How to Sell a Car Privately in California: Step-by-Step, From Smog Check to REG 138

To sell a car privately in California, gather your title and registration, get a smog check dated within 90 days of the sale if the car needs one, price and list the car, screen buyers, confirm payment, sign the title over with the smog certificate, then file a REG 138 with the DMV within 5 days.

A private sale puts the whole deal on you. You set the price, field the messages, ride along on test drives, collect the money and do the DMV paperwork. The reason to take that on is the chance to net more than a dealer would offer.

The legal side of the sale has three pieces: the smog certificate, the title and the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138). The order below works the same for sellers in Burbank, Los Angeles and the rest of the state, and every official source was checked in October 2026.

What are the steps to sell a car privately in California?

Selling a car privately in California follows a fixed order: paperwork and smog first, then the sale, then the DMV notice.

Keeping that order means you never hand over a signed title before you've been paid, and you don't stay liable for a car you've already sold.

1. Gather your paperwork. You'll need the California Certificate of Title (the pink slip) and current registration. If a lender still holds the title, get your payoff details first. Our guide to the documents you need to sell a car in California has the full list.
2. Get a smog check if the car needs one. For a private-party sale, the car must have passed within the last 90 days. Some cars are exempt (the list is in the next section).
3. Price the car and list it. Look at private-party value for your exact trim and mileage, then decide how much room you want to leave for negotiation.
4. Screen buyers and set up test drives. Talk by phone before you meet, and meet somewhere public in daylight. Check the buyer's driver's license before anyone gets behind the wheel.
5. Agree on a price and confirm payment. Don't sign anything until you've verified the payment.
6. Sign the title over and hand over the smog certificate. Write in the buyer's name and the odometer reading at the same time.
7. File the REG 138 within 5 calendar days. You can file online or by mail. This step moves liability for the car to the buyer.
8. Keep copies and let the buyer finish the transfer. The buyer has 10 days to transfer ownership with the DMV. Keep your REG 138 confirmation, a photo of the signed title and any bill of sale.

Who is responsible for the smog certificate?

In a California private sale, the seller is responsible for the smog certificate.

The California DMV says it directly: "If you are selling your car, you need to give the new owner a valid smog certification when you sell the car" (California DMV, Smog Inspections, checked October 2026).

The Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) sets the timing. For a private-party sale, the vehicle must have passed a Smog Check within the last 90 days, and the seller should give the buyer a copy of the vehicle inspection report (BAR, Smog Check, checked October 2026). The DMV lists a smog certification among the items a private-party buyer brings to register the car, so a missing certificate stalls the whole transfer.

BAR lists these change-of-ownership exemptions as of October 2026:

• Gasoline, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles four model years old and newer. The buyer pays a smog transfer fee to the DMV instead.
• Transfers between immediate family members.
• Gasoline, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles from 1975 and older.
• Electric vehicles.
• Diesel vehicles from 1997 and older, or with a gross vehicle weight rating over 14,000 pounds.
• Motorcycles.

Don't confuse the sale rule with the renewal rule. The eight-model-year exemption you may have heard about applies to registration renewal, where newer cars pay a smog abatement fee instead of testing. For a sale, BAR's cutoff is four model years.

How do you sign the title and file the REG 138?

Sign the seller's line on the California title, write in the buyer's name before the title leaves your hands, then report the sale to the DMV on a REG 138 within 5 calendar days.

These are two separate jobs. The buyer submits the signed title to the DMV to take ownership, while the REG 138 protects you once the car is gone.

Signing the title

The DMV's private-party page says the title must be signed by the person selling the car, with the seller's signature on Line 1 (California DMV, registering a vehicle bought from a private party, checked October 2026).

If a lender is still listed as the legal owner, the lender's signature or release is part of the transfer. The DMV's title transfer page says the seller or lienholder signs the title, and it lists the Lien Satisfied/Title Holder Release (REG 166) among its transfer forms (California DMV, Title Transfers and Changes, checked October 2026).

If the title is missing, the DMV says to complete an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) first. When the vehicle has a legal owner or lienholder, section 5 of the REG 227 has to be notarized.

Record the odometer reading when you sign. If the title has no space for mileage, you and the buyer both sign a Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment form (REG 262). The DMV notes that the REG 262 is printed on security paper and isn't available online.

A Bill of Sale (REG 135) is required when the person selling isn't the person named on the title. In that case, both the seller and the titled owner sign it. Even when the DMV doesn't require one, a signed bill of sale with the price and date gives you your own record of the deal.

Fill in the buyer's name yourself before you hand the title over. Our guide explains why you should never leave the buyer's name blank.

Filing the REG 138

The Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, form REG 138, is due within 5 calendar days of the sale under California Vehicle Code section 5900 (California DMV, Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, checked October 2026). Filing online through the DMV's NRL application gives you a confirmation to keep. If you'd rather use paper, mail the REG 138 to the address printed on the form and keep a copy.

The REG 138 asks for:

• the buyer's name and address
• the license plate number and the VIN (the online version asks for the last five digits)
• the odometer reading at the time of sale
• the date of sale
• your name and address
• the selling price, on the paper form

Fill in every field. The DMV warns that missing information may prevent it from updating the record and may disqualify your liability exemption. Electronic filings update the DMV record within 1 business day.

Once the DMV has the notice, liability for parking violations, traffic violations or civil litigation after the sale date passes to the buyer, and renewal notices stop coming to you. The REG 138 does not transfer ownership, though. The DMV says your name comes off the record only when the buyer submits the transfer application.

Paperwork slips to avoid

Under the DMV and BAR rules, watch for these slips:

• Handing over a title with the buyer's name left blank.
• Using a smog certificate that is more than 90 days old on the sale date.
• Missing the lienholder's signature or release when a lender is still on the title.
• Leaving fields empty on the REG 138, or filing it after the 5-day window.
• Treating the REG 138 as the transfer of ownership, which it isn't.

If you need a DMV office near Burbank

You usually won't need a field office for a private sale, because you can file the REG 138 online or by mail. You might need one for a replacement title or a REG 262. As of October 2026, dmv.ca.gov lists these nearby offices:

• The Van Nuys field office at 14920 Vanowen Street lists title transfers among its services and has a self-serve kiosk. Its posted hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with a 9 a.m. opening on Wednesdays.
• The Glendale field office at 1335 W. Glenoaks Boulevard has the same posted weekday hours. Its DMV Now kiosk handles registration renewals, Planned Nonoperation filings and record requests. Title transfers and the release of liability aren't on the kiosk's service list.

Office hours change, so check the office page and the DMV appointment system on dmv.ca.gov before you go.

How should you accept payment safely?

Take a payment you can confirm before you sign the title or hand over the keys, and treat any out-of-town buyer who wants to pay by check as a red flag.

The Federal Trade Commission has warned about a fake check scam aimed at people selling cars online (FTC consumer alert, February 2025). The "buyer" says they aren't local and can't see the car in person. They send a check as a deposit, claim they overpaid by accident and ask you to send back the difference. The check looks real, and the funds may even show up in your account.

The FTC explains that banks have to make deposited funds available quickly by law, but it can take weeks for a bank to figure out that a check is fake. By then, you're stuck paying the money back to the bank (FTC, How To Spot, Avoid, and Report Fake Check Scams).

The FTC's advice for car sellers:

• Don't accept a check for more than the selling price.
• Never send money to anyone who says they overpaid you by check.
• Never use money from a check to buy gift cards, money orders or cryptocurrency, or to wire money.
• Consider an escrow or online payment service when you sell a car online.

A few habits help in person too. Meet at the buyer's bank so you can watch a cashier's check get issued or a transfer go out. If the buyer pays in cash, count it at your own bank and deposit it on the spot. When you file, write the real selling price on the REG 138.

How long does a private sale usually take?

There's no standard timeline for a private sale in California, because the sale depends on when a serious buyer shows up.

The paperwork, at least, runs on fixed clocks:

• The smog certificate must be from within 90 days of the sale. If the car sits unsold past that point, you'll need a new test.
• The REG 138 is due within 5 calendar days of the sale.
• The buyer has 10 days to transfer ownership with the DMV (California Driver's Handbook, vehicle registration requirements, checked October 2026).
• An online REG 138 updates the DMV record within 1 business day.

Book the smog test for when you're ready to list, not months ahead. If the car needs repairs to pass, finish them before you advertise so the 90-day window isn't already running down when buyers start calling.

Everything else runs on the buyers' schedule. Your asking price, the car's condition, demand for the model and how quickly you answer messages all play a part. If you work weekdays, showings and test drives tend to land on evenings and weekends, which stretches things out.

When does selling to a licensed buyer make more sense?

Selling to a licensed buyer makes more sense when speed, payment certainty or a complicated title matter more to you than the chance of a higher private-sale price.

That usually looks like one of these situations:

• You still owe money on the car and the lender holds the title.
• The car is leased, so the leasing company owns it and any payoff runs through that company.
• The car needs smog repairs you'd rather not take on before selling.
• You need the sale finished in days rather than weeks.
• You don't want strangers coming to your home or driving your car.

Our comparison of private party sales vs selling to a professional buyer goes deeper on the trade-offs. Here is how a private sale compares with selling to IMX Auto Group.

If you're about to list privately, compare your private-sale price with a same-day IMX offer first. During the 15-minute inspection in Burbank, the team test-drives the car and reviews the interior, exterior, vehicle history report and features. You don't need an appointment, though booking one helps keep the visit short.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still file a REG 138 if I sell my car to a dealer?

Yes. The California DMV says that when you sell a vehicle, you must notify the DMV within five days with a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. The rule is written for the seller, whoever the buyer is. Filing online at dmv.ca.gov/nrl gives you a confirmation to keep, and electronic filings update the DMV record within one business day.

What if I lost my California title?

Complete an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) before you sell. The DMV says the REG 227 comes first when a title is missing. If a lender or legal owner is still on the vehicle, section 5 of the REG 227 must be notarized. Without a title or a completed REG 227, the buyer can't finish the transfer.

Does a car under four years old need a smog check to sell in California?

No. The Bureau of Automotive Repair exempts gasoline, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles that are four model years old and newer from the change-of-ownership Smog Check. The buyer pays a smog transfer fee to the DMV instead. Diesels get no model-year exemption, so a 1998 or newer diesel still needs a passing test within 90 days of the sale.

Does the release of liability take my name off the car?

No. The DMV says submitting a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability does not count as a transfer of ownership and does not remove your name from the record. Only the buyer's transfer application does that. The REG 138 shifts liability for parking tickets, traffic violations and civil claims after the sale date to the buyer.

Can I sell my car privately if it fails smog?

You can find a buyer, but the transfer generally stalls without a passing certificate. The DMV tells sellers to give the new owner a valid smog certification, and it lists one among the items a private-party buyer needs to register the car. That leaves two practical paths: repair the car and retest it, or sell to a licensed buyer and ask how it handles smog.

How we can help

If you're weighing a private sale, we can give you a real number to measure it against. IMX Auto Group has been operating since 1988, and we work with drivers across Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale and Van Nuys. Start with a free online estimate on our sell your car page, then bring the car to us in Burbank. Our precision appraisal process is done in person: we drive the car and look at its condition, history and features before we put a validated offer in front of you. If you accept, you sign the paperwork with us and leave with a check the same day. You don't have to buy a car from us, and the offer stays good for 5 calendar days while you compare it with private buyers. We also buy leased cars and handle complex lease buyouts, including leases from restricted brands that many other dealers cannot purchase. Questions about your title, a loan payoff or smog? Call us at (818) 303-0800.