Car Bill of Sale California: Free Printable Form

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 10, 2026Checked against the California DMV's transfer pages and registration manual

California runs private car sales on deadlines. The seller has 5 days to report the sale, the buyer has 10 days to transfer it, and the smog certificate has to be valid on the day the paperwork changes hands. A California car bill of sale is the one document that pins down exactly when that day was, what was paid and what was promised. That's why it's worth filling in properly even though the signed title does the legal work.

The DMV's REG 135 or your own California bill of sale form?

The first decision for a California seller is which bill of sale form to use, the state's or a fuller one.

The California DMV publishes its own Bill of Sale, form REG 135. Its registration manual also says any bill of sale that identifies the vehicle is acceptable, and that a bill of sale doesn't need to be notarized or witnessed. So you have a choice. The REG 135 is short and official-looking, a basic California bill of sale form. The form above records more: both parties' full details, the VIN with a check-digit test, the price in numbers and words, an as-is clause, an odometer statement where federal rules call for one, and an optional notary block if either of you wants one anyway.

Either is a valid bill of sale for a car in California, and either works as a CA bill of sale for the vehicle you're selling. You can fill in both: the REG 135 for the DMV's file and this one for your own records, so the price, date and terms match on every document.

When a bill of sale is required in California

The DMV needs a bill of sale in one common case: when the person selling the car isn't the owner named on the title, for example a family member selling on behalf of the owner. Then the buyer needs a bill of sale signed by both the seller and the person on the title. In an ordinary sale, the signed title is the transfer document, and the bill of sale backs it up.

How to fill in the California car bill of sale

1. Check the state and add the county. California is already selected.
2. Enter both parties as their names appear on the title and on their IDs.
3. Describe the car: year, make, model, body style, color, plate and the 17-character VIN, copied from the title or the dashboard. The form flags a VIN that fails its check digit.
4. Enter the real price, or tick gift for a family transfer. Whatever automobile bill of sale you bring to the California DMV, its price should match the title paperwork.
5. Add the odometer reading. The federal mileage statement prints automatically when the vehicle needs one.
6. Print two copies of the California car bill of sale and sign both. Each of you keeps one with your copy of the title paperwork, so both sides hold the same bill of sale for a car in California.

The same layout works as a California automobile bill of sale for a car, truck, SUV or van, and as the copy buyers keep for their records. For a boat, trailer, motorcycle or camper, the templates in our bill of sale library ask for the details those sales need.

Selling a car in California: the seller's steps

1. Get the smog certificate, unless the car is exempt (see below). In California the seller provides it, along with the California bill of sale for the car.
2. Sign the title on Line 1. A co-owner signs Line 1b. If the title is lost, use the Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title, REG 227, instead.
3. Hand over the title, the smog certificate and the bill of sale. Keep a copy of the California car bill of sale and a photo of the signed title; the bill of sale for a vehicle in California is your proof of the sale date if a ticket arrives later.
4. Report the sale within 5 days with a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, which you can file online. It protects you from tickets and liability after the sale, but it doesn't transfer ownership; the buyer still has to do that.

The smog certificate

Smog is where most California sales stall. The DMV's rules, in brief: the seller must give the buyer a valid smog certification; a certificate from the last 90 days still counts; gas-powered cars less than four years old are exempt, and the new owner pays a smog transfer fee instead; and transfers between close family members are exempt. Check the DMV's smog page for your car's exact cutoff before you list it, because a car that needs a test can't be transferred without one. Note the certificate's date in the terms box of the buyer's copy, so there's a record it was handed over.

Buying a car in California: the buyer's steps

1. Check the paperwork before you pay. The VIN on the title should match the car; a free VIN decode and recall check takes a minute. Look at the title for a brand in the red Vehicle History box.
2. Collect the signed title, the smog certificate and the California bill of sale for the car. Don't expect the DMV to tell you about previous owners; our California plate lookup guide explains what it releases and why.
3. Transfer within 10 days, by mail or at a DMV field office, with the transfer fee and any use tax.

Bring the California bill of sale for the car along to the field office in case a clerk asks about the price. Our California title transfer guide walks through the transfer itself, family transfers and cars coming from other states.

Sample bill of sale for a car in California

Here's a finished sample of a California auto bill of sale, in plain words: On March 3, Maria Lopez of Fresno sells to Kevin Tran of Clovis a 2017 Toyota Camry, VIN shown in full, white, California plate shown, for $14,200 paid by cashier's check. Odometer: 61,480 miles, actual mileage. Sold as-is. Smog certificate dated February 20 provided. Both sign and date. That's the whole California bill of sale sample: who, what, when, how much, and in what condition.

The example covers what a buyer or the DMV would want to know, which is the test for any California bill of sale for a car. Anything extra you agreed on, such as a second set of keys or the seller covering a small repair, goes in the terms box so it's in writing.

California bill of sale PDF, Word or paper

Print the finished form, or save a California bill of sale PDF from the print window to send to the buyer before you meet. The Word download lets you edit the wording, and the blank copy prints every line for filling in by hand. It's free to reuse for every car you sell, there's no sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your browser. Saved as a PDF or printed, it's the same California automobile bill of sale either way, and the same bill of sale for a car California sellers and buyers each keep a copy of.

California car bill of sale: what to check before signing

The California DMV doesn't require a bill of sale when the title is signed over, but a California bill of sale for car sales protects both sides. Check that the VIN on the paper matches the car and the pink slip, write the real price, and keep a copy. If you'd rather use the state's form, REG 135 is the California bill of sale form DMV publishes; either works as a record.

California bill of sale FAQ