How to Transfer a Car Title in California: Deadlines, Fees, and Smog

To transfer a car title in California, the seller signs the title over to the buyer and files a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability with the DMV within 5 days, and the buyer submits the signed title, an Application for Title or Registration (REG 343), a smog certificate if required, and the fees to the DMV within 10 days of delivery. Miss either deadline and penalties start piling up; skip the seller’s notice and you can still be billed for the buyer’s tickets and tolls.

The Two Deadlines That Matter

The buyer has 10 days from receiving the signed title to submit the transfer paperwork and fees to the DMV.¹ The seller has 5 calendar days to file the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability.² These two clocks run separately, and each party is responsible for its own.

If the last day of the buyer’s penalty-free period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or state holiday, the deadline extends to the next business day.³

What the Seller Does

On the California Certificate of Title (the “pink slip”), the seller signs the release-of-ownership section on the back, writes in the purchase price, and records the odometer reading. If the vehicle needs an odometer disclosure, both parties sign that portion of the title. The signed title goes to the buyer at the time of sale.

Within 5 days, the seller files the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) with the DMV. Online filing on the DMV website is the fastest way, and the form asks for the plate number, VIN, odometer reading at sale, sale date, and the new owner’s name and address.⁴ The NRL cuts off the seller’s liability for parking tickets, traffic violations, and accidents after the sale date. Without it, the DMV still shows you as the registered owner, and tolls, towing charges, and red-light camera tickets can still land on you.

What the Buyer Needs

The buyer’s package for the DMV includes:

The California Certificate of Title, signed by the seller on the release-of-ownership line and by the buyer on the acceptance line.⁵
Application for Title or Registration (REG 343), completed with the VIN, make, model, year, fuel type, and the buyer’s name, address, and driver’s license number.⁶
A valid smog certificate from within the past 90 days, when required (see below). The seller is responsible for providing it.⁷
An odometer disclosure. For a 2011 or newer model year vehicle, both parties must sign the disclosure on the title, or on a Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262) if the title has no compliant odometer section. Vehicles model year 2010 and older are exempt. Errors or alterations to the odometer reading void the disclosure and require a fresh REG 262 plus a Statement of Facts (REG 256) explaining the correction.⁸⁹

If the seller has lost the title, the transaction still works. The seller completes an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227), which lets the DMV issue a duplicate and process the transfer at the same time.¹⁰ A REG 262 goes with it if odometer disclosure applies.

When Smog Certification Is Required

The seller must provide a smog certificate for gasoline, hybrid, and alternative-fuel vehicles that are model year 1976 or newer and more than four model years old.¹¹ The certificate has to be dated within 90 days of the sale.

These vehicles are exempt from a smog inspection at transfer:

Vehicles four model years old or newer. The buyer pays an $8 smog transfer fee instead.¹²
Electric vehicles. No inspection, no transfer fee.
Motorcycles.
Vehicles model year 1975 and older.
Family gifts, in most cases (see the family transfers section).

Fees and Use Tax

The title transfer fee itself is $15, set by California Vehicle Code Section 9255.¹³ That’s the small part.

Use tax is the larger cost. It works like sales tax on a private-party purchase. The statewide base rate is 7.25%, and local district taxes push the actual rate higher depending on where you register the vehicle; some areas exceed 10% once multiple district taxes stack up.¹⁴ The CDTFA website has an address lookup for your exact rate. Use tax is calculated on the full purchase price, including any debt assumed or trade-in value.¹⁵ If the DMV believes the stated purchase price is well below market value, it may tax the vehicle at market value instead. Writing an artificially low price on the title to shave taxes tends to get flagged.

On top of the transfer fee and use tax, expect a Vehicle License Fee (VLF) equal to 0.65% of the vehicle’s purchase price or current value, which resets when the vehicle changes hands.¹² Standard registration, CHP, and county/district fees apply, and the $8 smog transfer fee applies when the vehicle is exempt from inspection because it’s four model years old or newer.

Late Penalties

Once the 10-day window closes, penalties accrue on a tiered schedule. At 1 to 10 days late, the penalty is 10% of the VLF plus $20 in flat fees. From 11 to 30 days late, it climbs to 20% of the VLF plus $30 in flat fees.¹⁶ Past a year, the penalty can reach 80% or more of the VLF on top of the flat fees. On a higher-value vehicle, procrastinating costs real money.

Family Transfers and Gifts

Transfers between certain close family members are exempt from use tax. The exemption covers transfers between a parent and child, a grandparent and grandchild, or between spouses or domestic partners.¹⁷ Siblings qualify only if both are minors related by blood or adoption. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws don’t qualify.

To claim it, the buyer files a Statement of Facts (REG 256) describing the relationship.¹⁸ The seller also can’t be in the business of selling that type of vehicle. The $15 transfer fee and registration fees still apply; only the use tax is waived. On a $20,000 vehicle, the savings can top $1,500 depending on your local rate.

A smog inspection is generally not required when a family member gives you a car, as long as they actually owned and titled the vehicle in their own name before the gift.⁷ If they bought it specifically for you without titling it themselves first, that exemption doesn’t apply.

If the Car Has a Loan

When there’s still a loan on the vehicle, the lender is listed as the “legal owner” on the title, and the seller may not physically hold the title at all. Many California lenders participate in the Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program, meaning the lender holds an electronic record on the DMV database rather than a paper title.¹⁹

The loan has to be paid off before or at the time of sale. Once the payoff clears, an ELT lender releases its interest electronically and the DMV issues a paper title to the registered owner, typically within about eight days. A non-ELT lender can instead sign the title or complete a Lien Satisfied/Title Holder Release form (REG 166).

As a buyer, avoid paying the seller and trusting them to pay off the loan afterward. The cleanest approach is going to the lender together, paying off the balance directly, and waiting for the lien release before completing the sale.

Where to Submit the Transfer

You can turn in the completed transfer at any DMV office or mail it in. In person, the DMV reviews your documents on the spot and flags problems immediately. Book an appointment on the DMV website; walk-in wait times run long.

To mail the package:⁵

Department of Motor Vehicles
PO Box 942869
Sacramento, CA 94269-0001²⁰

Send all original signed documents and payment by check or money order. No cash. If something is wrong with your paperwork, you won’t hear about it until the DMV writes back, which can add weeks. Forms like the REG 262 require original ink signatures on security paper, so a fully electronic submission isn’t available for the transfer itself.

After You Submit

The DMV usually mails the new California Certificate of Title within 15 to 30 days of processing a complete application.⁵ If you submit in person and pay all fees, the DMV may issue a Temporary Operating Permit so you can drive while you wait for the permanent registration materials.²¹

When the new title arrives, check the details: your name, the VIN, and any lienholder line. Errors are easier to fix now than months later when you try to sell or refinance. If nothing has arrived after 30 days, or if there’s a mistake, contact the DMV by phone or through the online portal rather than waiting for it to sort itself out.

1
California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 5902
2
California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 5900
3
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Determination of Penalty Due Dates
4
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability
5
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Title Transfers and Changes
6
California DMV. Application for Title or Registration (REG 343)
7
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Smog Inspections
8
eCFR. 49 CFR Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements
9
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262)
10
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227)
11
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Smog Check – When You Need One and What’s Required
12
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration Fees
13
California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 9255
14
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. California City and County Sales and Use Tax Rate Information
15
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Tax Guide for Purchasers of Vehicles
16
Department of Motor Vehicles. Penalties
17
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Sales and Use Tax Law – Section 6285
18
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Transactions Not Subject to Use Tax
19
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) Program
20
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Contact Us
21
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Operating Permits