City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a car 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 car makes in private-party sales are Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan. Average private-party car prices range from $5,000–$25,000. The average NCAP safety rating for recent car models is 4.2 out of 5 stars. Cars average 3.1 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Airbags (Takata), Power Train, Fuel System.
Before completing a car bill of sale in Iowa, verify these safety items:
Liability insurance required in 49 states (New Hampshire is the exception). Average annual premium: $1,600–$2,200. Cars lose approximately 20% of value in the first year and 60% over five years. Japanese brands retain value best. Peak season for private car sales is spring (march–may) when tax refunds boost demand, with an average of 21 days on market.
Cars are classified as "Passenger vehicle" for registration purposes. Standard passenger cars weigh 2,500–4,500 lbs; no special weight-class registration required. Federal odometer disclosure is required for cars under 20 years old.
West Des Moines residents completing a car 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 car makes in Iowa include Toyota, Honda, Ford.
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.