The short answer

To sell a car privately in California, confirm that you can transfer ownership, check whether a current smog certification applies, gather the buyer and vehicle details, complete the applicable title and odometer sections at the handoff, give the buyer the required documents, and submit a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability to DMV within five calendar days. Keep copies or photos of the signed records and the online NRL confirmation.

The exact documents depend on the title, lien, vehicle age and transaction. The California DMV title-transfer page controls if your facts differ from this standard sequence.

1. Confirm ownership and resolve any lien before listing

Start with the California Certificate of Title. The name or names on the title determine who must release ownership. If a legal owner or lienholder is shown, do not improvise a payoff in the parking lot. Arrange the release with the lender and follow DMV instructions before promising a clean handoff. DMV's standard private-sale path has the seller or lienholder sign the title and the buyer submit the transfer.

If the paper title is missing, damaged or unreadable, the sale may need an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227). DMV describes REG 227 as the route for a duplicate title, a paperless title certification, or certain transfers without the regular paper title. Read the official REG 227 and the title-transfer instructions before scheduling the exchange.

Practical rule: If the seller's name, co-owner signatures, lien status or title document is unclear, pause the standard sale and ask DMV or a qualified registration professional what applies.

2. Prepare the sale before the buyer arrives

  1. Check the smog requirement

    California generally requires the seller to provide a valid smog certification for a private sale when the vehicle is subject to the program. BAR says a privately purchased vehicle must have passed within the last 90 days, and the seller should provide the buyer a copy of the Vehicle Inspection Report. The certificate is sent electronically to DMV. Current change-of-ownership exceptions include gasoline, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles four model years and newer, 1975-and-older gasoline vehicles, 1997-and-older diesel vehicles, certain heavy diesel vehicles, electric vehicles and motorcycles. Transfers between qualifying immediate family members also have a specific exception. Verify the current rule for your vehicle on the California BAR Smog Check page and DMV smog page.

  2. Collect the facts that must agree

    Write down the vehicle year, make, model, license plate, full VIN, current odometer reading, agreed price, payment method and planned handoff date. Collect the buyer's true full name and current address before the car leaves. Those details should match across the title, any bill of sale, the handoff record and the NRL.

  3. Review the title without pre-signing uncertain fields

    Read both sides and identify the seller release, buyer information and applicable odometer area. Do not use correction fluid or guess where signatures belong. If the title lacks the appropriate odometer area, is unavailable, has an altered mileage entry or the transfer has another qualifying condition, DMV may require the secure Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262). The DMV REG 262 guidance lists when it is used.

  4. Decide whether to add a bill of sale

    A written sale record is useful for the price, date, vehicle and party names. DMV publishes the Bill of Sale (REG 135), but REG 135 is not a universal substitute for the title and should not be described as mandatory in every ordinary sale. Use it when DMV's instructions call for it or when both sides want a signed record of the agreed sale details.

  5. Plan a safe, complete handoff

    Meet where both parties can review the vehicle and documents without pressure. Agree in advance how payment will be verified. CloseMyCar CA does not receive, verify or hold vehicle funds. Bring the title, smog report if applicable, keys, accessories, maintenance records you choose to share, and a way to photograph or copy completed documents.

3. Complete the title, mileage and physical handoff together

Compare the VIN on the vehicle with the title. Record the actual handoff date, time and odometer reading. Complete the seller and buyer sections that apply, using the names shown on identification and the title. Both sides should review every entry before signing. For a qualifying vehicle, the odometer disclosure belongs on a compliant title or REG 262; DMV's current notice says vehicles beginning with model year 2011 remain subject to the expanded federal 20-year disclosure period. When uncertain, use the DMV odometer notice and the title-transfer guidance rather than relying only on vehicle age.

Give the buyer the endorsed title and any applicable smog report or additional form. Exchange the keys only after the agreed payment method is complete to both parties' satisfaction. Record how many keys, remotes or accessories changed hands. Take clear photos or copies of the final signed documents for your records, without posting personal data publicly.

The buyer is responsible for completing the ownership transfer. DMV says a change in ownership must be reported and the title updated within 10 days. The seller should not claim that filing the NRL completes the buyer's title transfer. See the DMV title-transfer page.

4. Submit the NRL and save proof

After possession and the endorsed title have been delivered, submit the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. California DMV requires notice within five calendar days of the sale or transfer. The online form asks for the plate, last five VIN digits, odometer reading, sale date, and the new owner's name and address. Complete the official online NRL yourself when possible and save or print its confirmation.

DMV is explicit that the NRL is not an application to transfer ownership and does not remove the seller's name from the vehicle record. Only the buyer's completed transfer can do that. If you prefer paper, DMV provides REG 138; keep a copy of the completed form. Read our separate after-sale guide for evidence, insurance and notice-handling steps.

Contact your insurer promptly, describe the completed sale accurately and ask when your coverage should change. Do not cancel coverage early based only on an anticipated handoff. Insurance timing depends on the policy and transaction, so follow the carrier's instructions.

Organize the standard handoff in one workspace

CloseMyCar CA guides eligible California private sellers through the title, smog, mileage, handoff and NRL preparation sequence. It does not file with DMV, transfer title or handle the vehicle payment.

Check my sale — $14.99 if eligible

When this standard process may not fit

Go directly to DMV or a qualified professional if the title is lost or out of state, an active lien remains, the seller is not the titled owner, an owner is deceased, the transfer is a gift or family transfer, the vehicle is salvage or nonrepairable, ownership names do not match, the odometer disclosure has an alteration, or the transaction involves a trust, business, power of attorney or unusual chain of ownership.

Requirements can also differ for vessels, commercial vehicles and vehicles leaving California. Do not use this general guide to force a special case into a standard private-sale workflow.

Related California seller resources

California private car sale paperwork checklistPrintable tasks and a form-by-form reference.What to do after selling the carNRL, evidence, insurance and unexpected notices.When a bill of sale may be neededREG 135 and its limits in a California private sale.Smog check before a private saleSeller timing, the 90-day rule and common exemptions.What to record at handoffBuyer, vehicle and transfer details to keep.

Frequently asked questions

What paperwork do I need to sell a car privately in California?

For a standard sale, start with the properly endorsed California title, applicable odometer disclosure and any required smog evidence. An NRL must be filed after the sale. REG 135, REG 227 or REG 262 may apply depending on the transaction; none should be treated as a universal replacement for the title.

Does the seller have to provide a smog certificate?

Generally yes when the vehicle is subject to change-of-ownership testing. BAR lists exceptions, including certain very new, older, electric, motorcycle and heavy-diesel vehicles. Verify the current category on BAR before the sale.

Is a bill of sale required?

DMV provides REG 135 to record a sale, and it is useful evidence. It is not the same as the title and should not be represented as mandatory for every standard private sale. Follow DMV's instructions for your transfer.

Who files the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability?

The seller should ensure the NRL is submitted to DMV within five calendar days. DMV says someone else may submit it, but the seller remains responsible for missing information.

Does filing the NRL transfer the title?

No. DMV says the NRL reports the transfer and can address later liability, but the buyer must complete the title-transfer requirements and fees.

What if the title is lost or a lien is still listed?

Stop the standard handoff. A lost title may require REG 227, and a lien requires the correct lienholder release or replacement-title process. Ask DMV what applies before accepting payment or delivering the vehicle.

Should I keep copies after the sale?

Yes. Keep the signed sale record, document photos, smog report if applicable, payment evidence, handoff details and the NRL confirmation. Store them securely because they contain personal information.

Official sources checked

Reviewed September 21, 2026. The official pages did not display a page-level “last updated” date when checked; dated form revisions were REG 138 Rev. 3/2024 and REG 262 Rev. 1/2025.

Prepared by CloseMyCar CA, operated by KAYO GROUP INC. How we check and correct our guides. CloseMyCar CA is independent of California DMV and does not provide legal advice. Requirements can vary by vehicle and transaction, so verify current rules with DMV.