#PROOF OF OWNERSHIP CAR CALIFORNIA REGISTRATION#
What happens if the owner is in an accident or is involved in a hit-and-run? What if the car is used during the course of a crime? Maybe the registration is never renewed after the sale. This means you may still be blamed for parking violations and traffic citations. In the event of a delay, someone is driving a vehicle that is still technically registered in your name. Failing to seek a release of liability could and you in hot water if they misbehave. No matter what the reason, your name remains associated with the vehicle until the new owner goes to the DMV and finishes the transfer. Most buyers will do so within a reasonable amount of time, but others may have unforeseen complications that hold them up. Why would you need to be protected? Getting together with your potential buyer, signing over the title, and getting a receipt for monies exchanged doesn’t mean the buyer is going to immediately run to the DMV and finish transferring the paperwork. This form is designed to protect the seller from liabilities associated with the car after the sale has been completed. You must do this by filing the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) form within five days of the transaction. What is a Release of Liability?Ĭalifornia law requires you to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) when a vehicle is transferred between owners. While you can replace a lost title, you can also go online to fill out an Application for Duplicate or Paperless Title, print out a copy, and then give that form to the buyer. Cars built in 1975 (or earlier) are also exempt.Ĭan’t find your title? You can’t sell your car without some sort of proof of ownership, but you don’t necessarily need to have a title in hand to make the sale. You also don’t need one if you had an inspection and submitted a new certificate within the 90 day period before the vehicle sale. You do not need to have a smog certificate if your vehicle is less than four years old. The odometer reading can be listed on the title or you can complete the Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment form (REG 262) from the DMV website.Ĭalifornia rules regarding inspections, especially for smog, are incredibly strict. If you do, they’ll need to sign the title as well before you can finalize the sale. When reviewing your vehicle’s title, first make sure you don’t have any lien holders. The odometer reading on a vehicle under 10 years old.It doesn’t matter if you advertised the car for sale online or if you privately sold it to a family member or friend the same procedures apply across the board. You now have a list of legal requirements to fulfill before you actually close the sale. So you decided what your car is worth and you put it up for sale. Close your vehicle sale the right way, with the right protections, by following these simple steps. While getting rid of a car in California is definitely easy, there are some very clear rules you need to adhere to in order to make sure you don’t run into trouble later on. You sign over your title, write out a receipt, and go about your merry way, right? Not quite. The private sale of a car seems like it should be a cut-and-dry transaction.
#PROOF OF OWNERSHIP CAR CALIFORNIA HOW TO#
What Happens If I Don’t file the NRL? How to Release Liability of a Vehicle in California