CarLinks connects people selling a car with dealerships we work with, and most of those dealerships are in California. That shapes where we can help, and it’s why the Sell my car page and our seller guides are written for California.

This article explains why location matters, where in California we work with dealerships, what that means if you’re selling in California or outside it, and the state’s seller paperwork in brief.

Why does location matter?

Every sale through CarLinks ends the same way: a dealership inspects the car and decides whether to buy it. Because the dealership inspects the car in person, distance matters, so we can’t promise every car is a fit. That’s why we focus on California, where most of the dealerships we work with are.

The focus also lets our guides be specific. California’s rules for a sale, from the smog certificate to the release of liability, are set out on the DMV’s and the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s (BAR) own pages, and each guide links the pages it relies on.

Where in California do we work with dealerships?

The areas in California where we work with dealerships include these, listed by county:

The counties come from the California Department of Finance’s city and county estimates (DOF E-1). Each city links to our local selling guide for it.

What does this mean if you’re selling in California?

The steps are the same wherever you are in the state. You tell us about your car, a CarLinks agent contacts you and shares the car with dealerships we work with, and a dealership that’s interested inspects the car and decides whether to buy. Our guide to how selling through CarLinks works goes through each step.

Near one of these areas

Being close to one of the areas above doesn’t mean a dealership will want a particular car. Each dealership decides for itself, and you decide whether its price works for you.

Elsewhere in California

Living farther from these areas doesn’t stop you from asking. Tell us about your car the same way, and your agent will let you know whether we can help with it.

You can still send us your car’s details. The Sell my car form works out your state from the ZIP code you enter, and it accepts ZIP codes outside California. When you enter one, the form still sends your details and shows this note: “We mostly work with California dealerships right now. An agent will let you know if we can help.”

That note is the honest answer. We can’t promise to help with a car outside California, but an agent will look at what you sent and let you know whether we can.

What about the paperwork?

Our paperwork guides follow California’s rules. If your car is registered somewhere else, check what’s required with the motor vehicle agency where it’s registered.

California’s seller paperwork, in brief

The DMV and BAR set out what a seller does when a car changes hands in California. Our California selling checklist covers each step in order. These are the main points.

  • Sign the title. In a private sale, the seller signs the California Certificate of Title, sometimes called the pink slip, on Line 1 (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) first (DMV title page).
  • Provide a smog certificate, unless the car is exempt. The DMV says a seller needs to give the new owner a valid smog certification (DMV smog page). BAR says a gasoline vehicle four model years old or newer doesn’t need a smog certificate at transfer (BAR: Smog Check), and the DMV says the new owner pays a smog transfer fee instead. Confirm with the DMV for your vehicle; our smog certificate guide covers the other exemptions.
  • Tell the DMV within 5 days. The seller must notify the DMV within 5 calendar days of the sale by filing a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (DMV NRL page). It isn’t a transfer of ownership: the DMV says only the buyer’s application, using the title you signed, removes your name from the vehicle record. Filing it matters: the DMV says that once it receives the NRL, 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.
  • Record the mileage. The NRL asks for the odometer reading at the time of sale (DMV NRL page). Depending on the model year, a mileage disclosure may be needed on the title too. The checklist explains which model years, and the DMV can confirm yours.

The buyer then has 10 days to transfer ownership (DMV private-sale page). When the buyer is a dealership, ask which documents it needs you to bring. The checklist also covers when you need a bill of sale, and if a lender is still on your title, read selling a car you still owe money on first.

Start with your car’s details

If your car is in California, the Sell my car page is the place to begin. If it’s somewhere else, you’re still welcome to send the details and hear from an agent about whether we can help. Either way, sharing them leaves the choice to sell with you.

Sources

Checked October 2026.