California vehicle bill of sale

Fill in the free California bill of sale on this page and print it.

California does not require a bill of sale when the title is signed and shows the purchase price. For use tax, DMV needs the price on the back of the title or a bill of sale. DMV also accepts a bill of sale in place of the registered owner's release signature on the title. DMV's registration manual says a bill of sale does not need to be notarized or witnessed.

Use the official form if you prefer it: Bill of Sale (REG 135).

California lists these items:

• Identification of the vehicle
• Details that accurately establish the chain of ownership
• Purchase price, if the price is not shown on the title

1. Sign the title on Line 1 to release your interest. Co-owners joined by 'and' must each sign.
2. If there is a lien, have the lienholder release it on Line 2 of the title or on Form REG 166.
3. Write the odometer reading on the front of the title and have the buyer acknowledge it. Use REG 262 if the title has no space.
4. Give the buyer a smog certificate from the last 90 days, unless the vehicle is exempt or less than four years old.
5. Give the buyer the signed title and a bill of sale (REG 135) showing the price and date.
6. Report the sale within 5 calendar days with a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, online or on REG 138.
7. Leave standard plates on the car.

Line 1 of the California Certificate of Title, where the registered owner releases interest. Co-owners joined by 'and' each sign. If joined by 'or', one signature is enough. The odometer reading goes on the front of the title. The title signature does not need a notary in California.

Required. File Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) within 5 days of the sale. You can file it online. It protects you if the buyer gets tickets or tolls, or abandons the car, before retitling it.

In California, plates generally stay with the vehicle they were issued to. Some special plates (personalized environmental, special recognition or special interest plates) can be reassigned to another vehicle if the owner asks and pays the fees.

Inspection. Smog certification. DMV says a seller must give the new owner a valid smog certification, and DMV's checklist says it must be from the last 90 days. No smog inspection is needed if the car is less than four years old; the new owner pays a smog transfer fee instead. Exempt vehicles include gasoline 1975 and older, diesel 1997 and older or over 14,000 lbs gross vehicle weight, natural gas over 14,000 lbs, and electric vehicles.

Odometer disclosure. Required for vehicles less than 20 model years old transferred on or after January 1, 2021. In a private sale, the seller writes the mileage on the front of the title and the buyer acknowledges the same mileage there. If the title has no space, both use Form REG 262.

Sales tax. The buyer pays use tax to DMV when transferring a vehicle bought from a private party. The rate is the sales tax rate for the buyer's city and county of residence. DMV's checklist says it is usually 7.25% to 10.25%. The application must show the price on the title or include a bill of sale.

The buyer has 10 days to apply for a new title. The title fee is $15.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Bill of Sale (REG 135)
• Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138)
• Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227)
• Lien Satisfied/Legal Owner/Title Holder Release (REG 166)
• Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262)

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) if anything about your sale is unusual. Last verified October 20, 2026.

Listing it first? Good photos sell cars faster: see how to take pictures of a car to sell, and read the full guide to selling a car. Buying or selling in another state? Pick it on the bill of sale page.