Titles and compliance
What is deal jacket?
Also called: deal file
The deal jacket is the complete file for one sale: buyer, vehicle, money, and every signed disclosure, kept together so the deal can be reconstructed years later.
Its job is proof. If a regulator, a lender or a plaintiff asks what you disclosed and when, the jacket is the answer, and a missing form is treated as a form you never gave.
Retention clocks differ by document, and the strictest one wins in practice. Odometer disclosures must be kept five years; other federal rules set their own periods.
Digital jackets are allowed and easier to keep complete, as long as records are stored in a form that cannot be quietly altered.
Source: 49 CFR 580.8 (odometer record retention)
Handle this automatically
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Related terms
Buyers Guide
The Buyers Guide is the FTC-required window form on used vehicles offered for sale, showing whether the car comes with a warranty or is sold as is.
Odometer disclosure
A federal statement of a vehicle's mileage at transfer, signed by the seller and the buyer, required on most transfers and kept for five years.
Form 8300
Form 8300 reports cash received over $10,000 in one transaction or in related transactions, and dealers must file it within 15 days.
General information for US dealers, not legal advice. Rules change and vary by state, so confirm specifics with your state agency or counsel.