Free Jet Ski Bill of Sale Template

A jet ski bill of sale is a written record that transfers ownership of a personal watercraft from a seller to a buyer. It names both parties, describes the machine, and states the price and the terms of the sale.

Watercraft sales cluster around the start and end of a season, and they often happen quickly between people who have just met. A signed record slows that down enough to protect both sides.

There is usually more than one item involved. A trailer, a cover, safety gear, and a spare key frequently move with the machine, and each is easy to argue about afterward.

Registration adds another layer. Personal watercraft are tracked through registration systems in a way most small purchases are not, so the buyer needs a clean record of how they acquired it.

The document itself is straightforward. One page describing the machine, the price, and the terms handles a private sale.

Reach for a jet ski bill of sale whenever a personal watercraft changes owners and either side wants the sale documented. Trades and gifts qualify alongside cash sales.

Typical situations:

• Selling at the end of a season through an online listing — pairs a stranger’s payment with a signed record
• Buying a used machine from a private seller — records the hours and condition you were shown
• Selling a pair of machines with a double trailer — one record per hull keeps the details straight
• Trading toward a boat or a larger craft — documents the value each side assigned
• Passing a machine to a family member — confirms a gift rather than a loan

Dealers keep the same record on trade-ins. Also, a marina or a storage facility may ask for proof of ownership before assigning a slip or a rack.

A useful form answers four things: who, what, how much, and under what terms. Fill in each before anyone signs.

Buyer and Seller Details

Write out full names, addresses, and a phone number or email for both parties. For a dealer or a rental business, use the legal business name and note who is authorized to sign.

Description of the Watercraft

Describe the machine closely enough that it could not be confused with another. Include:

• Make, model, and year
• Hull identification number, usually on the rear of the hull
• Engine type, displacement, and horsepower
• Hours on the meter
• Color, plus any custom wrap or graphics
• Seating capacity
• Registration number, if the machine is currently registered

The hull number does the identifying work. Compare it against the registration and the title before any money changes hands.

Price and Payment

State the amount and the method. Where a trailer is included, note whether it is priced separately.

Terms of the Sale

Record what you agreed: an as-is sale with no warranty, a water test before closing, a pickup deadline, or the gear and accessories included.

A trailer often travels with the machine, and it is the detail most likely to complicate the paperwork, because a trailer is frequently a separately titled item.

Sort this out before the handover:

• Whether the trailer is included, and whether it has its own title or registration
• Hours on the meter, and whether the seller can show service history
• Any outstanding loan or lien on the machine or the trailer
• Cover, safety gear, both keys, and the tow rope or spare parts included
• Whether the machine has been submerged, rebuilt, or had major engine work

Hours matter more than age here. A machine used lightly over several seasons can be in better shape than a newer one that ran hard every weekend.

Buyers frequently want a water test or an inspection by a mechanic before closing. That is a reasonable ask, and most sellers expect it, so write the deadline into the terms if you both agree.

Tip: Photograph the hull number, the hour meter, and the machine before the handover, then keep the images with your copy. Registration and titling requirements for watercraft and trailers vary, so check your state’s official website and the office that handles boat registration where you live.

Whether a jet ski bill of sale is enough on its own depends on where you ride and who is asking. It records a private transaction rather than registering or titling the machine.

Confirm a few things before you sign:

• What your state’s official website says about titling and registering watercraft and trailers
• What the office handling boat registration needs to record a change of ownership
• What your insurer requires to move coverage to the new owner
• Whether the other party or a titling office wants a notarized signature

Some deals carry more weight. A financed machine, a sale that crosses a state line, or a business selling from a rental fleet each add steps, and a local attorney can flag them before you commit.

Sign after the description is accurate, because a hull number recorded wrong causes trouble at registration. Both parties should print their names, sign, and date the same copy.

Then finish properly:

1. Give the buyer and the seller each a signed copy, printed or as a PDF.
2. Hand over the title, registration, keys, manuals, and service records.
3. File what your registration office needs for the machine and, separately, the trailer.
4. Update insurance so coverage follows the correct owner from the sale date.
5. Store your copy with the photos and the registration paperwork.

Notarization is requested more often on watercraft than on smaller items, partly because titling offices are involved. Ask the other party first, then check what the notary needs.

Ready to start? With Document Genius, you can answer a few questions, generate your jet ski bill of sale form, and download a signature-ready copy in minutes.