Huntington Beach, CA is a big city without a DMV field office of its own. The California Department of Finance estimated its population at 191,498 on January 1, 2026 (DOF E-1), yet the DMV’s office locator lists no field office in Huntington Beach. That can matter less than it sounds, because the main DMV step after a sale can be done online.

This guide covers selling a car in Huntington Beach, which is in Orange County: the nearest DMV offices, smog checks, the paperwork and how CarLinks works locally. Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa and Westminster, also Orange County cities, come up in the local searches below.

Where is the nearest DMV office to file my release of liability?

You don’t need an office to file it. The Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, or NRL, can be filed online, and the DMV gives you a confirmation to save (DMV NRL page). You can also mail the paper form, REG 138, though the DMV doesn’t send anything to confirm it was received.

For anything that does need a visit, the nearest DMV field offices are:

  • Westminster field office: 13700 Hoover Street, Westminster, CA 92683 (office page).
  • Costa Mesa field office: 650 W 19th Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (office page).

Which one is nearest depends on where in Huntington Beach you start. Among field offices, the DMV’s locator puts Westminster first for a search on Huntington Beach, and Costa Mesa first for Huntington Beach 92648. Hours change, so check the office page before you head over.

Smog checks in Huntington Beach

BAR’s Auto Shop Locator lists licensed Smog Check stations with Huntington Beach addresses, and a search around the city also returns stations with Fountain Valley and Costa Mesa addresses.

Before you book, glance at the dashboard: the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) says a vehicle won’t pass a Smog Check with the check engine light on. Once it passes, the certificate goes to the DMV electronically and stays valid for 90 days (BAR: Smog Check).

The DMV puts the certificate on the seller: “If you are selling your car, you need to give the new owner a valid smog certification when you sell the car” (DMV smog page). The main exceptions:

  • Newer gasoline cars. BAR says a gasoline vehicle four model years old or newer doesn’t need a smog certificate at transfer. Instead, the DMV says, the buyer pays a smog transfer fee, which the DMV’s fee table lists at $8 (DMV fees).
  • Electric vehicles. BAR lists them as not needing a Smog Check.
  • Close family. BAR’s reference guide exempts transfers between a person’s spouse, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent or sibling (BAR reference guide).
  • Some other vehicles, depending on fuel type, weight and age. Check the DMV smog page.

Confirm with the DMV for your vehicle before you skip the check. Our smog certificate guide explains each exception.

The paperwork for a Huntington Beach sale, in order

  1. Check the title. If a lender is listed, read selling a car you still owe money on first. If the car is leased, your leasing company sets the payoff and buyout steps; see selling a leased car in California.
  2. Sign it on Line 1 as the seller (DMV private-sale page). Where two owners are joined by “and” or a slash, both sign; “or” means either one can (DMV: buying from a dealer).
  3. Record the mileage on the title, or on REG 262 if there’s no space for it, and confirm with the DMV whether your model year needs an odometer disclosure.
  4. Hand over the smog certificate, unless the car is exempt.
  5. File the NRL within 5 calendar days. Have the buyer’s name and address, your plate, the last five digits of the VIN and the mileage ready.

Keep a copy of what you file. The REG 138 form warns that collection notices can arrive months or even years after a vehicle is sold. Our California selling checklist covers each step in more depth.

We work with dealerships in the Huntington Beach area. If you’d rather an agent handled the dealership conversation, describe your car on the Sell my car page. A CarLinks agent will reach out by phone or email. Should a dealership want to see the car, your agent handles the price conversation and arranges the visit, and the dealership decides whether to buy after its inspection. You’re under no obligation at any point. If the buyer is a dealership, ask it what to bring, including whether it needs a smog certificate.

Elsewhere in Orange County, our Tustin guide covers its nearest DMV office and smog stations. To get started, tell us about your car.

Sources

Checked October 2026.