You can get a dirt bike title with a bill of sale, and the path forks on one question: did the bike ever have a title before? If it did and the seller just never passed it along, you walk into your state’s titling agency with the bill of sale and a stack of supporting documents and come out with a title. If no title ever existed — common with older dirt bikes and off-road-only models — you’re almost certainly looking at a bonded title, which costs more and takes longer but still ends in legal ownership. Title fees generally run $20 to $100 across states, with a surety bond premium on top if you go the bonded route.
What Your Bill of Sale Has to Say
The bill of sale is the document everything else hangs on. A vague one gets rejected, and tracking down the seller weeks later to fix it is often impossible. Before handing over money for a bike without a title, make sure the paperwork is airtight.
A usable bill of sale includes:
- Full legal names and addresses of buyer and seller
- Date of sale and the agreed purchase price
- Make, model, year, color, and engine size
- The VIN or frame/engine number, copied directly off the bike
- Odometer reading, if the bike has one
- Signatures of both parties
Roughly a dozen states require the bill of sale to be notarized for a vehicle title transfer. Others don’t. If you’re not sure which column your state falls in, get it notarized anyway. No state rejects a bill of sale for carrying a notary stamp, and several reject one that lacks it. A notary usually costs under $15.
The Other Documents You’ll Bring
The exact list varies by state, but the titling agency will almost always want:
- A government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, or military ID)
- Proof of residency — sometimes your driver’s license covers this, otherwise a utility bill, bank statement, or lease
- The state’s title application form, completed with your details and the bike’s information
- A VIN verification form, if your state requires a physical inspection
- Any prior registration or title paperwork you can find, even if it’s expired or from another state
Scrape together every piece of documentation that touches the bike. An old registration card, a service receipt with the VIN on it, the original owner’s manual with a dated dealer stamp — any of it strengthens an application built around a bill of sale.
Ask the Seller for a Duplicate Title First
Before committing to the bonded title process, try the easy path: ask the seller to apply for a duplicate title in their own name. In most states, the titled owner can request a replacement for a lost title for a small fee. Once the duplicate arrives, they sign it over to you, and you file a normal transfer. You end up with a clean title and skip the bond entirely. The bonded route really exists for situations where the seller can’t be reached, has died, or the bike has passed through several hands with no paperwork.
The Bonded Title Route
When no prior title exists, most states offer a bonded title. The idea is simple: you buy a surety bond that acts as a financial guarantee you’re the legitimate owner. If someone later surfaces with a valid claim to the bike, the bond covers their loss.
The bond amount is usually set at one and a half times the state’s assessed value of the bike. On a $2,000 dirt bike, that’s a $3,000 bond. You don’t pay the full face value — you pay a premium to a surety company, typically a small percentage of the bond amount. For a low-value dirt bike, out-of-pocket cost often lands between $50 and $200.
The bond stays active for a set period, commonly three to five years depending on the state. If nobody challenges your ownership during that window, the bond releases and the title becomes a standard clean title with no bonded notation. You can sell or register the bike while the bond is in effect, though the bonded status appears on the title and some buyers will hesitate.
Not every state offers bonded titles, and the steps vary. Some states make you attempt to contact the previous owner by certified mail and wait a set period before proceeding. Others require a law enforcement agency to run the VIN through stolen vehicle databases before approving the bond. Call your state’s titling agency before you file anything — walking in cold almost guarantees extra trips.
VIN Verification on a Dirt Bike
When a title application is based on a bill of sale instead of a prior title, many states require a physical VIN inspection. This isn’t a mechanical check. The inspector confirms the VIN stamped on the bike matches what’s on your paperwork and looks for signs of tampering: ground-down numbers, mismatched fonts, re-stamped plates.
Who can perform the inspection depends on the state. It might be a DMV employee, a law enforcement officer, a licensed dealer, or a certified inspection station. Some states accept inspections done at a dealer’s service department. The inspector fills out a verification form that goes in with your application.
Dirt bikes complicate this. The VIN is usually stamped on the steering neck or frame rather than on a plate. Older bikes and some imports may carry a shorter serial number instead of the standard 17-character VIN used on highway vehicles. If your bike predates the modern VIN system or came from a small builder, the titling agency may want extra documentation: the original purchase receipt, import paperwork, manufacturer records, anything that establishes the bike’s origin.
The VIN check also runs the bike against theft databases. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, lets titling agencies verify vehicle history and check theft records before issuing a title.1Bureau of Justice Assistance. National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) Overview If the VIN comes back flagged, titling halts and law enforcement steps in. Running the VIN through a consumer reporting service before you buy is cheap insurance.
Finding the Right Office in Your State
Vehicle titling happens at the state level, and the responsible agency has different names in different places. In most states it’s the Department of Motor Vehicles, but some states route titling through the Secretary of State’s office, Department of Revenue, or a county tax assessor. USA.gov links to every state’s motor vehicle agency and is the fastest way to land on the right one.2USAGov. State Motor Vehicle Services
Once you’re on your state’s agency site, search for “title without prior title,” “bonded title,” or “off-road vehicle title.” Download the forms before you drive to an office. Field offices often don’t stock less common forms like VIN verification sheets or surety bond paperwork.
One boundary worth knowing up front: some states don’t issue titles for off-road-only vehicles at all, or only title them above a certain engine displacement. If your bike was never designed for street use and your state doesn’t require off-road vehicles to be titled, a traditional title may not be available. In that case your bill of sale and any registration documents are your proof of ownership. Confirm this before chasing a title that doesn’t exist for your bike.
Submitting the Application and Paying Tax
With everything gathered, you submit the package to the titling agency. The application asks you to transcribe the bike’s details alongside your personal information. Double-check every character of the VIN. One wrong digit means a rejection and a restart.
Most states take submissions in person at a local office, which has the advantage of letting staff flag missing items on the spot. Some states accept mail submissions — send with tracking and keep copies of everything.
Expect to pay sales or use tax at titling. The tax is calculated on the purchase price listed on your bill of sale, though some states use fair market value if it’s higher than the stated price. A handful of states charge no sales tax on private vehicle transfers; others reach roughly 7% or more once local surtaxes are added. The tax is due when you submit the application. The agency won’t process the title until it’s paid. If you bought the bike in one state and are titling it in another, your state may credit the sales tax already paid, but you’ll owe the difference if the local rate is higher.
Don’t be tempted to understate the price. Titling agencies cross-reference stated prices against published vehicle values, and a $3,500 bike reported as a $500 sale draws questions, penalties, and delays.
When the Title Arrives
Processing runs from a few days to several weeks depending on the state and backlog. Some states offer expedited processing for an extra fee. The title arrives by mail.
Check every field the moment it lands: your name, the VIN, make, model, year. Errors are far easier to fix in the first week than six months later when you’re trying to sell. Most states correct agency errors at no charge if you report them promptly.
One boundary to flag if street use is the reason you want the title in the first place: a title is a prerequisite for street registration, but a title alone doesn’t make a dirt bike street legal. Converting an off-road bike for road use is a separate process with its own equipment requirements and, in some states, restrictions based on the bike’s VIN structure or original manufacturer classification. Finish the title first, then look into what your state requires for conversion.