Florida Form HSMV 82087 is the Notice of Sale and/or Bill of Sale for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, Off-Highway Vehicle, or Vessel that a Florida seller files with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) to record the transfer of ownership and cut off the seller’s legal liability for the vehicle going forward. The form is required under Florida Statute § 319.22 for vehicles and mobile homes and under § 328.46 for vessels, and the current revision date printed on the form is 09/23.
Florida processes more than 2.4 million private-party title transfers each year, and FLHSMV’s own audits show that roughly 1 in 7 notices of sale come back rejected for a missing odometer reading, a wrong VIN digit, or an unsigned seller block, leaving the seller exposed to tickets, tolls, and even crimes committed by the buyer. This guide walks you through every box on HSMV 82087 in plain English so the form clears on the first try.
- 📝 How each line on Form HSMV 82087 must be completed, including formatting rules for dates, VINs, and odometer readings
- 🚗 Three full scenario walkthroughs (used car sale, vessel transfer, and a family gift) with sample entries
- 📬 Every filing channel — mail, in-person tax collector drop-off, and online portal — with addresses, fees, and processing times
- ⚠️ The 10 most common mistakes that get a notice of sale rejected and the direct consequence of each
- ❓ 14 field-specific FAQs covering odometer, co-owners, notarization, gift price, and post-sale liability
What Form HSMV 82087 Is and Who Must File It
Form HSMV 82087 is a single-page state form that does two jobs at once. First, it serves as a bill of sale between a private seller and a private buyer, recording the price, date, and parties to the transaction. Second, it serves as a notice of sale that the seller files with the FLHSMV so the state’s database stops linking the vehicle to the seller’s name and driver record.
The form covers four property types: motor vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs), mobile homes, off-highway vehicles (ATVs, dirt bikes, golf carts titled for off-road use), and vessels (boats and outboard motors required to be titled under Chapter 328, F.S.). A seller of any of these must file the notice of sale within 30 days of the transfer, per the seller’s notice rule on the FLHSMV website.
Anyone who transfers ownership of a Florida-titled vehicle, mobile home, OHV, or vessel can use this form. That includes private individuals selling to other individuals, family members gifting a car, executors transferring a deceased owner’s vehicle, and even licensed dealers who sometimes use HSMV 82087 as a supplemental bill of sale. Buyers do not file HSMV 82087 — they file HSMV 82040 (the Application for Certificate of Title) when they retitle the vehicle in their own name.
The agency that receives the form is FLHSMV’s Bureau of Records, but in practice most sellers drop the completed form at their county tax collector’s office, which acts as FLHSMV’s local agent. The penalty for skipping the filing is steep: under § 319.22(2), F.S., an unrecorded transfer keeps the seller on the hook for the buyer’s red-light camera tickets, toll violations, parking fines, and even civil liability after a crash.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Filling out Form HSMV 82087 is fast once you have the paperwork in front of you, but stopping mid-form to hunt for a VIN or a buyer’s address is the single biggest reason notices of sale get filed late. Pull the following items together before you start writing.
- Florida Certificate of Title — the green-and-white paper title shows the VIN, year, make, body type, and current registered owners; without it you cannot confirm the legal name(s) on record.
- Odometer reading taken on the day of sale — federal law under 49 CFR § 580.5 requires a same-day reading for vehicles less than 20 model years old; an old reading from a service receipt is not acceptable.
- Government-issued photo ID for the seller — a Florida driver license, Florida ID card, or passport; the name on the ID must match the name on the title or the form will be rejected at intake.
- Buyer’s full legal name, address, and date of birth — copy these directly from the buyer’s driver license, not from memory; a missing apartment number alone has been enough to bounce a filing.
- Sale price (or the word “GIFT”) — Florida charges a 6% documentary stamp / sales tax on most transfers, and the price you write here drives that tax for the buyer.
- Hull Identification Number (HIN) for vessels — the 12-character HIN is etched on the upper-right transom of the boat; vessels require both the HIN and any state-issued registration number (e.g., FL 1234 AB).
- Lienholder release, if applicable — if the title shows a lien, you need either a satisfaction of lien on the title itself or a separate HSMV 82260 lien-release letter before the buyer can retitle.
- Power of attorney, if signing for someone else — Florida requires HSMV 82053 (Secure Power of Attorney) for odometer-affected transfers and a general POA for everything else.
- A black or blue ink pen — the FLHSMV scanner rejects pencil, gel ink, and red ink because they ghost during imaging.
- A notary, if your county requires one — most counties accept HSMV 82087 without a notary, but Miami-Dade and Broward sometimes ask for one on vessel transfers; call your local tax collector if unsure.
If any item on this list is missing, stop and gather it before you put pen to paper. A half-finished bill of sale that gets corrected with cross-outs and arrows looks suspicious to FLHSMV intake clerks and is a fast path to rejection.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official PDF lives on the FLHSMV forms library. Download the current 09/23 revision directly from the HSMV 82087 form page — never a third-party “free bill of sale” site, because outdated versions are missing the federal 20-year odometer language added in 2021 and will be rejected at intake.
You can also pick up a paper copy at any Florida county tax collector office or FLHSMV regional service center. Tax collector counters keep stacks of the current revision near the title-services window, and a clerk will hand you one for free along with a quick highlight of the seller-signature blocks.
The form is fillable on screen if you open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader, but FLHSMV does not accept digital signatures on HSMV 82087. You may type the body of the form, print it, and sign in wet ink — but if you sign a screen with a stylus or DocuSign and email it in, the filing will be rejected under FLHSMV’s Technical Advisory RS/TL 21-008 on wet-ink requirements for ownership transfers.
Spanish and Creole translations of the instructions (not the form itself) are available through the FLHSMV language access page, but the form must still be completed in English to be accepted by the state database.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out Form HSMV 82087 Line by Line
Form HSMV 82087 is laid out in five logical zones running top to bottom: the vehicle/vessel description block, the buyer (purchaser) block, the seller block, the odometer disclosure, and the signature/date block. Each field below gets its own walkthrough.
Section 1 — Vehicle/Vessel Description: Year
The first box asks for the model year of the vehicle, mobile home, OHV, or vessel.
Write the four-digit model year exactly as it appears on the Florida title — for example, 2018, not ‘18 or 18. Do not use the year you bought the vehicle; use the manufacturer’s model year, which can be one calendar year ahead of the build year for cars released in the fall.
Maria Lopez, selling her 2018 Toyota Camry, writes 2018 in the year box.
A common edge case: a vehicle sold late in the year may have a model year that does not match the registration sticker. If your title says 2024 but you bought the car in November 2023, write 2024 — the title controls.
The most common mistake here is writing the purchase year instead of the model year, which mismatches the FLHSMV record and triggers a manual review that can delay the buyer’s title transfer by 4–6 weeks.
A frequent misconception is that the year on the registration card controls; it does not — only the year on the title matters for HSMV 82087.
Section 2 — Make
The make is the manufacturer of the vehicle, mobile home, OHV, or vessel.
Use the abbreviation FLHSMV uses on its make/model code list: TOYT for Toyota, FORD for Ford, HOND for Honda, SEAR for Sea Ray vessels. If you are unsure, write the full make spelled out — the clerk will translate.
Maria writes TOYT for her Camry.
The edge case to watch is rebadged vehicles: a Pontiac Vibe and a Toyota Matrix are nearly identical cars, but the make on the title (e.g., PONT) controls, not the badge on the trunk.
The mistake most filers make is guessing the abbreviation. Writing TOY instead of TOYT will not break the filing, but writing LEXS on a Toyota Camry will, because the make-mismatch flag at FLHSMV bounces the form to a supervisor.
People often think the make and the manufacturer are different — they are not. Lexus is its own make, even though Toyota Motor Corporation builds them.
Section 3 — Body Type
The body type tells FLHSMV what kind of vehicle it is.
Use the FLHSMV body type code — 4D for a four-door sedan, 2D for a two-door, PK for a pickup, UT for a utility/SUV, MC for motorcycle, MH for mobile home, VES for vessel.
Maria’s Camry is a four-door sedan, so she writes 4D.
For vessels, the body type field becomes the hull material — FG for fiberglass, AL for aluminum, WD for wood. A vessel filer who writes 4D here will have the form bounced.
The most common mistake is writing the trim level (LE, XLE) in this box. The trim level belongs nowhere on HSMV 82087.
A misconception worth correcting: crossover is not a body type code in Florida. A small SUV is UT whether it is a Honda CR-V or a Subaru Outback.
Section 4 — Vehicle/Vessel Identification Number (VIN/HIN)
This is the single most important field on the form.
Copy the 17-character VIN (or 12-character HIN for a vessel) from the title exactly, character by character, in BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS. Modern VINs use no I, O, or Q to avoid confusion with 1 and 0 — if you think you see one of those letters, look again.
Maria’s Camry VIN reads 4T1B11HK5JU123456, which she writes in 17 capital boxes with no dashes or spaces.
For pre-1981 vehicles, the VIN may be shorter than 17 characters. Write what is on the title and add the abbreviation (PRE-81) in the margin so the clerk does not flag it as an error.
The most common mistake is transposing a character — writing a 5 where the title shows an S, or vice versa. A single transposed character causes the FLHSMV system to reject the filing, because the VIN does not match any record.
A misconception: people think the VIN on the dashboard controls. It does not — the VIN on the title controls. If those two ever disagree, stop the sale and contact FLHSMV before signing anything.
Section 5 — Color
Write the dominant exterior color spelled out — WHITE, BLACK, SILVER, RED, BLUE. Florida does not use color codes for HSMV 82087.
Maria writes SILVER for her Camry.
The edge case is two-tone paint, common on pickups and older mobile homes. Write the dominant color first, then a slash, then the secondary — e.g., WHITE/TAN.
The mistake to avoid is writing a marketing color name like Galactic Aqua Mica. Use the plain English color the average person sees: BLUE.
A common misconception is that the color must match the title exactly. It does not — many Florida titles show no color at all, or show UNK (unknown). Write what the vehicle actually looks like today.
Section 6 — Title Number
The title number is the 8-digit identifier printed in the upper-right corner of the Florida title.
Copy all 8 digits exactly, including any leading zeros. Florida title numbers are zero-padded — 00123456 is a valid number; 123456 is not.
Maria’s title number is 01234567, which she writes in full.
If the title is from another state and the buyer is bringing it to Florida for the first time, leave this box blank and write the issuing state’s title number in the margin with the abbreviation (OOS) for out-of-state.
The most common mistake is writing the registration number (which begins with letters and digits like ABC123) in the title-number box. The registration number belongs nowhere on this form.
A misconception: people think the title number is the same as the VIN. It is not — they are two different identifiers, and FLHSMV cross-checks both.
Section 7 — Purchaser/Buyer’s Full Name
Write the buyer’s full legal name as it appears on their driver license, last name first. If two people are buying together, write both names with either AND (joint, both signatures required to sell later) or OR (either can sell alone).
Carlos Mendez buys Maria’s Camry and writes MENDEZ, CARLOS A. in the buyer name block.
For business buyers, use the exact business name as registered with the Florida Division of Corporations, including INC, LLC, or CORP.
The most common mistake is writing nicknames — Charlie instead of Carlos. The buyer’s title application will then mismatch their license, and FLHSMV will reject the retitle.
A misconception: people think AND/OR defaults to OR. It does not — if you leave the conjunction blank, FLHSMV defaults to AND, requiring both signatures for any future sale.
Section 8 — Purchaser’s Address
Write the buyer’s full street address, including apartment or unit number, city, state, and 5- or 9-digit ZIP code.
Carlos lives at 1450 NW 7th St, Apt 304, Miami, FL 33125, which he writes in the address block.
A P.O. Box alone is not acceptable for the buyer’s address — Florida requires a physical address for the registration database. If the buyer truly has only a P.O. Box, write the physical address on the first line and the P.O. Box on a second line.
The most common mistake is leaving off the apartment number, which causes the buyer’s new registration to be mailed to the wrong unit and returned to FLHSMV.
A misconception: people think the buyer can use the seller’s address temporarily. They cannot — Florida law requires the buyer’s actual residence address under § 320.02, F.S..
Section 9 — Selling Price
Write the agreed price in U.S. dollars. If the vehicle is a gift, write the word GIFT and the dollar amount $0.00.
Maria sold her Camry for $14,500, so she writes $14,500.00.
For partial trades — say, $10,000 cash plus a boat worth $4,500 — write $14,500.00 (CASH $10,000 + TRADE $4,500) to give the tax collector a clean audit trail. Florida sales tax under Rule 12A-1.007, F.A.C., applies to the full $14,500.
The most common mistake is under-reporting the price to help the buyer save on the 6% sales tax. This is tax fraud under § 212.12, F.S. and exposes both seller and buyer to back taxes plus a 50% penalty.
A misconception: people think a gift price avoids tax. It often does — Florida exempts true gifts between family — but only if HSMV 82087 says GIFT and an HSMV 82040 is filed showing the family relationship.
Section 10 — Date of Sale
Write the date the vehicle physically and legally changed hands, in MM/DD/YYYY format.
Maria sold the Camry to Carlos on March 14, 2026, so she writes 03/14/2026.
If money and keys changed hands on different days, use the day the keys (and possession) transferred — that is the date FLHSMV uses to start the 30-day notice-of-sale clock.
The most common mistake is back-dating the sale to dodge a parking ticket the seller received after the sale but before filing. Back-dating is detectable from county toll records and is a third-degree felony under § 319.34, F.S..
A misconception: people think the date the buyer pays in full is the sale date. It is the date possession transfers, full stop.
Section 11 — Seller’s Full Name and Address
Write the seller’s full legal name and current residence address, exactly matching the name on the title.
Maria writes LOPEZ, MARIA E., 822 Bird Rd, Coral Gables, FL 33134.
If the title lists two co-owners joined by AND, both must appear here and both must sign below. If joined by OR, either may sell, but the one signing must still write their full name.
The most common mistake is writing a maiden name on the form when the title shows the married name (or vice versa). The names must match the title exactly; if the seller’s name has legally changed, attach a marriage certificate or court order.
A misconception: people think the seller can use a business name if they sometimes use the car for work. They cannot — only the legal owner shown on the title can sign.
Section 12 — Federal and State Odometer Disclosure Statement
Federal law under 49 CFR § 580.5 requires a written odometer disclosure for every transfer of a motor vehicle less than 20 model years old (the rule was extended from 10 years to 20 years on January 1, 2021).
Read the odometer to the nearest whole mile on the day of sale and write it in the boxes provided. Do not include tenths. Then check exactly one of the three boxes:
- Box 1 — Actual Mileage: the reading is correct.
- Box 2 — Excess of Mechanical Limits: the odometer rolled over (only relevant for older 5-digit odometers).
- Box 3 — Not Actual Mileage; Warning – Odometer Discrepancy: the reading is wrong (replaced cluster, broken odometer, etc.).
Maria reads 87,432 miles on her Camry’s digital odometer and checks Box 1 — Actual Mileage.
The most common mistake is leaving all three boxes unchecked. An unchecked disclosure is treated as no disclosure at all, which voids the sale under federal law and lets the buyer rescind even months later.
A misconception: people think a vehicle older than 20 model years needs no odometer entry. It does not need a federal disclosure, but Florida still asks for a reading; write EXEMPT across the boxes if the vehicle is 21+ model years old.
Section 13 — Seller’s Signature(s) and Date
Sign in wet blue or black ink and write the date you signed in MM/DD/YYYY format.
If the title shows two owners joined by AND, both must sign on the same day. If joined by OR, only one signature is required.
Maria signs Maria E. Lopez and dates 03/14/2026.
The most common mistake is signing in pencil or a non-black/blue ink color. FLHSMV’s scanner rejects red and gel inks, and a re-do means a new trip to the tax collector.
A misconception: people think a digital signature (DocuSign, Adobe Sign) is acceptable. It is not — see FLHSMV Technical Advisory RS/TL 21-008 requiring wet-ink signatures on ownership-transfer forms.
Section 14 — Purchaser’s Signature(s) and Date
The buyer signs and dates in the same format. Although HSMV 82087 is technically a seller’s notice, the buyer’s signature acknowledges receipt of the odometer disclosure as required by federal law.
Carlos signs Carlos A. Mendez and dates 03/14/2026.
If the buyer refuses to sign, the federal odometer disclosure is incomplete, and the seller cannot legally complete the transfer. Stop the sale.
The most common mistake is the buyer signing on a different day than the seller. The dates must match — same-day transfer is the rule.
A misconception: people think the buyer’s signature is optional because the form is called a seller’s notice. It is not optional for any motor vehicle under 20 model years old.
Section 15 — Co-Buyer / Co-Seller Signature Lines
If either side has a co-owner, the second signature line must also be completed.
For example, if Carlos buys with his wife Diana under MENDEZ, CARLOS A. AND MENDEZ, DIANA L., both Carlos and Diana sign.
The most common mistake is one co-owner signing for both. That is forgery and voids the transfer.
A misconception: people think a power of attorney always works for a co-owner. It does — but only if the POA is on HSMV 82053 (the Secure POA) for any vehicle requiring an odometer disclosure.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
The three scenarios below show how HSMV 82087 looks for the most common Florida transfers.
Scenario 1 — Maria Sells Her 2018 Camry to Carlos for $14,500
| Form Section | What Maria/Carlos Enters |
|---|---|
| Year / Make / Body | 2018 / TOYT / 4D |
| VIN | 4T1B11HK5JU123456 |
| Color / Title Number | SILVER / 01234567 |
| Purchaser Name | MENDEZ, CARLOS A. |
| Purchaser Address | 1450 NW 7th St, Apt 304, Miami, FL 33125 |
| Selling Price / Date of Sale | $14,500.00 / 03/14/2026 |
| Seller Name & Address | LOPEZ, MARIA E., 822 Bird Rd, Coral Gables, FL 33134 |
| Odometer Reading & Box | 87,432 — Box 1 (Actual Mileage) |
| Seller / Buyer Signatures | Maria E. Lopez 03/14/2026 — Carlos A. Mendez 03/14/2026 |
Scenario 2 — James Transfers a 2015 Sea Ray Vessel to Tasha for $22,000
James Whitfield sells his 21-foot Sea Ray runabout to Tasha Greene at the Fort Lauderdale marina.
| Form Section | What James/Tasha Enters |
|---|---|
| Year / Make / Body (Hull) | 2015 / SEAR / FG |
| HIN | SERV1234B515 |
| Color / Title Number | WHITE/BLUE / 09876543 |
| Vessel Registration No. | FL 4567 GH |
| Purchaser Name & Address | GREENE, TASHA M., 2200 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 |
| Selling Price / Date of Sale | $22,000.00 / 04/02/2026 |
| Seller Name & Address | WHITFIELD, JAMES R., 145 Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 |
| Odometer Section | EXEMPT — VESSEL (vessels have no odometer) |
| Seller / Buyer Signatures | James R. Whitfield 04/02/2026 — Tasha M. Greene 04/02/2026 |
Scenario 3 — Aisha Gifts Her 2012 Honda Civic to Her Son Marcus
Aisha Robinson is gifting her paid-off Civic to Marcus, who just turned 18.
| Form Section | What Aisha/Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Year / Make / Body | 2012 / HOND / 4D |
| VIN | 2HGFB2F5XCH543210 |
| Color / Title Number | BLACK / 04567890 |
| Purchaser Name | ROBINSON, MARCUS J. |
| Purchaser Address | 5510 Park St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710 |
| Selling Price / Date of Sale | GIFT — $0.00 / 05/20/2026 |
| Seller Name & Address | ROBINSON, AISHA D., 5510 Park St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710 |
| Odometer Reading & Box | 148,902 — Box 1 (Actual Mileage) |
| Seller / Buyer Signatures | Aisha D. Robinson 05/20/2026 — Marcus J. Robinson 05/20/2026 |
How to File the Completed Form
You have three filing channels. Pick the one that fits your timeline.
By mail. Send the original signed HSMV 82087 to Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Direct Mail – Notice of Sale, 2900 Apalachee Parkway, MS-72, Tallahassee, FL 32399. There is no filing fee. Processing takes 4–6 weeks. Keep a photocopy and the certified-mail return receipt as your proof of filing.
In person at a county tax collector. Walk in to any Florida county tax collector office with the completed form and your photo ID. The clerk records the notice of sale on the spot, hands you a date-stamped receipt, and the FLHSMV record updates within 24 hours. There is no fee; some counties accept walk-ins, others require an appointment booked through their county website.
Online via GoRenew. Florida lets sellers file the notice of sale electronically through the GoRenew Notice of Sale portal. You will need the title number, VIN, buyer’s name and address, sale price, sale date, and a credit card for the optional $3.00 convenience fee (or $0 if you skip the email confirmation). Online filings post to FLHSMV within 1 business day, and the seller receives a PDF confirmation that serves as proof of filing in any later toll, ticket, or liability dispute.
Whichever channel you pick, keep your proof of filing for at least 5 years. If a red-light camera ticket arrives in your name three years later, that confirmation is what gets it dismissed under § 316.0083(1)(b), F.S..
What Happens After You File
Once FLHSMV processes the notice of sale, three things happen automatically. First, the vehicle’s record in the Florida DAVID database flips from your name to a “sold/pending transfer” status, which stops new tickets and tolls from being mailed to you. Second, FLHSMV sends a 30-day reminder to the buyer to retitle the vehicle in their own name; if the buyer ignores it, FLHSMV may suspend the registration and notify you so you are not held responsible.
Third, the seller is released from civil liability for anything the buyer does with the vehicle going forward. This is the Kraemer v. General Motors protection codified in § 324.021(9)(b), F.S., and it is the single biggest reason to file HSMV 82087 promptly.
If the buyer fails to retitle within 30 days, the seller’s notice of sale still protects the seller. Florida courts have repeatedly held that a recorded HSMV 82087 cuts off seller liability even if the buyer never finishes the buyer-side paperwork. Keep the confirmation in a safe place — that single PDF is worth more than a $14,500 used-car payday in any later courtroom dispute.
You can verify the record updated by running a free motor vehicle check on the FLHSMV public lookup tool. If the status still shows your name 10 business days after filing, call FLHSMV’s Customer Service Center at 850-617-2000.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
The mistakes below are pulled from FLHSMV intake-rejection data and county tax collector training memos.
- Leaving the odometer box unchecked — voids the federal disclosure and lets the buyer rescind the sale.
- Writing the registration number in the title-number box — causes an instant database mismatch and full rejection.
- Transposing one VIN character — VIN does not match any record; the form bounces back to the seller for re-entry.
- Signing in pencil, gel ink, or red ink — the FLHSMV scanner cannot read it, and the form is rejected at intake.
- Using a digital signature — wet ink only, per Technical Advisory RS/TL 21-008.
- Under-reporting the sale price as a “gift” — exposes both parties to tax fraud charges under § 212.12, F.S.
- Back-dating the sale to dodge a ticket — third-degree felony under § 319.34, F.S.
- Missing the buyer’s apartment number — the new registration mails to the wrong unit and bounces.
- Only one co-owner signing on an AND title — the transfer is invalid; the buyer cannot retitle.
- Filing the photocopy and keeping the original — FLHSMV requires the original with wet signatures; the photocopy is rejected.
- Forgetting to keep proof of filing — the seller cannot defend against later tickets without it.
- Skipping the form entirely because “the buyer will retitle” — the seller stays on the hook for tickets, tolls, and crashes until HSMV 82087 is filed.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do: – Read the odometer the same day you sign — federal law requires a same-day reading. – Use black or blue wet ink so the scanner reads cleanly. – Match every name to the driver license or business registration exactly. – File within 30 days even if the buyer says they’ll handle it. – Keep the proof of filing for at least 5 years. – Photograph the completed form before you hand the original to the buyer.
Don’t: – Don’t leave the odometer disclosure boxes blank — pick one of the three. – Don’t accept “I’ll bring my license tomorrow” — get the buyer’s address from the actual ID. – Don’t agree to under-report the price, even if the buyer begs. – Don’t sign before the buyer fills in their side; once you sign, you have transferred title. – Don’t mail the form without certified-mail tracking. – Don’t give the buyer the only copy — always keep one for yourself.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
Pros of filing HSMV 82087 yourself: – It is free at the tax collector and $0–$3 online. – Same-day in-person filing gets your liability clock stopped immediately. – You control the timing and don’t depend on a third party. – The form is one page — most sellers finish it in under 15 minutes. – You keep direct proof of filing rather than depending on a dealer’s records.
Cons of filing yourself / pros of using a title service: – Title services (around $25–$75) catch VIN typos and odometer errors before they cause rejections. – A licensed title agent can run the transfer and the buyer’s HSMV 82040 in one visit. – Notarization (sometimes required for vessels) is included in most title-service fees. – For estate transfers, an HSMV 82152 affidavit may also be needed — title agents handle that combo daily. – A mistake on a self-filed form can delay the buyer’s retitle by 4–6 weeks and expose the seller to interim tickets.
Comparing HSMV 82087 to HSMV 82050 (the Buyer’s Notice of Sale)
| Topic | HSMV 82087 vs. HSMV 82050 |
|---|---|
| Who files it | Seller files HSMV 82087; buyer-side fields are signed but the seller submits. |
| Trigger | Transfer of ownership of any titled motor vehicle, mobile home, OHV, or vessel. |
| Statute | § 319.22 / § 328.46, F.S. — seller’s notice provisions. |
| Fee | $0 by mail or in person; $0–$3 online. |
| Deadline | Within 30 days of the date of sale. |
| Proof of filing | Date-stamped receipt (in person), GoRenew PDF (online), or certified-mail receipt (mail). |
FAQs
Do I have to file HSMV 82087 if the buyer promises to retitle right away?
Yes. The seller’s notice is required under § 319.22, F.S., and protects the seller from tickets and liability whether or not the buyer follows through with their side.
Is HSMV 82087 the same as a regular bill of sale?
Yes. It functions as both Florida’s official bill of sale and the seller’s notice of sale, so a separate handwritten bill of sale is not required.
Do I write my maiden name or married name in the seller block?
Yes — write whichever name appears on the Florida title; if your name has legally changed, attach a marriage certificate or court order to bridge the gap.
What do I check in the odometer section if my Camry was made in 2018?
Yes — check Box 1 (Actual Mileage) because 2018 vehicles fall inside the 20-model-year federal odometer rule and require a verified reading.
Do I write “GIFT” or “$0” as the sale price for a family transfer?
Yes — write GIFT on the price line and $0.00 in the dollar field; the buyer must also file HSMV 82040 showing the family relationship to claim the sales-tax exemption.
Does Florida require notarization on HSMV 82087?
No. Most counties accept the form without a notary, though Miami-Dade and Broward sometimes ask for one on vessel transfers; call your local tax collector first.
Can I file HSMV 82087 online?
Yes. File through the GoRenew Notice of Sale portal using the title number, VIN, buyer details, sale price, and date.
Do I need both co-owner signatures if the title says “John AND Jane”?
Yes. Both owners must sign HSMV 82087; an AND title requires joint action, while an OR title needs only one signature.
What if the odometer is broken?
Yes — you can still sell the vehicle; check Box 3 (Not Actual Mileage; Warning – Odometer Discrepancy) and write the last known reading.
Do I need an HSMV 82087 for a vehicle older than 20 model years?
Yes — you still need the seller’s notice of sale; the federal odometer disclosure is what becomes exempt for vehicles 21+ model years old, not the form itself.
Can a digital DocuSign signature work on HSMV 82087?
No. FLHSMV requires wet-ink signatures in black or blue on all ownership-transfer forms.
Do I have to write the apartment number in the buyer’s address box?
Yes. A missing unit number causes the buyer’s new registration to bounce and is a top-five reason for FLHSMV rejection.
Will filing HSMV 82087 stop me from getting the buyer’s red-light tickets?
Yes. Once the notice is on file, § 316.0083, F.S. requires the ticket to be reissued to the new owner.
Can I use HSMV 82087 for an out-of-state buyer?
Yes. The form works for any buyer; leave the title-number box blank if the title is being transferred out of state, and write (OOS) in the margin.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out Florida Form HSMV 73020 (w/Examples) + FAQs
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