01Signing over the title
Complete the seller's portion of the original title: the accurate odometer reading, your name, address and signature, and the buyer's name and address. Photocopies are not accepted, and if more than one owner is on the title, all owners must sign. Do not cross out or change anything on the title, since changes invalidate it. If you will not go with the buyer to a Secretary of State office, you must sign the seller's portion before handing over the title. The buyer has 15 days from the sale date to transfer the title.
Official source ↗02Bill of sale
The Michigan Department of State's list of what a private seller needs does not include a bill of sale. It asks for the completed original title, and tells sellers to keep a copy of the title and a record of the sale for at least 18 months (for example, a copy of the signed title, or a document that shows the vehicle, buyer, price and date). The state does not publish a standard bill of sale form for ordinary private car sales that was found in this review.
Official source ↗03License plates
The plate stays with you, not the car. Remove it before the buyer takes possession. By law you keep it for transfer to another vehicle (fees apply). The one exception: the plate may stay on the vehicle if you transfer ownership to an immediate family member (spouse, mother, father, sister, brother or child). Destroy an unused plate by cutting or bending it, or take it to a recycler.
Official source ↗04Smog, emissions or safety inspection
Michigan does not currently run a vehicle emissions inspection program. The state's own 2025 plan filing says Michigan is not currently required to operate a vehicle inspection and maintenance program (an earlier Detroit-area program ran from 1986 to 1995). A private seller does not need to provide an inspection certificate.
Official source ↗05If you still owe money on the car
A car with a loan can be sold only if the lien is terminated. Give the buyer one of these: the lienholder's termination statement completed on the title, the lienholder's dated and signed 'paid' stamp on the title, a separate lien termination statement signed by the lienholder that includes the VIN, a signed lienholder letter on company letterhead with the VIN, or the original finance contract marked or stamped 'paid' and signed by the lienholder. An electronic title cannot be transferred until the lien is released. You also cannot trade in a car with a lien without a paid-in-full lien termination.
Official source ↗06Odometer disclosure
You must disclose the actual odometer reading on the title at the time of sale. Estimates or guesses are not acceptable, because you certify the reading under federal law. Michigan exempts vehicles from the odometer disclosure if they are model year 2010 or older and at least 10 years old, model year 2011 or newer and at least 20 years old, over 16,000 lbs GVWR, not self-propelled, low-speed vehicles, or scrap vehicles. The mileage on the title generally cannot be corrected after the buyer applies for title.
Official source ↗ Official sources checked October 30, 2026. This is a planning guide for an ordinary private sale, not legal advice or an official form. Follow the current instructions from the Michigan Department of State for your vehicle, especially for lost titles, several owners, out-of-state buyers or a car that is not fully paid off.
