California Title Transfer

What Steps Do New California Residents Need to Take to Register an Out-of-State Vehicle?

Within 20 days of using your vehicle as a new resident in California, you must transfer your out-of-state vehicle title and registration to California credentials. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California is in charge of this multi-step procedure.

Pre-Transfer Requirements: Your car must pass a smog check (more information on CA emissions inspections can be found on our page) as well as a vehicle verification before you can apply for a California title. This verification checks the validity of the vehicle identification number on your car. The verification can be done by a DMV employee, a California licensed vehicle verifier, a certified auto club employee, or a California law enforcement/peace officer. Keep this form safe; you'll need it later. The person performing the verification will fill out a Verification of Vehicle (Form REG 31) for you.

Converting Your Out-of-State Title: Following the verification and smog inspection of your car, you can convert your out-of-state title to a California title and ordinarily apply for your CA registration at the same time. To do this, go to your neighborhood DMV office (it is advised to make an appointment) and present the following:

• A filled-out Title or Registration Application (Form REG 343).
• The verified vehicle (Form REG 31), which has been completed.
• Title, registration, and license plates from another state for your car (unless they are already surrendered, expired, or assigned to an interstate-registered car).
• The report of the smog test.
• If you're titling a truck or pick-up, a weight certificate.
• The bill(s) of sale and odometer disclosure on the back of the car title are required if you're changing ownership of the vehicle.
• Payment of the $23 title fee (you can use the DMV's registration fee calculator to estimate your fee and pay with cash, a debit or credit card, a cashier's check, money order, or a cash equivalent).

Refer to the California Department of Motor Vehicles' comprehensive page on transferring an out-of-state title and registration for more information on more complicated title transfers, such as those for commercial vehicles and trailers.

In California, how do I purchase and transfer a vehicle title?

Buying a car in California involves various steps depending on whether you're doing it through a dealer or a private seller.

Purchasing from a Dealer: In most cases, dealerships take care of all the paperwork required to title a recently purchased vehicle in your name. Before bringing the car home, it is your duty as the buyer to be aware of your rights, check that the contract is accurate, and confirm the purchase price and any other fees.

Purchasing From an Individual: The California Department of Motor Vehicles mandates that you transfer the title into your name within 10 days of the purchase of a vehicle from a private party. Most of the things needed for you to title the car in your name should be given to you by the seller. You must go to your local DMV office with the following; consider making an appointment to avoid long lines:

• With the seller's signature and any necessary lien releases, a properly assigned car title will be provided. A completed and signed Application for Duplicate or Transfer of Title (Form REG 227) from both the buyer and the seller is required if the title was lost. It may be necessary to indicate any lien releases on a Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (Form REG 166), but this document needs to be notarized.
• You must include all bills of sale to demonstrate previous ownership changes if the seller of the vehicle is not the one whose name is on the title.
• The mileage shown on the title's odometer if the vehicle is less than 20 years old. Both the buyer and the seller must fill out and sign a Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (Form REG 262) if there isn't room on the vehicle title to record the mileage.
• Smog certification documentation must be provided by the seller. You are exempt from this requirement and must instead pay a $8 smog transfer fee if the car is 8 model years or newer and does not have a diesel engine.
• Payment of all use tax fines and the $15 vehicle title transfer fee. Cash, debit/credit cards, cashier's checks, and money orders are all accepted at the DMV.

Once approved, the DMV will issue a California title in your name for the car, making it legally yours. Call the Department of Motor Vehicles at (800) 777-0133 for more information.

How Can I Sell My Car in California?

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) mandates that you, the seller, give the purchaser a number of documents when selling a car, including:

• The car title must be signed on the appropriate line(s) by you and any lienholders (if any). Fill out an Application for Duplicate or Transfer of Title (Form REG 227) with the buyer's and your (the seller's) signatures if the title isn't available. A Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (Form REG 166) that has been notarized might be required if there is a lien release.
• Currently valid smog certification, unless the car is under 4 years old and not a diesel.
• The mileage on the car's odometer. Fill out and submit a Vehicle/Vessel Title Transfer and Reassignment Form (Form REG 262), which needs to be signed by both you (the seller) and the buyer, if the title doesn't have room for the odometer reading.
• If your name isn't the name on the car title, you'll need a bill of sale to prove any ownership changes.

For your safety, you must inform the California DMV of the change in ownership of the vehicle within five days of the sale. You can do this by mailing a completed Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (Form REG 138) or by using the DMV's online Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability system.

You have completed your duties as a car seller in California once you have given the buyer and the DMV all the necessary documentation. Call the Department of Motor Vehicles at (800) 777-0133 for more details or assistance.

*Note: For vehicles with paperless titles or vehicles with a model year of two or less, the Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (Form REG 166) cannot be used as evidence of lien satisfaction. You must present a duly signed duplicate vehicle title if the car is less than two years old and the original title is missing.

How Should California Handle Gifting of Vehicles?

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has guidelines for both the giver and the recipient of a car gift in order to ensure a smooth title transfer. The DMV counts grandparents, grandchildren, parents, children, siblings, spouses, and domestic partners as family members.

If you give someone a car as a gift, you must give them the following:

• The signed vehicle title, which includes any lienholders and you (the transferor). Fill out an Application for Duplicate or Transfer of Title (Form REG 227) and have both you and the recipient sign it if the title is missing. A Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (Form REG 166) that has been notarized might be required if there is a lien release.
• The mileage on the car's odometer. Fill out a Vehicle/Vessel Title Transfer and Reassignment Form (Form REG 262) if the title doesn't have room for it.
• A smog certification, barring transfers of ownership or vehicles that are no older than 8 model years or powered by diesel.

Notify the DMV of the change in ownership within five days of gifting the vehicle by mailing or electronically submitting a completed Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (Form REG 138).

In the event that you receive a car as a gift, you have 10 days to change the title and registration into your name. To do this, visit the CA DMV office in your neighborhood with all the items you received from the prior owner (as listed above), as well as:

• To claim exemption from the state's use tax and smog certification (only for vehicle transfers between family members), you must fill out a Statement of Facts (REG 256).
• Use an Affidavit for Transfer without Probate (Form REG 5) if the car is a gift.
• Title transfer fees that apply must be paid: $15 for a transferred title and $8 for a smog transfer fee (if no smog certification was necessary).

Your name will be officially listed on the car's title once the DMV has processed these documents. Call the California DMV at (800) 777-0133 for more information.

*Note: For vehicles with titles that are paperless or older than two model years, a Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (Form REG 166) is not accepted as evidence of lien satisfaction. If the vehicle is less than two years old and the original title is not available in these circumstances, you must apply for and properly sign a replacement title.

How to Proceed If Your California Vehicle Title Is Lost?

The California DMV permits short-term workarounds for transferring ownership of a car without a title if you've lost yours, but eventually you'll need to apply for a replacement. You can find instructions on how to order a duplicate title on the DMV's page for lost titles in California.

In California, How Do You Remove a Lien from a Car?

You should take the following actions in California to get a lien off your car:

The lienholder should send you a signed vehicle title after all payments on your car have been made, releasing the lien.

Send the title, along with the $15 transfer fee, to your neighborhood DMV office branch within 30 days of receiving it to formally release the lien from the title.

Your course of action will be determined by the age of the vehicle if the title is missing but the lien has been paid off:

You will need a duplicate title that has been authorized by the lienholder to acknowledge lien satisfaction if the vehicle is two model years old or less. Take the replacement title that has been correctly signed to the DMV to have the lien removed, along with the $15 title transfer fee.

A notarized Application for Duplicate or Transfer of Title (Form REG 227) and Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (Form REG 166), along with the $23 duplicate title fee, can be submitted in place of the title if the vehicle is older than two model years.

You can get more information about lien releases by calling the Department of Motor Vehicles at (800) 777-0133.

How Do You Change Your Name on a California Vehicle Title?

You must ask for a correction to your CA car title if your name has changed or is listed incorrectly on your vehicle's title in California. The steps are as follows:

Make sure the correct name is typed or printed above the incorrect name on your current vehicle title.

If your title is no longer available, you must instead submit the information below:

• A Title Duplicate or Transfer Application (Form REG 227).
• The registration card that comes with your driver's license or state ID card serves as proof of ownership.
• The $23 duplicate title fee has been paid.
• A filled-out "Name Statement" section on the Statement of Facts (REG 256).

Send the aforementioned items to: Vehicle Registration Operations Department of Motor Vehicles P.O. Box 942869 Sacramento, CA 94269

The DMV will send you your corrected title for free (unless you had to request a duplicate title) once all of your paperwork has been approved.

What Fees Do the California Department of Motor Vehicles Charge for Title-Related Services?

The following fees are related to various title processes at the California Department of Motor Vehicles:

• Just new titles: $23.
• Transfer of title: $15.
• Title duplicate: $23.

Payment can be made to the Department of Motor Vehicles with cash, a debit/credit card, a money order, or a cashier's check made payable to "DMV."

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