City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a boat in Houston, Texas. 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
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector – Downtown
Address
1001 Preston St, Houston, TX 77002
Phone
(713) 274-8000
Office Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Title Transfer Fee
$28.00
Sales Tax Rate
8.25%
Base Registration Fee
$51.75
Texas state rate 6.25% + Houston/Harris County local rate 2.00%
Texas does not require notarization for a private-party vehicle sale. A signed bill of sale and completed Form 130-U are sufficient.
County Clerk / Recorder
Harris County Clerk
Phone
(713) 274-8600
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 Texas, 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.
Houston residents completing a boat bill of sale should be aware of local requirements in addition to Texas state rules. The state sales tax rate is 6.25%, flat 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax statewide. The most popular boat makes in Texas include Bayliner, Sea Ray, Boston Whaler.
BillOfSaleNow has generated 10,842 bill of sale documents for Texas transactions, with 292 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)
Houston is in Harris County. Title transfers are handled by the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector – Downtown at 1001 Preston St, Houston, TX 77002. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Phone: (713) 274-8000.
The combined rate is 8.25%. Texas state rate 6.25% + Houston/Harris County local rate 2.00%.
No. Texas does not require notarization for a private-party vehicle sale. A signed bill of sale and completed Form 130-U are sufficient.
Title transfer fee: $28.00. Base registration fee: $51.75. Sales tax at 8.25% is collected at the time of title transfer.