City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a boat in West Des Moines, 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
County Treasurer – West Des Moines
Address
Visit https://iowadot.gov/mvd for the nearest West Des Moines, IA office
Phone
See state DMV website for local office phone numbers
Office Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Title Transfer Fee
$25.00
Sales Tax Rate
6.50%
Base Registration Fee
Varies by weight
Iowa state rate 5% + estimated local taxes (verify with your county)
Iowa requires notarization of the bill of sale or title assignment for vehicle transfers. Visit a local notary public before submitting documents.
County Clerk / Recorder
West Des Moines County Recorder
Phone
See county website for contact information
The most common boat makes in private-party sales are Bayliner, Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Tracker, Yamaha. Average private-party boat prices range from $5,000–$75,000. Boats average 1.8 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Fuel System, Electrical, Steering.
Before completing a boat bill of sale in Iowa, verify these safety items:
Boat insurance averages $200–$500/year for boats under 26 ft. Agreed-value policies are preferred over actual-cash-value. Boats depreciate 30–40% in the first 5 years. Aluminum fishing boats hold value better than fiberglass sport boats. Peak season for private boat sales is early spring (march–may) ahead of boating season, with an average of 45 days on market.
Boats are classified as "Watercraft (state-registered) or USCG-documented vessel" for registration purposes. Boats are measured by length, not weight, for registration. Trailers have separate weight-based registration. Federal odometer disclosure does not apply to boats.
West Des Moines residents completing a boat 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 boat makes in Iowa include Bayliner, Sea Ray, Boston Whaler.
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)
West Des Moines is in West Des Moines County. Title transfers are handled by the County Treasurer – West Des Moines at Visit https://iowadot.gov/mvd for the nearest West Des Moines, IA office. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Phone: See state DMV website for local office phone numbers.
The combined rate is 6.50%. Iowa state rate 5% + estimated local taxes (verify with your county).
Yes. Iowa requires notarization of the bill of sale or title assignment for vehicle transfers. Visit a local notary public before submitting documents.
Title transfer fee: $25.00. Base registration fee: Varies by weight. Sales tax at 6.50% is collected at the time of title transfer.