Registering and titling a vehicle in California: new residents, purchases and renewals

How to title and register a vehicle in California after buying it from a dealer or private seller or moving from another state, plus smog checks, insurance minimums, renewal options and plates, from the California DMV.

Guide · California · Vehicle registration · Titles · updated October 29, 2026

In California, vehicles are titled and registered by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the same agency that issues driver's licenses. You can handle registration at a DMV field office, by mail, online, at a DMV kiosk or through a DMV business partner. Many dealers also do the paperwork for you. This guide covers buying a vehicle, moving to California, smog and insurance rules, renewals and plates.

Where to go

• DMV field offices, for new registrations, title transfers and other tasks that cannot be done remotely.
• DMV Online Services, for renewals, replacement stickers and registration cards, title replacement, plate orders and the seller's Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability.
• DMV kiosks in DMV offices and some retail stores, for registration renewal, replacement registration cards and stickers, and some insurance-related tasks.
• DMV business partners, such as dealers and registration services. The DMV says they are not government offices and may charge a service fee.

For offices near you, see the California DMV office list on this site.

Buying from a dealer

The DMV says many dealers are authorized to transfer titles and to issue temporary registration that you use until the permanent registration and stickers arrive by mail. If your dealer does not offer registration services, you register the vehicle yourself at a field office. You will need:

• For a new vehicle, an Application for Title or Registration (REG 343).
• For a used vehicle, the California Certificate of Title, or the out-of-state title if the vehicle is registered in another state. Use REG 227 if the title is lost or damaged.
• The signatures of the seller or lienholder, and your own, on the title.
• The title transfer fees and use tax. The DMV says use tax runs from 7.25% to 10.25%, depending on your city and county.

Depending on the case, you may also need form REG 262, a Statement of Facts (REG 256), a smog certification or a REG 139 form. You can get REG 262 only at a field office because it is printed on security paper. The DMV says transfer fees must be paid within 10 days of the sale, and a late penalty applies after 30 days.

Buying from a private seller

The DMV says buyers have 10 days after the purchase to transfer ownership. Sellers have 5 days to report the sale with a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. To take ownership you need:

• The title (the "pink slip"), signed by the seller on line 1
• A bill of sale signed by both the seller and the titled owner, if they are different people
• A record of the odometer mileage, if the vehicle is less than 10 years old. If the title has no mileage line, use form REG 262, signed by both buyer and seller.
• A smog certification
• The fees and use tax

You can mail the paperwork to the DMV or take it to a field office. Titles usually arrive by mail within 15 to 30 days.

Moving to California

If your vehicle was last registered in another state, an out-of-state title can be used to register it with the DMV. The deadline, the documents and the smog rule for out-of-state vehicles are covered in Moving to California: getting your driver's license and registering your car.

Smog checks

The DMV says smog inspections are required when you register or renew a vehicle, with some exceptions. You do not need one for:

• A gasoline vehicle from model year 1975 or older
• A diesel vehicle from model year 1997 or older, or one over 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight
• A natural gas vehicle over 14,000 pounds
• An electric vehicle
• A gasoline vehicle less than eight model years old

Owners of newer gasoline vehicles pay a smog abatement fee instead. When you sell a car, you must give the buyer a valid smog certification, unless the car is less than four years old. A smog check at renewal is required in the counties the DMV lists, including Los Angeles, Orange, Sacramento, San Francisco and Santa Clara.

Insurance

California requires insurance on every vehicle driven or parked on its roads, and you must keep proof in the vehicle. The DMV lists these minimum liability limits:

• $30,000 for injury or death to one person
• $60,000 for injury or death to more than one person
• $15,000 for property damage

Comprehensive or collision coverage alone does not meet the requirement. If the DMV does not receive proof of insurance, it suspends the registration.

Renewing your registration

The DMV sends a renewal notice. You can renew online as soon as you get it. You need your plate number, the last 5 digits of your VIN and a credit card, debit card or checking account. Online renewal also requires an insurer that reports electronically to the DMV, and smog certification on file if your vehicle needs one. Other options:

• Phone: 1-800-777-0133
• Mail: DMV Renewal, PO Box 942897, Sacramento, CA 94269-0001
• Kiosk: you get your sticker immediately, and many kiosks accept cash

There is no counter service for routine renewals. Pay any parking tickets before you renew, and change your address at least three days before renewing online. If you do not plan to use the vehicle this year and will store it, you can file for Planned Nonoperation instead of renewing.

License plates and replacements

Special interest and personalized plates can be ordered online, and replacement plates can also be requested online. To replace a lost or damaged title, submit REG 227 in person or by mail. If there is a lienholder, section 5 must be notarized. To replace a lost registration card or sticker, use REG 156, go online or visit a kiosk.

For what to bring and how to pay at an office, see the California DMV visit guide.