City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a van in Ames, Iowa. 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
Story County Treasurer – Motor Vehicle
Address
900 6th St, Nevada, IA 50201
Phone
(515) 382-7340
Office Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Title Transfer Fee
$25.00
Sales Tax Rate
5.00%
Base Registration Fee
$35.00
Iowa 5% use tax on private vehicle sales
Iowa does not require notarization for private vehicle sales.
County Clerk / Recorder
Story County Recorder
Phone
(515) 382-7210
The most common van makes in private-party sales are Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Ford, Mercedes-Benz. Average private-party van prices range from $5,000–$35,000. The average NCAP safety rating for recent van models is 4.1 out of 5 stars. Vans average 3 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Electrical, Power Train, Airbags.
Before completing a van bill of sale in Iowa, verify these safety items:
Minivans are among the cheapest vehicles to insure. Commercial van insurance costs 2–3x more. Minivans depreciate faster than SUVs — expect 50–60% loss over 5 years. Conversion vans with custom builds are harder to value. Peak season for private van sales is summer when families are looking for travel vehicles, with an average of 24 days on market.
Vans are classified as "Passenger vehicle (minivan) or Commercial vehicle (cargo/work van)" for registration purposes. Passenger vans under 16,000 lbs GVWR follow standard rules. 15-passenger vans and cargo vans over 10,000 lbs may have special registration requirements. Federal odometer disclosure is required for vans under 20 years old.
Ames residents completing a van bill of sale should be aware of local requirements in addition to Iowa state rules. The state sales tax rate is 5%, 5% one-time new registration fee instead of sales tax. The most popular van makes in Iowa include Honda, Toyota, Chrysler.
BillOfSaleNow has generated 772 bill of sale documents for Iowa transactions, with 21 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)
Ames is in Story County. Title transfers are handled by the Story County Treasurer – Motor Vehicle at 900 6th St, Nevada, IA 50201. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Phone: (515) 382-7340.
The combined rate is 5.00%. Iowa 5% use tax on private vehicle sales.
No. Iowa does not require notarization for private vehicle sales.
Title transfer fee: $25.00. Base registration fee: $35.00. Sales tax at 5.00% is collected at the time of title transfer.