If you sell your car in California you must alert the Department of Motor Vehicles that you are transferring its title to another owner. To ensure the proper exchange of the vehicle, you must process the transfer with the DMV once you have made an agreement with the new buyer. Although no fee is required to transfer the title, you must fill out a form and file it with the DMV before the title transfer is complete.
Download and print a notice of transfer and release of liability form from the California DMV website. You can also fill in the form online on the DMV website.
Fill out the form. Enter the new owner's name and address, along with your name and address. Write in the odometer reading and price you sold the car for. Fill in the license plate number, make and year of the car and the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Fill in the same information on the bottom of the form and detach, saving it for your records.
Mail the completed form to Department of Motor Vehicles, notice of transfer and release of liability to P.O. Box 942859, Sacramento, CA 94259-0001, if doing a hard copy of the form, to complete the transfer of title to the new owner. You are required to pay the postage if mailing.
