Free North Carolina Trailer Bill of Sale Template

A North Carolina trailer bill of sale records a private trailer sale. North Carolina is one of the few states where the documents that move ownership have to be notarized, and this is not one of them.

On the title paperwork, yes. The division’s own title application, form MVR-1, carries a notarial certificate in which the notary confirms that each owner personally appeared and voluntarily signed.

The division marks notarization as a requirement in its own list of vehicle documents and forms, and it applies to the title assignment as well as the application.

Your bill of sale sits outside that. The division publishes no numbered bill of sale form of its own, which leaves the document you draw up as the record of what was paid and when.

Plan the notary appointment first, because two documents depend on it.

Do not pre-sign anything

The seller signs the assignment in the notary’s presence rather than beforehand, so a title signed at the kitchen table the night before is a wasted trip.

Every owner signs

Where more than one name appears, each owner’s signature on the title application has to be notarized, not just the first.

The odometer form is separate

North Carolina handles mileage on its own disclosure form rather than folding it into the sale document, and the division notes it is required where the vehicle is less than 10 years old.

Trailers get their own treatment

The division’s documents and forms guidance flags that additional requirements may apply to particular vehicle types, listing trailers alongside antiques, replicas, mopeds, and motorcycles.

Twenty-eight days

The buyer applies for a new certificate of title within 28 days of the transfer under section 20-73 of the General Statutes.

Where it happens

Title work runs through a licence plate agency rather than a central counter, and most keep a notary on site.

Insurance comes from an in-state carrier

Proof of North Carolina liability insurance is part of the package, and the card has to show your name, the policy number, and the expiry date.

Identification is checked

Residents present a North Carolina driving licence or identification card. Anyone from elsewhere brings identification plus additional documentation of their presence in the state.

Lien releases

Where a lender appears on the title and the loan has been settled, a lien release goes in with everything else.

The order matters more here than in most states.

1. Confirm the seller is the owner named on the face of the title.
2. Meet at a notary, where the seller completes and signs the assignment.
3. Complete the bill of sale recording the price and date of sale.
4. Complete the title application and have every owner’s signature notarized.
5. Take everything to a licence plate agency within 28 days, with proof of insurance and photo identification.

Fees and taxes are set by the state and change from time to time, so confirm current amounts with the division before you go.

Cover both parties’ full names and addresses, the year, make, and identification number, the purchase price, the date, and both signatures.

The price is the part worth being precise about. With no state form to fall back on, your document is the only written record of the figure the counter will work from.

Each party keeps a signed copy.