Title and transfer guidance in California
The responsible authority is California Department of Motor Vehicles. Continue to its official site for current title and transfer instructions.
Before you complete the transfer
California DMV’s private-party checklist requires a signed title, a buyer ownership transfer within 10 days, and a seller Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability within five days. It also identifies when odometer, smog, and replacement-title paperwork is needed.
- Compare the VIN on the vehicle with the VIN on the title and sale paperwork.
- Confirm that the person selling the vehicle is the owner shown on the title; if not, ask for a bill of sale signed by the seller and titled owner.
- Before paying, check the lienholder section and obtain the lienholder’s release when the loan has been satisfied.
- Record the odometer when required: California’s private-party page calls for it for vehicles less than 10 years old.
- After the sale, submit the signed title and required paperwork to transfer ownership within 10 days; the seller should submit the NRL within five days.
Documents to check
- California Certificate of Title signed by the seller
- Bill of sale when the seller is not the titled owner or the transaction calls for one
- Odometer record or REG 262 when the title has no odometer line and disclosure is required
- Valid smog certification or evidence of an applicable exemption
Limits and next checks
- California DMV’s smog page says a gas-powered vehicle less than four years old does not need a smog inspection; electric vehicles, motorcycles, trailers, and listed special-use vehicles have additional exceptions.
- A title brand can carry significant vehicle-history meaning; Factory VIN does not interpret or verify a title brand.
- The 10-day buyer rule is for the private-party purchase page; dealer, gift, out-of-state, and special-status transactions can follow different instructions.
Sources for this guide
Reviewed 2026-09-04. Confirm the requirements for your transaction with the responsible authority.
- California DMV — Registration for a Vehicle Purchased from a Private Party
- California DMV — Smog Inspections
- California DMV — Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability
Print a used-car viewing checklist · See a sample factory sheet
Official exits, not in-app records
Factory VIN does not query, scrape, proxy, or prefill state forms. It cannot confirm title, lien, ownership, registration, odometer, salvage, theft, accident, inspection, or tax status.
California title and transfer guidance
Official title and transfer guidance
Official guidanceOfficial title and transfer guidance published by the authority.
Limit: Guidance only. Factory VIN does not retrieve or present a vehicle-specific result from this authority.
Continue to California Department of Motor Vehicles
Questions to confirm before transfer
Use California Department of Motor Vehicles's official title and transfer guidance before a transfer. Confirm current documents, fees, and transaction channel directly with the authority.
- Ask which original title, lien-release, bill-of-sale, odometer, and seller documents apply.
- Confirm the current transfer channel, deadline, and title fee with the authority.
- Confirm that seller and buyer signatures meet the authority's current instructions.
Confirm current forms, fees, deadlines, and eligibility with California Department of Motor Vehicles before a sale or transfer.
National checks
Exact-VIN recall status
Check this exact VIN for unrepaired safety recalls on the official NHTSA site.
Continue to NHTSATheft and salvage records from participating insurers
NICB describes the limits and participating data sources on its own site.
Continue to NICB VINCheckApproved vehicle-history providers
Choose a provider from the official directory. Factory VIN does not receive provider results.
Continue to U.S. Department of Justice NMVTIS directory