Under California state regulations, the transfer of a vehicle's title occurs under certain circumstances, such as when a car changes ownership because of a sale, gifting or inheritance. In cases where a title transfer occurs, the new owner is required to file paperwork reflecting the change, plus pay any applicable fees to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
Ownership Change
When the lienholder or registered owner of a vehicle changes, the California DMV considers it a transfer of title for the vehicle, and the change must be registered with the DMV. The transfer can result from numerous reasons, including the sale, gifting or inheritance of a vehicle; one or more owners' names being removed for the title; or the paying off of a car loan.
Required Documents
When transferring a title, the new owner must file a California certificate of title for the vehicle or an application for duplicate title. If the title is missing, the owner must file a duplicate title form with the DMV in order to transfer the vehicle's title. All paperwork is required to be filed within five days of the transfer of ownership.
Fees
Various fees are required to be paid to the DMV at the time of the transfer of title, but the fees vary on a case-by-case basis. Costs for vehicle ownership changes can include transfer fees; a use tax that's based on the city and county the new owner lives in; renewal of registration; and fees for a duplicate title and replacement license plates, if needed.
Smog Check
A smog check is mandatory for all transferred vehicles when the model being transferred is more than four years old, unless a check has already been performed within 90 days of the transfer date. Hybrid vehicles are exempt from this rule, as are motorcycles, diesel-powered vehicles, electric and natural gas-powered cars, and gas-powered vehicles that are less than four years old.
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