Texas Boat Bill of Sale (TX)
A free blank Texas bill of sale template for selling a boat, as a fillable PDF or a Word file, with what Texas government sources say about the sale.
Forms for a Texas sale
The template is created in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to us.
We couldn't confirm what the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department accepts as a bill of sale. If that matters for your sale, confirm it with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
We could not confirm in a Texas government source whether a bill of sale is required to transfer a boat title, or whether it has to be notarized. That does not mean the answer is no.
Last checked against the sources below on September 28, 2026. Rules can change, so confirm with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you file.
This page covers selling a boat in Texas. Other items have national templates, which don't cover state rules, and the Texas overview lists this site's other Texas pages.
After the sale in Texas
What the sources say happens after the sale. A step is marked Seller or Buyer where its source names that party, and each step links to its source.
- TPWD's page says that in a private sale, whenever possible, the seller and buyer should both go to the nearest participating office to put the vessel's title and registration in the purchaser's name. Source: tpwd.texas.gov: buying_and_selling (opens in a new tab)
- Seller The recorded owner must notify TPWD within 20 days after the sale, on form PWD 1340, the Vessel/Boat or Outboard Motor Ownership Transfer Notification. The form's signature line is for the Owner of Record (Seller). Source: tpwd.texas.gov: ownership-transfer (opens in a new tab), tpwd.texas.gov: pwd_1340_a0900_vessel_boat_or_outboard_motor_ownership_transfer_notification (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- The title transfer is filed at TPWD's Austin headquarters, at a TPWD law enforcement field office or at a participating County Tax Assessor-Collector office. TPWD's fee chart lists $27 for a certificate of title on the transfer of a vessel or outboard motor, among other fees. Source: tpwd.texas.gov: buying_and_selling (opens in a new tab), tpwd.texas.gov: title-requirements (opens in a new tab), tpwd.texas.gov: pwd_1253_a0900_fee_chart (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Boat and boat motor sales and use tax is 6.25 percent, figured on the sale price minus any trade-in allowance for another boat or boat motor, up to $18,750 per sale. Source: comptroller.texas.gov: boat (opens in a new tab)
What's different in Texas
In Texas, the agency for boat and outboard motor titles is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). Its title requirements list what must be titled: every motorized vessel, whatever its length and including a sailboat with an auxiliary engine, every non-motorized vessel 14 feet in length or longer, and gas, diesel or propane outboard motors, unless 40 years or older and 25 horsepower or less. A title transfer goes to TPWD Headquarters in Austin, a TPWD law enforcement field office or a participating County Tax Assessor-Collector office, and TPWD's fee chart lists $27 for a certificate of title on the transfer of a vessel or outboard motor, among other fees. This page does not state a deadline for that filing. The Texas Comptroller's page puts the boat and boat motor sales and use tax at 6.25 percent of the sale price, less any trade-in allowance for another boat or boat motor, and caps it at $18,750 on each sale.
In a private sale, TPWD's page says both the seller and buyer should go to the nearest participating office whenever possible, to transfer the title and registration into the name of the purchaser. The recorded owner must also notify TPWD within 20 days after the boat or motor is sold, donated or gifted, on form PWD 1340. The blank template here is the national boat bill of sale, which has lines for an engine and a trailer sold with the boat, separate price lines for the boat, the engine, the trailer and other equipment, and a line for the total. An outboard motor sold on its own has its own national template.
Texas rules at a glance
| Topic | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Title transfer | Title transfers in Texas are handled by Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters in Austin, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Law Enforcement field office, or a participating County Tax Assessor-Collector office. The fee is $27 for a certificate of title on the transfer of a vessel or outboard motor, and TPWD's fee chart lists other fees. The following must be titled: all motorized vessels regardless of length, all non-motorized vessels 14 feet in length or longer, and internal combustion outboard motors unless 40 years or older and 25 horsepower or less. | tpwd.texas.gov: buying_and_selling (opens in a new tab) tpwd.texas.gov: title-requirements (opens in a new tab) tpwd.texas.gov: pwd_1253_a0900_fee_chart (PDF) (opens in a new tab) |
| Sales tax | The boat and boat motor sales and use tax rate is 6.25 percent, based on the sale price less any allowance for the trade-in of another boat or boat motor. The Comptroller's page says the total amount of boat sales tax collected on each sale of a taxable boat or boat motor may not exceed $18,750. | comptroller.texas.gov: boat (opens in a new tab) |
| Registration | The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says that in a private sale, whenever possible, both the seller and buyer should go to the nearest participating office to transfer the vessel/boat title and registration into the name of the purchaser. | tpwd.texas.gov: buying_and_selling (opens in a new tab) |
| Notice of sale | Sellers must notify the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department of the sale on form PWD 1340 (Vessel/Boat or Outboard Motor Ownership Transfer Notification) within 20 days. | tpwd.texas.gov: ownership-transfer (opens in a new tab) tpwd.texas.gov: pwd_1340_a0900_vessel_boat_or_outboard_motor_ownership_transfer_notification (PDF) (opens in a new tab) |
What the template looks like
Boat Bill of Sale
This document records the sale of the boat described below.
Seller
Seller's full name:
Seller's address:
Seller's phone or email:
Second seller's full name, if there is one:
Buyer
Buyer's full name:
Buyer's address:
Buyer's phone or email:
Second buyer's full name, if there is one:
Show the whole template
Boat
Year, make and model:
Vessel name, if the boat has one:
Hull identification number (HIN), if the boat has one:
Length and hull material:
State registration number, if the boat has one:
Coast Guard documentation number, if the boat is documented:
Title number, if the boat is titled:
Engine included: make, model and serial number:
Trailer included: year, make, and VIN or serial number:
Other equipment included:
Share of the boat each seller sells and each buyer receives (for example, 100%):
Condition as described by the seller:
Price of the boat:
Price of the engine, if one is sold with the boat:
Price of the trailer, if one is sold with the boat:
Price of the other equipment, if any is sold with the boat:
The sale price below is the price of everything listed above.
Sale
Sale price:
Date of sale:
Method of payment:
The seller sells the boat, with any engine, trailer and equipment listed above, to the buyer for the price above.
Anything else the parties agree on:
Place and date of signing:
Seller's signature and printed name
Second seller's signature and printed name, if there is one
Buyer's signature and printed name
Second buyer's signature and printed name, if there is one
Texas boat bill of sale questions
Which agency handles boat titles in Texas?
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. It names three places to file a title transfer: its headquarters in Austin, one of its law enforcement field offices, or a participating County Tax Assessor-Collector office. Its fee chart lists $27 for a certificate of title on a transfer, among other fees.
Which boats have to be titled in Texas?
TPWD's title requirements list all motorized vessels, regardless of length, including any sailboat with an auxiliary engine; all non-motorized vessels, sailboats included, 14 feet in length or longer; and internal combustion outboard motors, unless 40 years or older and 25 horsepower or less.
How long does a Texas seller have to report a boat sale?
Twenty days. TPWD's page says the recorded owner must provide notice to TPWD within 20 days after the boat or outboard motor is sold, donated or gifted to a new owner. The form is PWD 1340, the Vessel/Boat or Outboard Motor Ownership Transfer Notification.
What is the sales tax on a boat sold in Texas?
The Texas Comptroller's page sets out a boat and boat motor sales and use tax of 6.25 percent. The tax is based on the sale price less any allowance for the trade-in of another boat or boat motor, and it is capped at $18,750 per sale.
Sources
Last checked against the sources below on September 28, 2026. Rules can change, so confirm with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before you file.
- tpwd.texas.gov: buying_and_selling (opens in a new tab)
- tpwd.texas.gov: title-requirements (opens in a new tab)
- tpwd.texas.gov: pwd_1253_a0900_fee_chart (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- comptroller.texas.gov: boat (opens in a new tab)
- tpwd.texas.gov: ownership-transfer (opens in a new tab)
- tpwd.texas.gov: pwd_1340_a0900_vessel_boat_or_outboard_motor_ownership_transfer_notification (PDF) (opens in a new tab)