Form Guide · California · REG 135

REG 135, without the bureaucratese.

Last updated April 21, 2026

REG 135 is the California DMV's one-page Bill of Sale form. If you searched for it by name you are already ahead of most private sellers — plenty of CA sales happen with nothing more than a scribble on the back of the pink slip and a prayer that no parking tickets hit before the buyer gets to the DMV.

What REG 135 actually is

REG 135 is titled "Bill of Sale"in California DMV's form catalog. One page. It captures VIN, year, make, license plate, both parties' printed names and signatures, sale price, date of sale, and an odometer disclosure block. That is the whole document.

It is the DMV's blessed format — the form a county clerk will recognize without squinting — but it is deliberately minimal. No warranty language, no defect disclosure, no payment-method details. That is why most sellers pair REG 135 with an as-is condition addendum (which we add automatically).

When you actually need it

Here is the part that confuses people: California does not legally require a bill of sale to transfer a vehicle. That is different from Florida, where HSMV 82050 is mandatory. In California, the signed title (the pink slip) is the primary legal instrument of transfer. REG 135 is strongly recommended, and in practice it is what the buyer hands to the county when they want to prove the sale price for use tax purposes.

Recommended becomes effectively mandatory when:

The title is missing or in the wrong name.
You are gifting the vehicle — REG 135 documents a declared value and heads off a use-tax dispute.
The buyer plans to register out of state — their home DMV will want it on paper.

REG 135 is not REG 138 — file both

This is the #1 mistake California private sellers make. REG 135 is the bill of sale. REG 138 — the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability — is a completely different form that the seller must file with the DMV within 5 calendar days of sale.

If you skip REG 138, you are still the registered owner in DMV records until the buyer finishes their end. Which means: parking tickets, toll violations, red-light camera tickets, and civil suits arising from how the buyer drives your former car all come to you. File REG 138 online at DMV.ca.gov the same day as the sale. It is free and takes three minutes.

Smog certificate — the seller's problem in California

Unlike most states, California makes the seller responsible for providing a valid smog certificate dated within 90 days of the sale. Exemptions:

Gasoline vehicles from 1975 or older
Diesel vehicles from 1997 or older or over 14,000 lbs GVWR
Electric vehicles
Motorcycles and trailers
Transfers between immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling), with exemption claimed on REG 256

REG 135 does not collect smog information directly, but the buyer will need the smog certificate at the county tax office. If you sell without one and the vehicle is not exempt, the buyer cannot register and will typically come back asking for a refund.

Use tax — no sales tax, but the buyer still pays

California does not charge a sales tax on private-party vehicle transfers. It charges a use taxat the same rate as the buyer's county sales tax — typically 7.25%–10.75% depending on county and city surcharges.

The price you write on REG 135 is what the county will use to calculate that tax. Writing a lower number to help the buyer save money is tax fraud, and California does audit low-reported transfers. Don't do it — and if a buyer asks you to, that is the moment to walk away.

The buyer's 10-day clock

California gives the buyer 10 days from the date of sale to transfer title and registration at the DMV. Past that, the buyer pays a late transfer penalty that escalates quickly. That is another reason to fill out REG 135 carefully and legibly — if anything is unreadable, the buyer waits in line twice.

How our wizard handles REG 135

Our California wizard is four steps on your phone. It:

Auto-decodes the VIN via the free NHTSA vPIC API — year, make, model, body class fill automatically.
Fills the official REG 135 using the DMV template, positioned correctly so the county clerk recognizes it.
Adds the federal odometer disclosure required by 49 CFR § 580 for any vehicle model year 2011 or newer.
Appends an as-is condition addendum — the part REG 135 leaves out, where the seller lists known defects and the buyer acknowledges them.
Captures both signatures on the phone (E-SIGN Act valid) and emails the PDF to both parties.

$9.99 one-time. No subscription. No account. Start the California wizard.

Frequently asked

Does REG 135 need to be notarized?

No. California does not require notarization of REG 135, the pink slip, or REG 138. Electronic signatures are valid under the federal E-SIGN Act.

What about out-of-state buyers?

Fill out REG 135 normally and file REG 138 within 5 days. The buyer takes REG 135 and the signed pink slip to their home state DMV. An out-of-state buyer does not need a California smog certificate.

Ready to fill REG 135?

Four minutes in the wizard beats forty minutes fighting a PDF in Preview. Start the California Bill of Sale wizard — $9.99 one-time, emailed to both parties. And don't forget REG 138 within 5 days.