In Washington DC, District of Columbia, when you sell or transfer a vehicle you need to disclose the vehicle’s mileage in an Odometer Disclosure Statement. The odometer disclosure is mandatory for any vehicle model year 2011 or newer, self-propelled, and below 16,000 pounds. For a used vehicle, in a private transaction, you need to take the certification of the odometer mileage on the back of the Certificate of title. The certification is done when the title it’s signed over. For a new vehicle, you need the odometer statement form issued by the dealer. See more details below.
The following vehicle types are exempt from odometer disclosure requirements in the District of Columbia: any vehicle model year 2010 or older, any vehicle over 16,000 pounds, any non-motorized vehicle (trailer-type), low-speed vehicles (LSV), scooters, and mopeds.
When you write on the title be careful not to make any erasure or alteration because it will void the title. Use only blue or black ink and print your name exactly as it appears on the title.
Keep in mind that any person making any false statement on the Certificate of title is in violation of D.C. law and may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment!
If you buy your used vehicle from a dealer you need the certification of the odometer mileage on the dealer reassignment form.
Below, for your safety when you sell a vehicle, you can find also an optional Washington D.C. Odometer Disclosure Statement form. By using this form and a copy (front and back) of the assigned title you will be able to keep the odometer disclosure records and prevent future claims from the buyer. You should keep these records for five years.
District of Columbia Odometer Statement Federal Form
Below you can find the optional District of Columbia federal fillable PDF form for your personal use.
If you need to use also the separate federal Washington DC Federal Odometer Disclosure Statement form, this form contains three sections. Below I’ll explain how to fill out this generic optional form.
Section 1
The first section includes the full name of the seller. The name must pe PRINTED – this means to use only Capital Letters to write SELLER’S NAME. Then complete all the vehicle details starting with the current odometer reading. If the odometer reading is in excess of the mechanical limits of the odometer or is not the actual mileage please check the corresponding box:
Section 2
In the second section fill out the Seller (Transferor) Information. This includes the seller’s signature, name (write SELLER’S NAME using only Capital Letters), and address:
Section 3:
At the third section fill out the Buyer (Transferee) Information. So fill out here the buyer’s signature, name (write BUYER’S NAME using only Capital Letters), address, and date of certification:
In Washington DC you can fill out this optional Washington DC District of Columbia Odometer Disclosure Statement Form.
If you want to know how to get an exact odometer reading you can find all the details here: Reading the Odometer – How to read an Odometer.
Tip: to complete the optional Washington D.C. Odometer Disclosure Statement Form on your device (computer / phone / tablet) open the PDF form in Adobe Acrobat Reader.
You can also fill out the form by hand but don’t forget to use a pen with black or blue ink and not a pencil!
How to fill out the Odometer Disclosure Statement
When you take the Odometer Disclosure Statement on the Title Assignment by Seller(s) section of the vehicle’s Certificate of Title you have to complete the following required details.
The seller will complete with blue or black ink first the PRINTED name of the buyer. Then complete buyer’s address, city, state, and ZIP code.
Next complete the selling price and the date of sale.
Following the seller certifies that the current odometer reading is the actual mileage on the vehicle. Here use only digits without tenths. Then the seller may check the first checkbox only if it’s necessary, if the mileage is in excess of the odometer’s mechanical limits. Or the seller may check the second checkbox if the Odometer reading is NOT the actual mileage (Warning – Odometer Discrepancy).
Next complete on the title buyer’s PRINTED NAME and signature.
You should know that only one seller (owner) must sign if the title states OR between owner names printed on the title. Both sellers (owners) must sign if the title states AND or AND/OR between owner names, or if nothing is listed between owner names.
Finally complete seller’s PRINTED NAME exactly as it appears on the title and signature:
Odometer Fraud in the District of Columbia
Carfax estimates that the D.C. metro area had around 32,000 cars on the road with fraudulent odometers in 2022.
So if you think you may be a victim of odometer fraud try first to discuss with the seller. However if you cannot find a solution you can file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General – Office of Consumer Protection. Submit an Online Complaint here, Spanish language is also available or call the OAG Consumer Complaint Hotline at (202) 442-9828.
Find more information about the District of Columbia – Department of Motor Vehicles
In any case for more information go to The District of Columbia – Department of Motor Vehicles
To summarize, DC DMV provides certification and inspection services to residents, businesses, and government entities. These services are provided so they may legally park, drive, and sell their vehicles in the District of Columbia.