Selling a car in Simi Valley, CA? The rules are California’s, but the DMV office, the smog stations and the next steps are local. Simi Valley is in Ventura County, as are Thousand Oaks and Moorpark, and the California Department of Finance put its population at 123,842 on January 1, 2026 (DOF E-1).

Here’s what to have ready, where to go, and what happens after the car changes hands.

The Simi Valley DMV office

The DMV’s Simi Valley field office is at 3855 D - Alamo Street, Simi Valley, CA 93063, which is how the DMV prints the address (office page). It’s the first result in a DMV locator search for Simi Valley 93065. The Thousand Oaks field office, at 1810 E Avenida De Los Arboles, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 (office page), comes next in the same results.

Hours and wait times change, and the office page has the current ones. You may never need to go in, since the release of liability can be filed online.

What paperwork do I need to sell my car in Simi Valley?

  • The title. You sign it on Line 1 (DMV private-sale page). When two owners are listed with “and” or a slash between their names, both sign; with “or”, either can sign alone (DMV: buying from a dealer). A lost, stolen or damaged title needs an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) first (DMV title page).
  • Your VIN. DMV online services ask for its last five digits, which are printed on your registration card (DMV: registration status). Our guide to where to find your VIN shows where else it appears.
  • The mileage. It goes on the title, or on form REG 262 if the title has no space for it. Ask the DMV whether your model year needs a formal odometer disclosure.
  • A smog certificate, unless the car is exempt. The next section explains.
  • A bill of sale, if you aren’t the titled owner. The DMV requires one in that case, signed by you and by the person named on the title (DMV private-sale page). The DMV’s procedures accept any bill of sale that identifies the vehicle (DMV manual: bill of sale).

A lender on the title adds steps, so read selling a car you still owe money on first. With a lease, the leasing company sets the payoff and buyout steps; start with it and our guide to selling a leased car in California.

Smog checks in Simi Valley

BAR’s Auto Shop Locator lists licensed Smog Check stations with Simi Valley addresses, and a search around the city also returns results with Moorpark and Thousand Oaks addresses.

Unless the car is exempt, you need one. The DMV says you need to give the new owner a valid smog certification when you sell (DMV smog page). The Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) fills in the practical details (BAR: Smog Check):

  • the certificate goes to the DMV electronically and lasts 90 days;
  • the station must charge an $8.25 Smog Check certificate fee;
  • inspection prices aren’t regulated by BAR, so compare before you book.

There are exceptions. A gasoline vehicle four model years old or newer doesn’t need a smog certificate at transfer, BAR says, and the DMV says the new owner pays a smog transfer fee instead. Electric vehicles are exempt under BAR’s list. Some others are exempt depending on fuel type, weight and age, so check the DMV smog page and confirm with the DMV for your vehicle. One thing that doesn’t count: the DMV says there’s no military exemption, so active duty military and veterans still need a smog inspection (DMV smog page). Our smog certificate guide goes deeper.

Filing your release of liability

Within 5 calendar days of the sale, tell the DMV with a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (DMV NRL page). The online form needs the new owner’s name and address, your plate number, the last five digits of the VIN, and the odometer reading at the time of sale.

Someone else may file it for you, but the DMV says you’re still responsible if information is missing. The NRL doesn’t transfer ownership; the buyer’s own application does that. What it does is shift liability: once the DMV receives it, responsibility for parking violations, traffic violations or civil litigation after the sale date passes to the buyer, though a court decides whether you complied with the law.

We work with dealerships in the Simi Valley area. On the Sell my car page, you share the car’s details once, and a CarLinks agent then contacts you. If one of the dealerships we work with is interested, your agent handles the price conversation and arranges a visit. The dealership inspects the car and decides whether to buy. CarLinks doesn’t make offers, and you’re under no obligation. If the buyer is a dealership, ask it what to bring, including whether it needs a smog certificate.

Our Thousand Oaks guide covers a nearby city that’s also in Ventura County, and the Santa Monica guide covers a city in Los Angeles County. The California selling checklist has every statewide step. To begin, tell us about your car.

Sources

Checked October 2026.