Sell your car in California, smog check and all
California makes the seller handle the smog check, hands you a title with no notary line on it, and gives you exactly five days to tell the DMV the car is gone. We keep track of all of it so you don't have to — and we'll put a real number on the car, whatever county it's parked in.
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We buy everywhere in the state, but these are the markets where we're on the ground most — each with its own local rundown, because selling in the Sunset is nothing like selling off an orchard road.
What California requires when you sell
| Notary | Not required for a standard private-party sale — buyer and seller simply sign the Certificate of Title. The one exception: if a lienholder appears on the registration, the lien release in section 5 of form REG 227 must be notarized. |
|---|---|
| The title form | There isn't a separate one. The transfer happens on the California Certificate of Title itself; the buyer submits it with the $28 transfer fee at a DMV office or by mail to Sacramento. |
| Lost your title? | File an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) — the fee is $28 and the duplicate arrives by mail in roughly 15–30 days. Better: the same form can transfer ownership directly, so you can sell without waiting for the replacement. |
| Protect yourself after the sale | File the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) within 5 days of the sale — the form itself says "Protect Yourself." It takes minutes online at dmv.ca.gov/nrl and cuts you loose from the buyer's future tickets and tolls. |
| License plates | Standard plates stay with the car. Personalized and special-interest plates are yours to keep: the DMV says to remove them before the new owner takes possession, then file a REG 17 to reassign or hold them. The buyer gets regular plates at no charge with the transfer. |
| Sales tax | The buyer's problem, not yours. A private-party buyer owes use tax at the sales-tax rate for the address where the car will be registered, calculated on the full purchase price (CDTFA Publication 52). |
| Smog check | Lands on the seller. A passing smog inspection is required before you sell; the certificate transmits to the DMV electronically and stays valid for 90 days. Exempt: vehicles 4 model years old or newer (the buyer pays a smog transfer fee instead), gasoline cars from 1975 or older, diesels from 1997 or older, electric vehicles, and motorcycles. |
Form numbers and fees above were checked against the California DMV's title transfer pages as of August 2026. The DMV adjusts fees from time to time, so confirm there before you file.
Asked by California sellers
Do I need a smog check to sell my car in California?
In most cases, yes — the Bureau of Automotive Repair puts the pre-sale smog check on the seller, and the certificate (sent electronically to the DMV) is good for 90 days. The exemptions are generous, though: vehicles four model years old or newer skip it, as do 1975-or-older gasoline cars, 1997-or-older diesels, EVs, and motorcycles. When we buy your car, we'll tell you which bucket yours falls in.
Who pays the sales tax on a private-party car sale?
The buyer. California charges use tax — same rate as sales tax — on private-party purchases, based on the address where the buyer registers the vehicle. As the seller, you collect your money and owe the state nothing on the transaction.
I can't find my title. Can I still sell?
Yes. The REG 227 form replaces a lost, stolen, or damaged title for $28 — and it can transfer ownership at the same time, so there's no need to wait 15 to 30 days for a duplicate to show up in the mail before you sell.
What's the one step California sellers forget?
The REG 138 — the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. Until it's filed, parking tickets, toll violations, and worse can still land on you. File it online at dmv.ca.gov/nrl within five days of the sale; it asks only for the vehicle info, the buyer's name and address, the sale date, and the odometer reading.