How to Transfer a Vehicle Title in California: A Step-by-Step Guide

What a Title Transfer Is and When It Is Required

The California Certificate of Title is the legal document that shows who owns a vehicle. A title transfer is the process of moving that ownership record from one person to another through the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Until the transfer is completed, DMV records still show the previous owner, which matters for tickets, tolls, and liability.

You need to complete a title transfer in situations such as:

• A private-party sale, where you buy or sell a vehicle without a dealer involved.
• A gift, including a vehicle given between family members or friends.
• An inheritance, when a vehicle passes to an heir or beneficiary after the owner dies.
• Adding a name to the title, such as a spouse or co-owner.
• Removing a name from the title, such as after a divorce or when a co-signer is released.

This guide focuses on private-party buyers and sellers. Dealer sales usually include the paperwork as part of the purchase.

The Two Deadlines That Matter Most

Buyers: 10 days

As the buyer, you generally have 10 days from the date of sale to submit the transfer paperwork and fees to the DMV. Missing this window can trigger late transfer penalties that grow the longer you wait, so it is worth gathering documents before money changes hands.

Sellers: 5 days

As the seller, you have 5 days from the date you release the vehicle to file a Notice of Release of Liability (REG 138) with the DMV. This notice tells the state that you no longer own or operate the vehicle. It does not transfer the title on its own, but it helps protect you from responsibility for parking citations, toll violations, and civil liability tied to the vehicle after the sale.

Seller Responsibilities

As the seller, your job is to hand over a clean, correctly signed title and to notify the DMV.

• Sign the Certificate of Title on the correct lines. Look for the seller or registered owner signature area, and make sure every person listed as an owner signs. If the title shows two owners joined by "and," both signatures are required. If it shows "or," one signature is usually enough.
• Print the date of sale and the odometer reading where the title asks for them.
• Complete the odometer disclosure for vehicles less than 10 model years old. Read the odometer exactly as displayed, and note whether the reading is actual, exceeds mechanical limits, or is not the actual mileage.
• Provide a bill of sale when it is useful. The DMV Bill of Sale (REG 135) documents the purchase price, the date, and the parties involved, which helps when the buyer calculates use tax or when the title space is already full.
• File the Notice of Release of Liability (REG 138) within 5 days. You can submit it online through the DMV website or by mail.
• Remove or keep your plates as appropriate. Standard California plates usually stay with the vehicle. Personalized plates can be retained by the seller, which requires additional paperwork.

Do not leave the buyer section blank and open-ended, and never write a sale price you know to be false.

Buyer Responsibilities

As the buyer, you are responsible for completing the transfer and paying what is owed.

• Get the properly signed title before you hand over payment. Confirm that the seller's name matches the name printed on the title and their photo identification.
• Complete an Application for Title or Registration (REG 343) if the title is lost, if there is no title available, or if the vehicle is coming from another state.
• Pay the use tax owed on the purchase price, unless an exemption applies. Use tax is collected by the DMV at the time of transfer when it was not paid to a dealer.
• Pay the title transfer fee and any registration renewal that is already due or coming due.
• Provide a smog certificate when one is required for the transfer.
• Verify the odometer disclosure and lien status before submitting, so the paperwork is not returned to you.

Forms You May Need

Not every transfer uses every form. These are the ones that come up most often:

• REG 227, Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title. Used when the title is lost, damaged, or otherwise unavailable, and to complete a transfer without the original document.
• REG 262, Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form. A secure document with a special printing process. It cannot be downloaded or printed at home and must be ordered from the DMV or picked up at a field office. It is commonly used for odometer disclosure and for signatures when the title has no space left.
• REG 138, Notice of Release of Liability. Filed by the seller within 5 days of releasing the vehicle.
• REG 256, Statement of Facts. Used to explain unusual circumstances, to claim a use tax exemption on a family transfer or gift, and to declare a smog exemption.
• REG 135, Bill of Sale. Documents the sale price, the date, and the parties. It is not always required, but it is useful proof for both sides.

Smog Check Rules

A smog certification is generally required when a vehicle changes ownership, and the seller is normally responsible for providing it. A smog certificate is typically valid for a limited period, so do not have the test done far in advance of the sale.

Common situations where a smog check is not required for a transfer:

• Vehicles that are four model years old or newer, which are generally exempt at transfer, though a smog transfer fee may apply.
• Gasoline-powered vehicles of model year 1975 and older.
• Electric vehicles.
• Diesel vehicles of model year 1997 and older, or diesel vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 14,000 pounds.
• Transfers between certain family members, such as a spouse, domestic partner, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling, when the biennial smog certification is not otherwise due. Claim this exemption on a Statement of Facts (REG 256).

Motorcycles and trailers have their own rules and are generally outside the smog program.

Fees to Expect

Exact amounts change over time and depend on the vehicle, so treat the categories below as a checklist rather than a price list. Verify current amounts with the California DMV before you submit.

• Title transfer fee. A flat DMV charge for processing the change of ownership.
• Use tax. Calculated from the purchase price and the tax rate for the county where the vehicle will be registered. Gifts and qualifying family transfers may be exempt.
• Registration renewal. If registration is due or already expired, the buyer typically pays it as part of the transaction.
• Late transfer penalties. Added when the paperwork is filed after the 10-day window, and they increase in steps the longer the transfer is delayed, with larger penalties after 30 days.
• Other charges. These can include a smog transfer fee, a vehicle license fee, county or district fees, and a duplicate title fee when the original is missing.

Special Situations

Gifts and family transfers

A gift still requires a signed title and a completed transfer. Write "gift" instead of a purchase price and file a Statement of Facts (REG 256) to document the relationship. Qualifying transfers between close family members may be exempt from use tax, and some are also exempt from the smog requirement.

Inherited vehicles

When the registered owner has died, the vehicle passes to the heir or the estate. If the estate qualifies under the statutory small estate limit and the required waiting period has passed, you can use an Affidavit for Transfer Without Probate (REG 5) along with a certified copy of the death certificate. Larger estates generally need probate documents or letters of administration.

Lost titles

If the title is missing, use the Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227). The registered owner signs it, and the transfer and the replacement can usually be processed together.

Out-of-state vehicles

A vehicle coming from another state needs a VIN verification, which can be done by a DMV employee, a licensed vehicle verifier, or an authorized peace officer, and is recorded on a Verification of Vehicle (REG 31). You also need the out-of-state title, a smog inspection at a STAR station in most cases, and a weight certificate for some trucks.

Vehicles with a lienholder

If a lender is listed on the title, the loan must be paid off and the lienholder must release its interest, either by signing the title or by providing a separate lien release letter. Do not complete a private purchase until you can confirm the lien has been cleared.

How to Submit the Transfer

You have several options, and processing times vary:

1. Online. Many straightforward transfers and the Notice of Release of Liability can be handled through the DMV website.
2. By mail. Send the signed title and supporting forms with payment to the address listed on the DMV instructions. Keep copies of everything you send.
3. At a DMV field office. Appointments are strongly recommended and generally much faster than walking in.
4. Through a DMV business partner or registration service. These private providers charge a service fee but can often complete the transfer the same day.

Common Mistakes That Cause Rejection

• Signatures in the wrong place, such as the buyer signing on the seller line, or a missing signature from a second registered owner.
• White-out, cross-outs, erasures, or altered information anywhere on the title, which usually voids the document and forces a duplicate title application.
• A missing or incomplete odometer disclosure on a vehicle less than 10 model years old.
• A missing smog certificate, or a certificate that has expired before the paperwork reached the DMV.
• An unreported or unreleased lien, where the lender is still listed as a legal owner.
• A name mismatch between the title, the application, and the identification provided.

If the Transfer Is Late or the Paperwork Is Rejected

If you are past the 10-day deadline, submit the paperwork anyway. Penalties continue to grow, so filing late is better than waiting longer. If the DMV returns your package, read the rejection notice carefully, correct only what it identifies, and resubmit promptly with all of the original documents.

If you cannot reach the seller for a missing signature, ask the DMV about a Statement of Facts (REG 256) explaining the situation, or about a bonded title if ownership cannot be documented. Fees, penalty amounts, and program rules change over time, so confirm current requirements and costs with the California DMV before you file.