This guide is for people selling a car in Clovis, CA. It covers the local side of a sale: the DMV offices that serve the city, the documents to gather, where to find a smog check, and how CarLinks works here. The rules themselves are statewide, and each one below links to the DMV or Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) page that states it.

Clovis is in Fresno County, along with the city of Fresno, according to the California Department of Finance’s city and county estimates (DOF E-1).

The DMV offices for Clovis sellers

Clovis has a DMV field office of its own: the Clovis field office at 2103 Shaw Avenue, Clovis, CA 93611 (office page). It’s the first result in a DMV locator search for Clovis 93612.

The Fresno North field office, at 6420 N Blackstone Avenue, Fresno, CA 93710 (office page), appears in the same search results, and the Clovis office page lists it under nearby wait times. Opening hours and waits change, so look at the office page on the day you plan to go.

You may not need either office. The step the DMV gives every seller after a sale, the release of liability, can be filed online, as the last part of this guide explains.

What documents do I need to sell my car in Clovis?

The same ones a seller needs anywhere in California. Gather them before you start talking to buyers:

  • Your California Certificate of Title. This is the pink slip. In a private sale, the seller signs it on Line 1 (DMV private-sale page). If a lender is named on it, read selling a car you still owe money on before you go further.
  • A smog certification, unless the car is exempt. The next section covers who needs one and where to get it.
  • The odometer reading. It goes on the title and on the release of liability. If the title has no line for the mileage, the DMV says to complete a Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment form (REG 262), signed by both buyer and seller (DMV private-sale page). Whether your model year needs a formal odometer disclosure depends on its age, so confirm with the DMV.
  • A bill of sale, when it applies. The DMV says you need one if the person selling isn’t the owner whose name is on the title, signed by both of them (DMV private-sale page).

If the title is lost, stolen or damaged, the DMV says to complete an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) before anything else (DMV title page). Our California selling checklist goes through every item in more detail.

Finding a smog check in Clovis

BAR’s Auto Shop Locator lists licensed Smog Check stations with Clovis addresses. Choose the “Smog Check Inspection” service when you search; a search around central Clovis also brings up stations with Fresno addresses.

Who arranges the check? Usually you, the seller. The DMV says that if you’re selling your car, you need to give the new owner a valid smog certification (DMV smog page). Two points from BAR help with timing (BAR: Smog Check): a passing certificate goes to the DMV electronically and is valid for 90 days, and a car won’t pass with the check engine light on. So deal with any warning light first, and book the check close to when you expect to sell.

Some cars skip it. BAR says a gasoline vehicle four model years old or newer doesn’t need a smog certificate at transfer, and the DMV says the buyer pays a smog transfer fee instead. BAR also lists electric vehicles as exempt. Other vehicles may be exempt depending on fuel type, weight and age, so check the DMV smog page for your vehicle and confirm with the DMV. Our smog certificate guide explains each exception.

One local point. Fresno County is on the DMV’s list of counties where you need a smog inspection when you renew your registration (DMV smog page). That list is about renewals, not sales. For a sale, BAR’s reference guide says certification is required in all program areas when a vehicle changes ownership, apart from gasoline vehicles four or less model years old (BAR reference guide).

Telling the DMV after the sale

California law gives you 5 calendar days from the sale to notify the DMV. You do it with a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, or NRL (DMV NRL page). The online form asks for:

  • The buyer’s name and address.
  • Your license plate number and the last five digits of the VIN.
  • The odometer reading on the day of the sale.

Keep the confirmation the DMV gives you. Filing the NRL doesn’t transfer ownership: only the buyer’s application for transfer, made with the title you signed, takes your name off the vehicle record. A private buyer has 10 days to do that (DMV private-sale page).

Selling to a dealership in the Clovis area

If you’d rather not sell privately, we work with dealerships in the Clovis area. You tell us about the car on the Sell my car page, and a CarLinks agent contacts you by phone or email. If a dealership is interested, your agent handles the price conversation and arranges a visit. The dealership inspects the car and decides whether to buy, and you decide whether its price works for you. CarLinks doesn’t buy cars, and there’s no obligation to sell. If the buyer is a dealership, ask it what to bring, including whether it needs a smog certificate.

Leasing the car? Your leasing company sets the payoff and buyout steps, so start with selling a leased car in California. Selling in Shasta County instead? Our Redding guide covers the local details there.

When you’re ready, tell us about your car. Sharing the details doesn’t commit you to anything.

Sources

Checked October 2026.