To fill out a transfer of title in California, the seller completes and signs the release-of-ownership section on the back of the Certificate of Title (the pink slip), the buyer completes the new-owner section, both parties sign the odometer disclosure, and the paperwork goes to the DMV. Two deadlines control the whole process: the seller has five calendar days to file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, and the buyer has ten days to submit the endorsed title for transfer.
What to Have Ready Before You Write Anything
Both parties should sit down with everything in front of them. That means the California Certificate of Title, a valid smog certification from the seller (unless the vehicle is exempt), a government-issued ID for each person, the current odometer reading, the agreed sale price, and the date of sale.
A bill of sale isn’t strictly required for every transaction, but it protects both sides if a dispute comes up later. California offers two options: REG 135, a standalone Bill of Sale available as a PDF from the DMV website, and REG 262, a Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form that includes a bill of sale section and is only available in hard copy at DMV offices. A plain written bill of sale also works as long as it identifies the vehicle.
Use a pen with dark ink. Write legibly. The DMV rejects titles with cross-outs, white-out, or illegible entries.
Completing the Seller’s Section
The seller signs the back of the title exactly as the name appears on the front. If two owners are listed with “and” between their names, both must sign. If the names are joined by “or,” one signature is enough.
Fill in the buyer’s name, the date of sale, and the sale price in the designated spaces. Don’t try to correct a mistake on the title itself. Instead, complete a Statement of Facts (REG 256) explaining the error and attach it to the submission.
A REG 256 is also what you use when a signature doesn’t match the printed name, which comes up often after a marriage or divorce name change. The form is on the DMV website.
Completing the Buyer’s Section
The buyer prints their full legal name exactly as it appears on their driver’s license, along with their current address and driver’s license number. Check every character before leaving the seller. A misspelled name or a wrong address means a trip back to fix paperwork.
If you’re adding a co-owner, the connector between the names matters. “And” requires both owners to agree to any future sale or transfer. “Or” lets either owner act alone. Unmarried co-buyers especially should think this through before writing it in.
Odometer Disclosure
Federal law requires the seller to record the exact odometer reading on the title and sign the odometer disclosure statement at the time of sale. The buyer signs to acknowledge the reading. Both parties print their names and addresses in the spaces provided.
Do not include tenths of a mile. If the odometer has rolled over or is known to be inaccurate, the seller checks the appropriate disclosure box rather than entering a misleading number. Odometer fraud is a federal offense, and the reading is one of the first things the DMV looks at.
For transfers happening in 2026, odometer disclosure is required for any vehicle from model year 2011 or newer. Model year 2010 and older vehicles are exempt under a 10-year exemption that has already passed; 2011 and newer vehicles fall under a 20-year rule, so the first 2011 models won’t become exempt until 2031. Vehicles weighing more than 16,000 pounds and non-motorized vehicles are exempt regardless of age.
Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (Seller’s Five-Day Filing)
This is the form sellers skip most often and the one that causes the most trouble. Within five calendar days of the sale, the seller must file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) with the DMV. Until the DMV receives that notice, the seller stays legally responsible for parking tickets, red-light camera violations, toll charges, and civil liability tied to the vehicle.
You can file the REG 138 online, by mail, or in person. Online is fastest and creates an immediate record. Keep a copy either way. Once the DMV processes the notice, liability for anything happening after the sale date shifts to the buyer.
If There’s Still a Loan on the Vehicle
When a lien is on the title, the lienholder is listed as the “legal owner” and the transfer can’t happen until the lien is cleared. How you get to a clean title depends on the lender.
Many California lenders use the Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program, which means no paper title exists during the loan. When you pay off the loan, the lender releases the lien electronically and the DMV mails a paper title showing you as the sole owner. This averages about eight days. If the lender still uses paper titles, they’ll sign the lien release section or provide a Lien Satisfied/Title Holder Release (REG 166) and mail the cleared title.
Don’t promise a buyer a specific closing date until the clean title is in hand. If you’re the buyer, don’t hand over payment until you can confirm the lien has been released.
If the Original Title Is Missing
If the pink slip is lost, stolen, or illegible, use an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) to combine the replacement and the transfer. The seller completes Sections 1 through 4 (vehicle information, registered owner details, missing title statement, and release of ownership). The buyer fills out Sections 6 and 7 (new owner and lienholder information). If a lienholder is on record, Section 5 must be notarized.
Requesting a replacement cancels the original. If the old pink slip turns up later, it’s no longer valid.
Gifts and Family Transfers
When a vehicle is a genuine gift with no payment, trade, or debt cancellation involved, the transfer is exempt from California use tax, provided the original buyer already paid sales tax on it. The DMV typically requires a signed, notarized statement from the donor confirming there are no strings attached.
Transfers between qualifying family members are exempt from use tax even when money changes hands. Qualifying relationships include parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, spouse, and siblings who are both under 18 and related by blood or adoption. The exemption does not cover stepparents or stepchildren unless a natural parent or child is also part of the transaction, and it does not apply between ex-spouses after a divorce decree is final. You’ll need documentation of the relationship, such as a birth certificate or marriage license.
Fill out the title the same way as any other transfer. Enter zero as the sale price for a true gift, or the actual amount for a family sale. Family gift transfers between the qualifying relatives above are also exempt from the smog inspection requirement, though if a family member bought the car on your behalf without first titling it in their own name, a smog inspection is required.
Submitting the Completed Title to the DMV
The buyer has ten days from receiving the endorsed title to submit everything to the DMV. You can go in person to any DMV office or mail the package to:
DMV
PO Box 942869
Sacramento, CA 94269
Your submission should include:
- The properly signed Certificate of Title (or REG 227 if the original is missing)
- A valid smog certificate, unless the vehicle is exempt (the certificate is valid for 90 days from inspection)
- A bill of sale, if applicable
- Payment for the transfer fee and use tax
The sale price on the bill of sale is what the DMV uses to calculate use tax, so it needs to match what’s reported on the title. If you file in person, you’ll receive a temporary registration document at the counter so you can legally drive the vehicle while waiting for the new title.
Mistakes That Get Transfers Rejected
Most rejections come down to a short list of avoidable errors. The seller signs a name that doesn’t match the printed name and doesn’t attach a REG 256. The buyer writes an address that doesn’t match their license. Someone uses white-out. The odometer disclosure box is blank or unsigned. The smog certificate expired before the DMV processed the paperwork.
The best move both parties can make is to review every line of the title together before parting ways. Fixing a problem while the seller is still sitting across from you takes thirty seconds. Fixing it after the seller has moved out of state can take months and a duplicate title application.