When people want one notarized
Usually when something valuable changes hands and memory is not enough:
- Private car, motorcycle or boat sales.
- Trailers, machinery, tools and business equipment.
- Livestock and horses.
- Sales between family members, where the price is unusual and may be questioned.
- Any sale where the buyer plans to register the item somewhere.
What a good bill of sale contains
Names and addresses of buyer and seller, a clear description of the item with any serial or identification number, the price, the date, and whether it is sold as-is.
Florida publishes its own form for vehicles and vessels. For anything else, write it plainly. I cannot draft it for you, but I can tell you before the appointment whether what you have is signable.
Both parties, one appointment
The cleanest way is both of you in the same place at the same time, each with identification. I verify both, watch both sign, and complete a certificate for each signature.
If that is impossible, we can do it separately, or online. It still works; it just takes two appointments.
What notarization does and does not do
Notarizing proves that the people who signed are who they say they are and that they signed willingly. It does not make the sale legal if it was not, does not verify the price, and does not confirm that the seller actually owns the item.
If ownership is in doubt, the answer is a title search or a lawyer, not a notary seal.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Florida require a bill of sale to be notarized?
- Generally no. It is usually optional, but buyers, insurers and some offices ask for it, and a notarized document is stronger evidence if the sale is ever questioned.
- Can you write the bill of sale?
- No, that is drafting a document. Florida publishes a vehicle form you can use, and I notarize the signatures.
- Do both parties need to be there?
- Only the people whose signatures are being notarized. If both sign, both need to attend, together or separately.
- Can it be done online?
- Yes. Remote online sessions work well when buyer and seller are in different cities.