Help please - I need some Tennessee sale documentation information

I have an email/phone call "handshake" to sell my DR650 to a guy in Tennessee. Unless weather issues or some other disaster delays him (again) he will be here Saturday.

He wants a notarized bill of sale -- in fact, he thinks that Tennessee requires one when the vehicle is coming in from out of state.

Alabama requires only the signed title and a non-notarized bill of sale. I hold the clear, clean title on the bike in my name.

I understand his wanting to be sure of his documentation, but my question is this -

"Does Tennessee actually (legally) require a notarized bill of sale for private (non-commercial) transactions?"

The time when he is arriving on Saturday is after the several banks close from their Saturday morning hours, and me otherwise arranging a notary to be available on Saturday is proving to be a challenge.

Any insight on this from Tennessee residents will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Rick

http://www.dmv.org/tn-tennessee/motorcycle-registration.php#Motorcycles-from-Out-of-S

If you're registering a used motorcycle, take to your county clerk the signed certificate of title, Odometer Disclosure Statement, if applicable, and your current registration if you're transferring a license plate.

https://www.tn.gov/revenue/forms/sales/f1301201Fill-in.pdf

Thanks. I'll browse to the link and see what I glean.

After sleeping on the question I'll note that I live in Alabama and will be selling a used Suzuki DR650 to someone who lives in Tennessee.

So I am governed by Alabama law on the sale. There is no notary requirement for a vehicle sale in Alabama.

Next, in Alabama the tag stays with me on any vehicle so he will have to work with TN DMV on the registration.

So as long as the title is clear and clean (i.e., no salvage issues) I don't think all the notary hoopla is necessary.

If you buy or sell a vehicle you have to satisfy the state where the transaction takes the vehicle-meaning the buyer needs what they need to register the machine, whatever that might be, end of story. I suppose a few non-title states make for minor issues upon a sale into a title state- some states always collect the tax then transfer it to your state for credit against your sales tax liability. MI does that as an e.g.. My state has a specific form for MV's purchased out of state & I mail or take that form with me- making certain it gets done is the main thing. Know the laws/rules in both states before you deal,as each state has their own laws.

As long as you know your name and address, the identification of the property being sold, the transaction price, and the name and address of the buyer you have everything to fill-in on the bill of sale.

So it can be prepared and signed in front of a notary on Thursday or Friday and held until the deal is done on Saturday.

This makes sense to me -- perhaps I'm just providential minded from having lived in Alabama too long.

kantuckid said:

If you buy or sell a vehicle you have to satisfy the state where the transaction takes the vehicle-meaning the buyer needs what they need to register the machine, whatever that might be, end of story. I suppose a few non-title states make for minor issues upon a sale into a title state- some states always collect the tax then transfer it to your state for credit against your sales tax liability. MI does that as an e.g.. My state has a specific form for MV's purchased out of state & I mail or take that form with me- making certain it gets done is the main thing. Know the laws/rules in both states before you deal,as each state has their own laws.

Click to expand...

In Alabama the state is going to charge, scrape, glean, gather, or otherwise snare every possible tax-penny. And at the tax assessor's office (which is where all this happens here) they have one over a barrel.

The way private sales of motor vehicles work in Alabama is that the title transfers ownership and the bill of sale validates the price paid, then the DMV charges tax on whichever is higher -- the assessed value in their system, or the transaction price on the BOS. Either way it's a no-win for the person registering the vehicle and a win-win for the state.

And while the title form is state issued and has to be completed per specific instructions, there is no proscribed BOS form for private-owner motor vehicles. Basically they don't care if the BOS is handwritten on a flattened out brown paper bag as long as the buyer has one. They take a look at it, make a photo copy, and then hand it back to the owner.

At any rate, I want him to get back to TN with the paperwork he needs for a hassle free transfer.

Thanks to all for the feedback.

From my past experience from buying a vehicle from out of state. I would be asking for a separate notarized bill of sale.

Thanks again to all for the feedback. We closed the deal today and the new owner of a well-cared for '08 DR650 left with it about an hour ago.