Bought, sold, or inherited a vehicle in California? You have 10 days to transfer the title — and the seller has their own 5-day deadline too. Here’s the full process, every form, and the fees.
We’re an independent guide — not the DMV. This page walks through California title transfers in plain English. We don’t process transfers — official transactions happen only on the DMV’s systems or at a field office.
California title transfers have two separate deadlines — one for the buyer, one for the seller — and confusing them is the most common mistake in the whole process:
| Who | Deadline | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer | 10 days from purchase to transfer the title | After 30 days, late penalties start accruing |
| Seller | 5 days to file the Release of Liability (REG 138) | Until filed, you’re on the hook for parking tickets, tolls, and liability tied to the vehicle |
Read that second line twice. If you sell your car and the buyer totals it on day 6 before you’ve filed REG 138, the legal trail still points at you. Filing the release is the single most important thing a seller can do — and it takes five minutes online.
Selling because you are leaving California? The same 5-day REG 138 duty applies — and the rest of the move is a checklist of its own: our moving-out-of-California guide covers the address change, the plates, the insurance trap, and the refund window.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $15 |
| Smog transfer fee (when applicable) | $8 |
| Use tax | Based on purchase price — exempt for qualifying family transfers (see section 5) |
Budget for the $15 plus any registration renewal that’s due. If the vehicle’s registration is expiring soon, you’ll often pay both at once — ask the DMV clerk for the combined total so there are no surprises. For the full stack behind that $15 — use tax, registration, smog, and late penalties, each with its trigger — see how much a title transfer costs in California.
California title transfers run on paperwork. Here are the forms that actually matter, and which ones you can get without a DMV visit:
| Form | What it’s for | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| REG 227 | Application for a replacement title (lost, stolen, or never received) | Online, by mail, or at a field office |
| REG 262 | Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment — required for most private-party transfers | DMV field office only — it’s printed on security paper and cannot be downloaded |
| REG 256 | Statement of facts — used to claim family/gift tax exemptions | Online, by mail, or at a field office |
| REG 138 | Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (seller files this) | Online — the fastest option for sellers |
The big gotcha is REG 262: because it’s security paper, you cannot print it at home. If your transfer requires it, someone has to visit a DMV office — plan for that.
Vessels transfer on the same 10-day clock but with their own paperwork — the buyer forwards the endorsed Certificate of Ownership, not a car title, and the seller files a REG 138 within 5 days. See our boat registration in California guide for the $15 transfer fee, the 30-day pay clock, and the use-tax rules for boats.
One more document most private-party sales need is a bill of sale. See our guide: California Bill of Sale (REG 135) — when it’s required and how to fill one out.
A different case: if the vehicle holds a Salvage Certificate instead of a clean title, this standard flow does not apply — the transfer moves by assignment on the Salvage Certificate, and the car cannot be registered until it is revived. See our salvage title guide for the full revived-salvage process.
California generally requires the seller to provide a valid smog certification when a vehicle is sold — but there are real exemptions:
If you’re buying and the seller can’t produce a smog cert, pause the deal. The buyer inherits the problem if the car won’t pass — and fixing it is rarely cheap.
Transfers between certain family members are exempt from use tax — this is one of the biggest money-savers in the whole process. Qualifying relationships:
Bought the car before moving to California? The purchase date starts a 365-day use-tax counter, and the car still has to clear the 7,500-mile California-certification gate and a first-registration smog check. See the buy-before-vs-buy-after guide — worked date examples, the registration packet, and the dealer-delivery options.
Bought the car out of state first? Family and gift treatment is only one side of the tax question. If the vehicle was purchased outside California and brought in within 12 months, the 12-month use-tax presumption applies on top of the transfer rules — see the out-of-state car use-tax rule, the §6406 credit, and the evidence checklist before you file.
Leased, not owned? The transfer works differently when the lessor holds the title — the lessor signs the paperwork and the tax lands on the monthly payments, not the purchase price. See moving a leased car to or from California before you file.
If the vehicle came from another state, the transfer packet usually also needs a physical VIN check — see VIN verification in California: when it is required, and whether the DMV, the CHP, or a licensed verifier must do it. What that check costs is a separate question — see our VIN verification cost guide for the dated 2026 price table.
To claim the exemption, file a REG 256 Statement of Facts declaring the family relationship. The DMV takes this seriously — misrepresenting a relationship to dodge tax is fraud, so only claim it if it’s genuine.
Family transfers are also exempt from the seller’s smog certification requirement in most cases, which removes another cost and hassle.
Giving the car to a parent, child, or spouse? Our dedicated guide, Transfer a Car to a Family Member, covers the REG 256 rules — who skips use tax and smog, and how to file.
If the owner has died, this guide’s rules do not apply directly: a TOD beneficiary claims with a REG 256, a surviving co-owner follows the joint-title path, and other heirs use a REG 5 affidavit after 40 days — or probate where the estate needs it. See Transferring a Car Title After Death in California for the five paths, the exact packet for each, and the use-tax trap on Letters transfers.
One special case: if the car carried Disabled Veteran (DV) plates, they must be surrendered to DMV within 60 days of the veteran’s death — a surviving spouse cannot keep them or the fee exemption. See our Disabled Veteran license plates guide for the surrender rule and the POW / Medal of Honor contrast.
If the title (pink slip) is lost, stolen, or was never received, the transfer can’t proceed until it’s replaced. The fix is REG 227 — the Application for Replacement Title.
One question buyers ask at this stage: do you need a driver’s license to register the car once the title is in your name? No — license and registration are separate in California. Our guide to registering a car without a license explains who can register without one, what the registered-owner vs title-holder split means, and why insurance — not a license — is the requirement that actually stops a registration.
Sellers: if you’ve lost the title, start the REG 227 before listing the car. Buyers rightly get nervous about sales with no title in hand, and the replacement takes time to arrive.
If the title cannot be replaced because the ownership evidence itself is missing — for example, you bought a car and the seller cannot be reached — the fix is different: our Bonded Title in California guide covers the REG 5057 bond route, the $5,000 trigger, and the diligent-effort packet.
For the full walkthrough, see our guide: California Duplicate Title (REG 227) — lost your car title? Here’s how to replace it for $28.
What that replacement costs — the $28 fee, the free never-received case, and the $43 replace-and-transfer total — is covered in our duplicate title cost guide.Partially, yes. California’s Virtual Office lets you begin certain transfer steps online, and the seller’s REG 138 Release of Liability can be filed entirely online — which is exactly what you should do within your 5-day window.
But a full buyer-side transfer usually still requires either a field-office visit or mailed documents, especially when REG 262 (security paper) is involved. Check the DMV’s online services for your specific situation before assuming you can do it all from the couch.
Late title transfers face the same penalty tiers as late registration:
| Days Late | VLF Penalty | Flat Fees |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 days | 10% | $10 + $10 |
| 11-30 days | 20% | $15 + $15 |
| 31 days – 1 year | 60% | $30 + $30 |
| 1-2 years | 80% | $50 + $50 |
| 2+ years | 160% | $100 + $100 |
Odometer rules: 2011+ vehicles (within 20 years) and 2010-older (within 10 years) need odometer disclosure.
Total transfer cost approximately $2,917 including use tax (~10.25% in LA County), $15 transfer fee, registration fees, and VLF. Family transfers may qualify for use-tax AND smog exemptions (separate requirements).
The buyer has 10 days from the date of purchase to transfer the title into their name. Penalties begin accruing after 30 days. Don’t confuse the two — 10 days is your deadline, 30 days is when it starts costing you extra.
It depends. The seller must generally provide smog certification unless the vehicle is exempt — gas vehicles 8 model-years or newer, family transfers, and electrics are the common exemptions. When a smog transfer applies, an $8 fee is added.
The registered owner files REG 227 (Application for Replacement Title) online, by mail, or at a field office. The transfer can’t complete until the replacement title exists — so handle this before the sale if you’re the seller. AAA members can also request the duplicate title through a AAA branch — the title still arrives by mail from the DMV, typically in 4 to 6 weeks. AAA members can also do the whole transfer at a branch instead of a DMV office — our title transfer at AAA guide walks through the visit step by step.
No — transfers between a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild are exempt from use tax. File REG 256 (Statement of Facts) to claim the exemption.
File the REG 138 Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability within 5 days — online is fastest. Until you file it, parking tickets, toll violations, and civil liability tied to the vehicle can come back to you.
No. REG 262 is printed on DMV security paper and is available only at field offices. If your transfer requires it, plan a DMV visit.
The transfer fee is $15, plus an $8 smog transfer fee when applicable. Use tax is based on the purchase price unless you’re exempt (family transfer via REG 256).
Partially. The seller’s REG 138 can be filed fully online, and the DMV’s Virtual Office handles some steps. But most buyer-side transfers still need a field-office visit or mailed paperwork —
Sometimes. Since October 1, 2026, the California CARS Act gives buyers and lessees a 3-day right to cancel a used-car purchase or lease of $50,000 or less from a California dealer — provided you have driven it 400 miles or fewer since signing and you return it in person during business hours. A restocking fee applies (1.5% of the price, $200–$600, plus $1 per mile over 250). Our California CARS Act guide walks through the exact steps, the fee math, and what to do if the dealer refuses.
File your Release of Liability online, begin a transfer through the Virtual Office, or book a field-office appointment for anything that needs security-paper forms.
Book on dmv.ca.govLast verified against dmv.ca.gov: October 2026