Selling a car in California comes down to a handful of documents and one deadline that falls on you after the sale. This checklist puts them in order and links each rule to the DMV or Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) page that states it, so you can check the details for your own car.

The checklist at a glance

  1. Find your title and check whether a lender is listed on it.
  2. Get a smog check, unless your car is exempt.
  3. Sign the title as the seller and record the odometer reading.
  4. Write down the price and date, and use a bill of sale when you need one.
  5. Tell the DMV within 5 calendar days by filing a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability.
  6. Keep copies of everything.

Before you sell: find your title and documents

Your California Certificate of Title, sometimes called the pink slip, is the document you sign over to the buyer. In a private sale, the seller signs it on Line 1 (DMV private-sale page). Before you agree a sale, check four things.

  • Is a lender listed? The title shows the lienholder’s name and information when money is owed on the vehicle (DMV: titles overview). If so, read selling a car you still owe money on first.
  • Is the car leased? Your leasing company sets the payoff and buyout steps, so start there. See selling a leased car in California.
  • Do you have the title? If it’s lost, stolen or damaged, the DMV says to complete an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) first. If the vehicle has a lienholder, section 5 of the REG 227 must be notarized (DMV title page).
  • Where is your VIN? The title and registration card both contain it (DMV manual: VIN), and you’ll need its last five digits when you report the sale. Here’s where to find your VIN on the car itself.

Do I have to get a smog check before I sell?

In most cases, yes. The DMV answers this exact question: “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). BAR adds that you should give the buyer a copy of the vehicle inspection report (BAR: Smog Check).

BAR says a passing certificate is sent to the DMV electronically and is valid for 90 days, so time the check close to the sale. A car won’t pass with the check engine light on.

There are exceptions. BAR says a gasoline vehicle that is four model years old or newer doesn’t need a smog certificate at transfer (BAR: Smog Check), and the DMV says the buyer pays a smog transfer fee instead (DMV: smog inspections). BAR also lists electric vehicles among the vehicles that don’t need a Smog Check. Some other vehicles are exempt depending on fuel type, weight and age, so check the DMV smog page and confirm with the DMV for your vehicle. Our smog certificate guide covers the details.

At the sale: sign the title and record the details

The DMV sums up a private sale in one line: the seller signs the title, and the buyer submits it to the DMV (DMV title page).

Signing as the seller

  • Sign on Line 1 as the seller (DMV private-sale page).
  • If two owners are named, look at the word between the names. “Or” means one owner can sell without the other; “and” or a slash (“/”) means both must sign (DMV: buying from a dealer).
  • The DMV’s procedures say the transfer must show the purchase price, or the word “Gift” or “Trade”, and the name, address and driver’s license or ID number of each new owner (DMV manual: transfers).
  • If a mistake ends up on the title, the DMV says to correct it with a Statement to Record Ownership, form REG 101 (DMV title page).

Odometer disclosure

The DMV’s 2021 memo explains that for model year 2011 and newer, a disclosure is required until the vehicle is 20 model years old (DMV memo). Vehicles from model year 2010 and earlier follow the earlier 10-year rule: they’re exempt once transferred at least 10 years after their model year (49 CFR 580.17). The same memo encourages a mileage disclosure for all vehicles regardless of model year.

The DMV’s procedures require original signatures from the seller and the buyer; a signature by power of attorney isn’t accepted (DMV manual: odometer). If your title has no line for the mileage, complete a Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment form (REG 262), signed by both of you (DMV private-sale page). It isn’t available online because it’s printed on security paper, but the DMV gives a number to have one mailed: 1-800-777-0133 (DMV title page). Confirm the odometer rule for your model year with the DMV.

Bill of sale

The DMV lists the Bill of Sale (REG 135) among the forms that may be required for a transfer (DMV title page). You need one when the person selling isn’t the owner named on the title: it must then be signed by both the seller and the person whose name is on the title (DMV private-sale page).

The DMV’s procedures accept any bill of sale that identifies the vehicle, and it doesn’t need to be notarized (DMV manual: bill of sale). The REG 135 form records the vehicle, both parties, the sale date and the price, so it’s a useful record either way.

How long do I have to notify the DMV that I sold my car?

Five calendar days. California law requires you to notify the DMV within 5 calendar days of selling or transferring the vehicle (DMV NRL page). You do this with a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, or NRL. To file online, the DMV asks for:

  • The new owner’s name and address.
  • Your license plate number and the last five digits of the VIN.
  • The odometer reading at the time of sale.

Save the confirmation for your records. The DMV says an online NRL updates the vehicle record within 1 business day. You can mail the paper form, REG 138, instead, but no notification is sent to confirm the DMV received it (REG 138).

Fill it in completely. If information is missing, the DMV may be unable to update the record, which may disqualify your liability exemption. Someone else can file it for you, but you’re still responsible if anything is missing. And keep a copy: the REG 138 form warns that collection notices can arrive months or years after a sale.

Does the NRL remove my name from the vehicle record?

No. The DMV is clear that an NRL is not a transfer of ownership. Only the buyer’s application for transfer, using the title you signed, removes your name from the record. The buyer has 10 days after the purchase to transfer ownership (DMV private-sale page).

What the NRL does is shift liability. Once the DMV receives it, liability for parking violations, traffic violations or civil litigation after the date of sale becomes the buyer’s responsibility, although a court decides whether you complied with the law (DMV NRL page).

Selling to a dealership instead

If you’d rather not find a private buyer yourself, CarLinks connects California sellers with dealerships we work with. You share your car’s details, 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. Our guides explain how selling through CarLinks works and why we focus on California.

When the buyer is a dealership, ask which documents it needs you to bring. The DMV describes the NRL as the seller’s duty, due within 5 calendar days of the sale.

Selling through CarLinks comes with no obligation: you can tell us about your car and still decide not to sell.

Selling in your city

We’ve written local guides for the California areas where we work with dealerships. Each covers the county, nearby DMV field offices and finding a licensed Smog Check station.

Sources

Checked October 2026.