A California DMV bill of sale is a written record of a sale between a buyer and a seller, most often used for a vehicle, boat, or firearm. It lists the parties, the item sold, the price, and the date, and it helps the buyer register the vehicle with the DMV.
Last Updated: September 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current California law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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FormsPal offers separate California bill of sale templates for vehicles, boats, firearms, and general property. You can build your own online or download a ready-made template. California does not require you to have the document witnessed or notarized.
| Document Name | California Vehicle Bill of Sale Form |
| Other Names | California Car Bill of Sale, California Automobile Bill of Sale |
| DMV | California Department of Motor Vehicles |
| Vehicle Registration Fee | Varies depending on vehicle type, purchase price, city/county, dates etc. |
| Bill of Sale Required? | Situational |
| Avg. Time to Fill Out | 7 minutes |
| # of Fillable Fields | 28 |
A California DMV bill of sale is not always mandatory, but one becomes necessary when a DMV application is subject to use tax and must show the purchase price on the back of the Certificate of Title. Attaching a bill of sale meets that requirement instead of writing the price directly on the title. [4]
You do not have to use a specific state form. Any bill of sale that identifies the vehicle, even a handwritten one you write yourself, is acceptable to the California DMV. [3]
The downloadable form includes an optional notarization page. California does not require you to use it for this document, [2] but some private-party deals still ask for a notarized signature for extra assurance.
You can choose different types of bills of sale for any type of personal property transfer you make in California. The specific template usually contains all the needed information for the private agreement.
Use a California vehicle bill of sale to sell or buy motor vehicles to another private owner. This document will be needed for the registration of a new vehicle in the California DMV. In practice, buyers register the vehicle with the DMV online or in person. A private buyer sends the endorsed title and the transfer fee to the DMV within 10 days of the sale, a dealer files for a new vehicle within 20 days, and a vehicle last registered outside California must be registered within 20 days after California registration becomes due (Vehicle Code Sections 5902, 4456 and 4152.5).[6]
| Alternative Name | Car Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Required |
| Buyer’s Signature | Required |
| Notarization | Optional |
| Download | PDF Template |
California bill of sale form for a boat is a legal document proving the private ownership transfer between two owners. Every undocumented vessel used on California waters must be numbered (registered) with the DMV, which issues a certificate of ownership along with the certificate of number (Vehicle Code Section 9850). A vessel numbered elsewhere must apply within 30 days after its 60-day reciprocity period (Section 9854), and every certificate of number expires on December 31 of an odd-numbered year, so boat registration runs on a two-year cycle (Section 9861).[7]
| Alternative Name | Vessel Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Required |
| Buyer’s Signature | Required |
| Notarization | Optional |
| Download | PDF Template |
This California firearm bill of sale serves as a contract to sell and purchase a gun between two private entities. Where neither party is a licensed dealer, the sale must be completed through a licensed firearms dealer (Penal Code Section 27545). Both parties keep a copy as their record of the transfer.[8]
| Alternative Name | Gun Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Required |
| Buyer’s Signature | Optional |
| Notarization | Optional |
| Download | PDF Template |
Use a general bill of sale for any type of transaction in the state of California. However, the form contains only common information and not specific details regarding a vehicle, or other personal property to be sold.
| Alternative Name | Generic Bill of Sale |
| Seller’s Signature | Required |
| Buyer’s Signature | Optional |
| Notarization | Optional |
| Download | PDF Template |
There is no required state form for a California DMV bill of sale, so FormsPal's template or the DMV's own Form REG 135 both work as long as the document identifies the vehicle. [3] The steps below follow FormsPal's template in order, so you can fill it out correctly the first time.
Step 1: Enter the date
Fill in the date this bill of sale is made, at the top of page 1.
Step 2: Seller's information
Enter the seller's name, street address, city, state, zip code, phone number, and email.
Step 3: Buyer's information
Enter the buyer's name in all capital letters, then the buyer's street address, city, state, zip code, and phone number.
Step 4: Motor vehicle description
Confirm the seller's and buyer's names in the sale clause, then enter the vehicle's:
California accepts any bill of sale that identifies the vehicle this way. [3]
Step 5: Purchase date, price, and method
Enter the purchase date and total price, then mark how it was paid: all at once, trade-in (describe the traded vehicle), deposit with a balance due date, or gift. Pick the payment method and mark whether taxes are included.
Step 6: Miscellaneous provisions
Review the ownership, as-is condition, and entire-agreement statements in this section. No entries are required here.
Step 7: Signatures
The seller and buyer each sign, print their name, and date the form. If a witness is present, the witness also signs, prints their name, and dates it. California law lets the DMV require documents filed with it to be signed and submitted under penalty of perjury, so check every entry before you sign. [1]
Step 8: Acknowledgment
The form's last page has an optional notary acknowledgment. California does not require notarization or a witness for this document, [2] but if you and the other party want it notarized anyway, sign in front of the notary there, and they will record the county, date, and your name.
Make two identical copies so both the buyer and the seller keep a signed original.
After the sale, the buyer must send the endorsed title with the transfer fee to the DMV within 10 days (Vehicle Code Section 5902), and the DMV charges a late penalty when the transfer fee is paid more than 30 days after the transfer.[9] California law directs the DMV to prescribe and issue certificates of ownership through its own registration process. [1] Start the paperwork early to avoid last-minute delays.
If you buy from a dealer, the dealer must submit the registration or transfer application and the fees to the DMV within 30 days of the sale for a used vehicle, or 20 days for a new one (Vehicle Code Section 4456).[10] If you buy from a private party, you typically gather and submit the documents yourself.
First, complete a vehicle bill of sale to prove the transfer of ownership, then use it to help obtain the title for the car with an odometer reading. Federal law also requires the seller to give the buyer a written disclosure of the odometer's cumulative mileage as part of the transfer. [5] If the title is missing, the DMV says to complete an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (Form REG 227) first.[11]
On a transfer, California requires a smog certificate for a vehicle covered by the smog program, unless it is a non-diesel vehicle four or fewer model-years old or was made before the 1976 model year (Vehicle Code Section 4000.1). A certificate issued within the last 90 days does not have to be obtained again, and a new vehicle needs no smog certificate because the DMV accepts the dealer's statement instead.[12] Check the CA.gov website with your zip code for your local station and whether your county requires an inspection.
You will also need proof of identification and proof of insurance, since the DMV wants to confirm you are the legitimate purchaser. As the buyer, you pay the transfer fee, any registration fees due, and use tax, or show evidence of an exemption.[13]
The seller must submit a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (Form REG 138), a release of liability form, to the DMV within five calendar days of the sale (Vehicle Code Section 5900). It tells the DMV the seller is no longer responsible for the vehicle.[14]
New California residents typically also show a residency document from the CA.gov website as part of the paperwork. Once you gather everything, submit it to the DMV office to register your car.
Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents is a form used to get new documents or plates due to a vehicle being lost, destroyed, or stolen.
Official Application for Vessel Certificate of Number – is a form you can use to register your vessel and get a certificate of ownership.
Application for Replacement or Transfer Title is used when the title owner wants to release a lien on a vehicle.
Firearm Ownership Report must be submitted after the gun purchase.
Other California Forms
Nothing changes for a California DMV bill of sale. State law does not require this document to be notarized or witnessed, so an unnotarized bill of sale is still valid for registering the vehicle with the DMV. [2] Some private deals still ask for notarization as extra proof, but it is not a state requirement.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
