Odometer Disclosure Statement
Selling a vehicle? Federal law makes you disclose the odometer reading to the buyer. This statement records the mileage and keeps the sale clean. Free in all 50 states.
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An odometer disclosure is a federal statement of a vehicle's mileage that the seller gives the buyer when transferring ownership. Required by the Truth in Mileage Act, it records the odometer reading and whether that reading is accurate. It protects the buyer from mileage fraud, and both parties sign it.
Key takeaways
- It is federal law: the Truth in Mileage Act requires it on most vehicle sales.
- The seller discloses: you certify the mileage, and the buyer signs to acknowledge it.
- Newer vehicles need it: model year 2011 and newer, until the vehicle turns 20.
- Older and heavy vehicles are exempt: 2010 and older, trailers, and trucks over 16,000 pounds.
- False mileage is a crime: rolling back or lying about the reading carries federal penalties.
6 steps to fill out an odometer disclosure
The whole job, start to done.
- 1
Identify the vehicle
Enter the year, make, model, and the full VIN exactly as they appear on the title.
- 2
Name the seller and the buyer
Give both parties' legal names, so the disclosure matches the rest of the sale.
- 3
Record the exact odometer reading
Write the mileage shown on the odometer, with no rounding and no tenths unless the odometer shows them.
- 4
Check the correct accuracy box
Mark actual mileage, exceeds mechanical limits, or not actual mileage. Choose the honest one.
- 5
Both sign, print, and date
You sign and print as the seller, and the buyer signs and prints to acknowledge the reading.
- 6
Give the buyer a copy and keep one
Hand the buyer a signed copy, keep your own, and file it with the bill of sale.
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Most popularWhat if it's not that simple?
The situations that actually trip people up.
what if the title has no space left for the odometer line. What do I do?
Use a separate odometer disclosure statement, and in some states a secure power of attorney, then file it with the transfer. The DMV accepts the standalone form when the title itself cannot carry the reading.
What if my odometer is broken or was replaced. What do I write?
Record the reading the odometer now shows, and check the box for not the actual mileage. If the odometer was replaced, note that. A new odometer must be set to zero, or the prior mileage disclosed and the change documented.
Can I sell a car with a rolled-back odometer if I tell the buyer?
No. Altering an odometer is a federal crime, disclosure or not. You may report a reading, never change one.
The car is a 2009. Do I still need this?
No. As of 2026, A 2010-or-older vehicle is exempt now, though a bill of sale is still smart. For 2011 and older cars, the limit has been extended to 20 years (it used to be 10 years, which is why 2010 cars are exempt).
I'm giving the car to family, not selling it. Does the disclosure still apply?
Yes, if the vehicle is within the age window. The Truth in Mileage Act covers transfers of ownership, not just sales. So a gift, an inheritance, or a transfer between relatives still needs the disclosure. The exception is a vehicle exempt by age, weight, or type.
How an odometer disclosure works
An odometer disclosure records a vehicle's mileage at the moment you sell it. Federal law, the Truth in Mileage Act, makes the seller certify the reading, so the buyer is not handed a car with a rolled-back odometer. It travels with the sale, usually alongside the bill of sale, and both of you sign it.
In most sales the disclosure belongs on the title itself. Since 1990, vehicle titles carry an odometer line, and that is where federal law wants the reading. A separate statement is for the cases a title cannot handle. That covers no space left, a lost title, or a transfer under a motor-vehicle power of attorney. Use the standalone form when the title will not do.
The disclosure is more than a number. You state the mileage, then check one of three boxes. The reading is the actual mileage, it has rolled past the odometer's limit, or it is not the actual mileage. That last box is a warning to the buyer. Checking it honestly is what keeps you out of trouble.
Not every sale needs one. The rule changed in 2021, and the table below lays it out. In short, a vehicle model year 2011 or newer needs a disclosure until it turns twenty. A 2010 or older vehicle is now exempt, and so are trailers and trucks over 16,000 pounds. Check the table before you decide you can skip it.
The same rules reach beyond cars. A motorcycle or an RV that is self-propelled and under the weight limit follows the same age test. A trailer, which is not self-propelled, is exempt no matter its age. Match your vehicle to the table, not to a guess.
This is not the place to cut corners. Selling a car as-is limits your warranty, but it does not excuse a false mileage statement. Rolling back an odometer, or checking "actual mileage" when you know better, is federal odometer fraud. The penalties are criminal and steep, so disclose what you actually know.
Finish it with signatures. You sign and print your name as the seller, the buyer signs to acknowledge the reading, and each of you keeps a copy. A disclosure the buyer never signed, or never received, is incomplete and can come back on you.
Keep your copy. Even for a private sale, hold on to the signed disclosure and the bill of sale together. If a question about the mileage ever surfaces, the signed statement showing what you disclosed, and when, is your protection.
What an odometer disclosure includes
· The vehicle: year, make, model, and VIN.
· The parties: the seller and the buyer.
· The odometer reading: the exact mileage shown.
· The accuracy box: actual, exceeds limits, or not actual.
· The date: the date of the transfer.
· Signatures: both parties sign.
· Printed names: of the seller and buyer.
Does your sale need an odometer disclosure?
The federal rule changed in 2021. Here is who still needs a disclosure and who is now exempt. Model-year rule: a vehicle model year 2011 or newer needs disclosure for 20 years. A 2010 or older vehicle used the old 10-year period and is now exempt. Based on the federal Truth in Mileage Act, 49 CFR Part 580.
| Vehicle or situation | Disclosure required? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Car, truck, or SUV, model year 2011 or newer | Yes, until it turns 20 | The 2021 rule extended disclosure to 20 years |
| Car, truck, or SUV, model year 2010 or older | No, exempt | Past the old 10-year window |
| Motorcycle or RV, self-propelled, under 16,000 lbs | Yes, by the same age rule | Treated like any light vehicle |
| Any vehicle over 16,000 lbs GVWR | No, exempt | Heavy vehicles are exempt by weight |
| Trailer or other non-self-propelled vehicle | No, exempt | Not self-propelled, exempt at any age |
| Brand-new vehicle, first sale by a dealer | Yes, by the dealer | Disclosed on the manufacturer's certificate of origin |
Odometer disclosure FAQ
Is an odometer disclosure required by law?+
Who fills it out, the buyer or the seller?+
Can I sign it electronically?+
Is a bill of sale the same thing?+
What are the three mileage boxes for?+
How long should I keep a copy?+
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