City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a horse trailer in San Jose, California. It documents the transfer and helps you complete DMV title paperwork.
Create a compliant bill of sale and download the signed PDF immediately.
DMV / Title Office
DMV San Jose – Brokaw Road Office
Address
1520 Brokaw Rd, San Jose, CA 95112
Phone
(800) 777-0133
Office Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (Thu until 6:00 PM)
Title Transfer Fee
$15.00
Sales Tax Rate
9.375%
Base Registration Fee
$46.00
California state base 7.25% + Santa Clara County 1.875% district tax (Measure B and VTA)
California does not require notarization for vehicle transfers. Seller must file REG 138 within 5 days of sale.
County Clerk / Recorder
Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder
Phone
(408) 299-5688
The most common horse trailer makes in private-party sales are Sundowner, Exiss, Trails West, Cimarron, Featherlite. Average private-party horse trailer prices range from $5,000–$75,000. Horse trailers average 0.6 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Axle/Suspension, Electrical, Floor Integrity.
Before completing a horse trailer bill of sale in California, verify these safety items:
Horse trailer insurance averages $300–$800/year. Separate livestock mortality insurance is recommended for transit. Aluminum horse trailers hold value well — 60–70% retention over 10 years. Steel models rust and depreciate faster. Peak season for private horse trailer sales is spring when show and competition season begins, with an average of 35 days on market.
Horse Trailers are classified as "Horse/livestock trailer (standard trailer registration with weight-class titling)" for registration purposes. Two-horse bumper-pull trailers: 3,000–5,000 lbs. Gooseneck trailers for 3+ horses: 7,000–15,000 lbs. Federal odometer disclosure does not apply to horse trailers.
San Jose residents completing a horse trailer bill of sale should be aware of local requirements in addition to California state rules. The state sales tax rate is 7.25%, 7.25% base; county/city adds 0.25–3.25% (total up to 10.75%). The most popular horse trailer makes in California include Sundowner, Exiss, Trails West.
BillOfSaleNow has generated 14,217 bill of sale documents for California transactions, with 382 generated this month alone. The most popular vehicle type is car.
45% faster sale
Vehicles whose listings include a history report spend ~45% less time on site before selling, and report-viewers are 5x more likely to become a lead.
Source: Experian / AutoCheck
$4,000 avg loss
NHTSA estimates 450,000+ vehicles per year are sold with rolled-back odometers — the average victim loses about $4,000 in downstream repair costs.
Source: NHTSA
17.5M private sales/yr
About 17.5 million private-party vehicle transactions happen in the U.S. each year — roughly 47% of the used market.
Source: Cox Automotive 2024
1 in 3 buyers
Roughly 1 in 3 used-car buyers say they suspect private sellers are hiding mechanical problems — documentation closes that trust gap.
Source: JW Surety Bonds (n=3,000)
San Jose is in Santa Clara County. Title transfers are handled by the DMV San Jose – Brokaw Road Office at 1520 Brokaw Rd, San Jose, CA 95112. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (Thu until 6:00 PM). Phone: (800) 777-0133.
The combined rate is 9.375%. California state base 7.25% + Santa Clara County 1.875% district tax (Measure B and VTA).
No. California does not require notarization for vehicle transfers. Seller must file REG 138 within 5 days of sale.
Title transfer fee: $15.00. Base registration fee: $46.00. Sales tax at 9.375% is collected at the time of title transfer.