City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a bus in Waterloo, 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
Black Hawk County Treasurer – Motor Vehicle
Address
316 E 5th St, Waterloo, IA 50703
Phone
(319) 833-3012
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
Black Hawk County Recorder
Phone
(319) 833-3007
The most common bus makes in private-party sales are Blue Bird, Thomas Built, IC Bus, Freightliner, Ford (shuttle). Average private-party bus prices range from $5,000–$100,000. Buss average 3.2 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Brakes, Engine, Electrical.
Before completing a bus bill of sale in Iowa, verify these safety items:
Bus insurance varies widely — $3,000–$15,000/year depending on use (shuttle, school, tour). Passenger capacity drives premiums. Retired school buses are cheap ($3,000–$10,000) and popular for conversion projects ("skoolies"). Coach buses retain value better. Peak season for private bus sales is summer when school districts auction retired buses, with an average of 45 days on market.
Buss are classified as "Bus or Commercial motor vehicle — CDL required for 16+ passenger capacity" for registration purposes. School buses typically 14,500–36,000 lbs GVWR. Transit and coach buses can exceed 40,000 lbs. Federal odometer disclosure does not apply to buss.
Waterloo residents completing a bus 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 bus makes in Iowa include Blue Bird, Thomas Built, IC Bus.
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)
Waterloo is in Black Hawk County. Title transfers are handled by the Black Hawk County Treasurer – Motor Vehicle at 316 E 5th St, Waterloo, IA 50703. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Phone: (319) 833-3012.
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.