Help: I’ve lost my bill of sale.

What to do if you lose your bill of sale.

A bill of sale is a crucial legal document that certifies ownership transfer between a seller and a buyer. The seller is responsible for drafting the document, and the buyer typically keeps the original copy for future actions. However, both parties involved in the transaction should retain this document. It protects sellers from liability, it provides buyers with proof of ownership, and it helps settle any disagreements that might arise in the future. So what do you do if you lose yours?

What to do if you lose your bill of sale.

Your first step is to check with the relevant department in the state in which your item is registered. Typically, this would be your state’s department of motor vehicles, or DMV, since bills of sales are most commonly used for vehicle ownership transfers.

You may be able to provide the following to help recreate the payment arrangement and provide proof of ownership:

• Record of payment, like a check or credit card receipt, to prove the payment was processed.
• Information from the prior owner such as other documentation they may have filed to relinquish legal ownership.
• Communications trail, such as emails and texts, between you and the seller to evidence the transaction.

Create your document.

The seller is responsible for drafting the bill of sale. With an e-document, such as those you can put together, you have a virtual paper trail and can easily resend the document to the buyer if they’ve lost it — or reprint it if you’ve lost it. Explore how you can create, store, and safeguard your bill of sale with Acrobat Pro DC with e-sign.