A Rhode Island bill of sale is a legal document used to transfer ownership of a valuable item from one person to another. You can use a bill of sale if you’re buying or selling a car, a boat, another vehicle, a gun/firearm, a motorcycle, or a horse. It includes key details about the transaction, such as the parties’ identities and a description of the item being sold.
How to Register a Vehicle in Rhode Island
To register a vehicle in Rhode Island, you must bring your bill of sale along with other documents discussed below to the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles.
Bill of Sale – By Type (5)
A form to buy or sell a motor vehicle in the state of Rhode Island. In many states, a bill of sale is required to register a vehicle at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Vehicle Bill of Sale
A document to transfer ownership of recreational water vehicles (such as motorboats, sailboats, yachts, and jet skis) in the state of Rhode Island.
Boat Bill of Sale
Use a Rhode Island trailer bill of sale to buy or sell a trailer (or any non-motorized vehicle pulled by another vehicle) in the state of Rhode Island and register it at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Trailer Bill of Sale
A document to transfer ownership of a gun (such as a handgun, rifle, or shotgun) in the state of Rhode Island, and avoid legal or criminal issues involving the weapon after it is sold.
Firearm Bill of Sale
A form to record the transfer of a motorcycle in the state of Rhode Island. By detailing information about the bike sold, you can protect yourself from fraudulent sales.
Motorcycle Bill of Sale
Requirements
Vehicle sellers in Rhode Island must issue bills of sale upon completing vehicle sales. This way, buyers can present these documents to the DMV for vehicle registration and titling purposes.
Language and Copy Requirements
- Language: The state doesn’t impose language requirements for this document. However, the state offers most legal documents, including bills of sale, in English. If you need an interpreter to translate your bill of sale, you can find one through the Rhode Island Judiciary’s Office of Court Interpreters.
- Number of Copies: Three copies should be sufficient—one for the buyer, one for the seller, and one for the titling agency.
Vehicle Registration Forms
- Application for Registration and Certificate of Title (Form TR-1)
- Bill of Sale
- Proof of minimum insurance requirements: [1]
- $25,000 for the bodily injury to or death of one person in an accident
- $25,000 for the injury to or destruction of property of others in an accident (or a $75,000 combined single limit)
- $50,000 for the bodily injury to or death of two people in an accident
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- VIN check (for vehicles previously titled or registered in another state) [2]
- Tax Form (T-334)
- Documentation of the Gross Vehicle Weight
- Registration and title fees [3]
- Valid driver’s license or ID
- Power of attorney (if registering on behalf of someone else)
- A sticker indicating the passage of an emissions and safety inspection (new vehicles are exempt until they are older than two years or accumulate 24,000 miles) [4]
- The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (if you purchase the vehicle from a dealership)
- A Rhode Island Certificate of Title (regardless of the vehicle’s model year) [5]
Boat Registration Forms
- Boat Registration Application
- Outboard Motor Registration Application
- Bill of Sale
- Pencil Tracing of Hull Identification Number conforming with US Coast Guard guidelines [6]
- Application for Initial Vessel Certificate of Title (if purchased from dealer)
- Proof of payment of all registration fees [7]
- The most recent title certificate (if the buyer bought the boat with an existing title
- If the boat was previously titled in another state, the buyer should obtain the most current restoration statement from that state.
Sample
