)

For a normal private transaction, completing the title assignment and bill of sale directly before a Louisiana notary is the clearest approach.

What Information Should the Bill of Sale Include?

Include:

• Buyer’s and seller’s full legal names and addresses.

• Vehicle year, make, model and complete VIN.

• Exact sale date and actual purchase price.

• Odometer reading and mileage status.

• Payment status and any remaining balance.

• Written vehicle-condition or warranty terms.

• Buyer’s, seller’s and notary’s signatures.

Do not report a false lower price to reduce the buyer’s tax. Louisiana OMV requires the actual consideration involved in the transaction. (expresslane.la.gov)

How Does Louisiana Handle Odometer Disclosure?

When the vehicle is not exempt and the title lacks a valid odometer section, a supplemental Odometer Disclosure Statement must be submitted.

Federal law generally keeps model-year 2011 and newer vehicles within the disclosure requirement for 20 model years. The seller must identify whether the displayed reading is actual, exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or is not the actual mileage. (expresslane.la.gov)

What Taxes and Fees Apply?

Louisiana’s state sales and use tax rate is 5% from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2029. Parish and municipal taxes may be added based on the vehicle’s tax domicile. (revenue.louisiana.gov)

Automobile plate charges are calculated at 0.1% of the vehicle’s value per year and sold in two-year increments. The minimum two-year automobile plate charge is $20. (expresslane.la.gov)

What Are Louisiana’s Transfer Deadlines?

Louisiana law requires the buyer to apply for the title within five days after receiving the assigned title or, when no previous title exists, within five days after receiving the vehicle. (legis.la.gov)

The seller must submit a written Notice of Vehicle Transfer within 15 days. Filing the notice updates the OMV record but does not complete the buyer’s title transfer. (legis.la.gov)

A private-sale buyer may receive up to 60 days of protection from a citation for not displaying a current license tag only when proof of a filed title application can be shown. This is not a 60-day extension of the five-day title deadline. (legis.la.gov)

What Happens to the Louisiana License Plate?

Louisiana’s plate rule differs from many states.

For an ordinary passenger vehicle, the registration and plate generally transfer with the vehicle. The plate remains attached through the end of the current registration year, but the buyer must obtain the transferred or new registration before operating the vehicle on a highway. (legis.la.gov)

Trucks, trailers, buses, commercial vehicles, personalized plates and other vehicle classes can follow different procedures. The seller should confirm the correct OMV process before removing, transferring or canceling a plate.

How Do Louisiana’s 2026 Inspection Rules Work?

Louisiana’s inspection system is in a transition period under Act 701 of 2026.

From June 30, 2026, through January 1, 2027, a law-enforcement officer may not issue a citation solely because a vehicle owner fails to produce or display an inspection certificate. OMV must adopt implementation rules by December 31, 2026.

For parishes outside the federal emissions inspection program, the Act takes effect on January 1, 2027. In parishes subject to the federal Clean Air Act inspection and maintenance program, implementation depends on federal approval of Louisiana’s State Implementation Plan amendments.

The five emissions-program parishes are:

• Ascension.

• East Baton Rouge.

• Iberville.

• Livingston.

• West Baton Rouge.

These parishes remain subject to separate federal emissions considerations. (Louisiana DEQ)

How to Complete a Louisiana Private Vehicle Sale

1. Compare the VIN on the vehicle with the title.

2. Confirm that the seller is the titled owner and that all liens are released.

3. Complete the title assignment with the actual price and sale date.

4. Complete a notarized bill of sale when separate documentation is required.

5. Record the odometer reading on the title or supplemental form.

6. Have the seller submit the transfer notice within 15 days.

7. Have the buyer file the title application within five days.

Common Louisiana Mistakes

• Assuming a bill of sale replaces the title.

• Omitting the price from both the title and bill of sale.

• Completing the assignment without the required notarial process.

• Treating the 60-day citation protection as the title deadline.

• Applying another state’s plate-removal rule to a Louisiana passenger vehicle.

• Ignoring parish and municipal sales tax.

• Using outdated inspection information after Act 701.