Not strictly. Texas has no official state bill-of-sale form because Form 130-U (the title application the buyer files) captures the sale price and transfer details. But a separate bill of sale is best practice: it's the only document signed at the moment cash changes hands, and it's the seller's primary proof of date, condition, and as-is terms if something goes sideways.

No. Texas does not require notarization for private-party vehicle bills of sale, and electronic signatures under the federal E-SIGN Act are valid. Our wizard captures both parties' signatures on mobile and the resulting PDF is accepted by TxDMV.

The buyer, when they register the vehicle at the county tax assessor–collector's office. You don't fill 130-U as a seller — you only provide the title you signed over and, if applicable, a bill of sale. The buyer has 30 days from the sale to register or they pay late-transfer penalties.

6.25% of the sale price or the standard presumptive value (SPV), whichever is higher. The buyer pays this at the county tax office when registering the vehicle. If the reported sale price is significantly below SPV, the DMV may ask the buyer to justify the lower amount — which is another reason to document the real price in a signed bill of sale.

VTR-346 is the Vehicle Transfer Notification — the seller's online filing that releases you from liability for the buyer's tickets, tolls, and civil claims. File within 30 days at txdmv.gov. This is arguably the single most important piece of paperwork for a Texas seller — skip it and the car stays associated with your name.

VTR-40 is the standalone odometer disclosure for vehicles less than 10 model years old and under 16,000 lbs GVWR — the federal 49 CFR Part 580 requirement. Newer Texas titles have the odometer block built in, in which case you use that. Our wizard attaches VTR-40 automatically when the vehicle qualifies and the title does not have the built-in block.

Only in certain counties — the DFW metroplex (Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall counties), Harris/Fort Bend/Galveston/Brazoria/Montgomery (Houston area), Travis/Williamson (Austin), and El Paso County. Check the TxDMV list if you're unsure. Most of rural Texas has no emissions requirement.

Yes. The federal E-SIGN Act (15 USC 7001) makes typed and canvas-captured signatures legally binding for private-party vehicle sales, and TxDMV accepts the resulting digital PDF.