Certified True Copy of a Bill of Sale: What a Notary Can Issue

There are two situations in which a bill of sale meets a notary. In the first, a sale is happening now: buyer and seller sign in front of the notary, who witnesses the signatures. That is covered on the page about notarising a bill of sale.

This page is about the second situation, which is more common and harder: the sale happened years ago, you have the paper, and someone overseas now wants a certified copy of it. You cannot get the seller back. What you hold is what you have. The useful question is how much a certified copy of that paper can do — and what to put beside it.

What the certified copy proves, and what it cannot

The notary sights the original bill of sale, copies it, and certifies that the copy is a true and complete copy of the document produced.

That is all. Nobody watched the original being signed. The notary has no way of knowing whether the seller's signature is genuine, whether the seller owned the goods, whether the price was real, or whether there was finance owing. The copy proves that this piece of paper exists in this form — nothing more.

That is not a reason to skip it. Foreign registries and customs authorities often simply need a formally certified copy of the acquisition document in the file. But it is a reason not to rely on it alone.

Which piece of paper is your original

Private sales generate odd originals. The notary needs the one you actually hold, and it helps to know which that is:

• A receipt-book bill of sale. Many private sales are recorded in a duplicate or triplicate book. The seller keeps the top copy, the buyer gets the carbon or carbonless duplicate. For the buyer, that duplicate is the original you hold. It is what the notary sights, and the certificate can describe it accurately.
• A handwritten note signed by both parties. Perfectly acceptable to copy. Legibility matters — if the notary cannot read it, neither will a foreign registry, and a typed transcription or translation may need to accompany it.
• A dealer invoice or tax invoice. Often what people mean by "bill of sale" for a vehicle bought from a business.
• An email or online marketplace confirmation. There is no paper original. A notary can only certify a printout by describing exactly what was sighted, and whether that is acceptable is the recipient's decision.

A photocopy, a phone photo, or a copy someone else has already certified is not an original, and a notary will not certify from it.

Put a declaration beside it

Because an old bill of sale cannot be strengthened, the usual approach is to add a second document that can be: a statutory declaration or affidavit by you, sworn before the notary, setting out:

• when and from whom you acquired the goods
• the price paid and how
• the identifying details — VIN, chassis, hull or serial number
• that you are the owner and, to your knowledge, nothing is owing on them

The declaration is your sworn account, not the notary's confirmation of it. But it is a document a real person swore in front of a notary, and a foreign registry can weigh that. The certified copy and the declaration are usually bound or presented together.

If the goods are subject to Australian registration, evidence from that registry of your ownership history often carries more weight than either — though registration is not always proof of legal ownership, and a foreign authority may know that. A search of the Personal Property Securities Register is commonly requested to show no security interest is recorded.

When a fresh bill of sale is better

If the seller is still reachable and the recipient wants signatures they can rely on, a newly executed bill of sale — or a confirmation of the earlier sale — signed before a notary is a stronger document than any copy. It is more trouble to arrange, and not always possible. But ask the recipient which they want before settling for the copy.

Overseas use

• Justice of the Peace: free and fine for Australian use. Not accepted overseas, and a JP certification cannot be apostilled.
• Hague Apostille Convention countries: DFAT issues an apostille on the notarial certificate. Only DFAT issues apostilles.
• Non-member countries: DFAT authentication, then legalisation by the destination's embassy or consulate.
• Translation: a certified translation is normally bound in. Make sure identification numbers are reproduced exactly — a single wrong character in a VIN defeats the purpose of the whole bundle.

Frequently asked questions

The seller's name on the bill of sale is only a first name. The copy can still be certified; it will just be weak evidence. A detailed declaration beside it matters more in that case.

I bought the goods overseas and the bill of sale is in another language. It can be certified in Australia like any other document you hold, then translated. Whether the destination accepts an Australian notarial copy of a foreign document is their decision.

Can the notary certify the bill of sale and my registration papers together? Yes, at the same appointment. Each is usually a separate certified copy.

The duplicate is faded. Bring it anyway and ask the notary whether it copies legibly. Carbon duplicates fade; a typed transcription can accompany the certified copy, but it is not part of it.