City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a bus in Madison, Wisconsin. 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
WI DMV – Madison East Service Center
Address
2001 Bartillon Dr, Madison, WI 53704
Phone
(608) 264-7447
Office Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:45 PM
Title Transfer Fee
$164.50
Sales Tax Rate
5.50%
Base Registration Fee
$85.00
Wisconsin state 5% + Dane County 0.5%
Wisconsin does not require notarization.
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 Wisconsin, 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.
Madison residents completing a bus bill of sale should be aware of local requirements in addition to Wisconsin state rules. The state sales tax rate is 5%, 5% state plus 0.5% county tax in most counties. The most popular bus makes in Wisconsin include Blue Bird, Thomas Built, IC Bus.
BillOfSaleNow has generated 1,409 bill of sale documents for Wisconsin transactions, with 38 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)
Madison is in Dane County. Title transfers are handled by the WI DMV – Madison East Service Center at 2001 Bartillon Dr, Madison, WI 53704. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:45 PM. Phone: (608) 264-7447.
The combined rate is 5.50%. Wisconsin state 5% + Dane County 0.5%.
No. Wisconsin does not require notarization.
Title transfer fee: $164.50. Base registration fee: $85.00. Sales tax at 5.50% is collected at the time of title transfer.