Can I buy a car from a private seller in CA and take care of all the paperwork without a DMV visit?

Question

I'm probably buying a Jeep cherokee this week and I want to know if it is possible to take care of all the technicalities and paperwork without actually visiting the California DMV.

Please be specific, what parts can be done online and which others through the mail?

Answer 1

You'll have to transfer the title into your name.  That may require an in person visit to the DMV.  Along with the title change, you'll have to have the vehicle smogged & tagged, if the tags are out of date or close to it.

Your best bet is to call the DMV & ask what can be done by email vs regular mail.

Answer 2

yes you can

Answer 3

No you will have to see DMV. The title will have to be signed. It its up to you to register the jeep in your name. If the previous owner dose not have and open title,  then he/she need to have the title notarized for you can due business in whatever state your in....10-4

Keep all paper work in glove compartment, just in case you get pulled over..etc.

So the first thing you ask the seller is

1) Dose the jeep have and open title, If yes, great just go over and pick it up..."Look for notary stamp".

If no them have them take care of that before you do any business. If you dont, you will go to DMV and they will tell you to pound sand.

Answer 4

You can go to a business that offers to do all the paperwork for you -- at a cost. There are some of them out there. But, just like the DMV, you'll need to bring the title that the previous owner signed off on, the current registration, a bill of sale and a transfer of ownership signed by the previous owner. If you do not have a transfer of ownership form, hopefully the other owner had you sign a transfer of liability form that he/she took back to the DMV to record that.

If not, go online, set up an appointment with any DMV office to transfer ownership. With an appointment, it won't take long at all to get it done. The reason a lot of people hate going to the DMV is because they just walk in and have to wait for hours while all the other walk-ins ahead of them waste even more time by being unprepared to do the transfer. That ties up the clerk which backs up the line even more.

Make the appointment. Take the title that was signed off, the current registration, bill of sale and transfer of ownership form if you have it. The clerk will run a KSR report on the registration to make sure it's clean. If not, you have to pay any unpaid tickets on it to get it regisitered and titled under your name.I hope you discussed this with the previous owner as to his/her responsibility for them, if there should be any.

Once the registration is clean, the transfer can begin. You'll need a current Cal driver's license for ID plus proof of insurance. Don't forget that. A car cannot be registered in Cal without proof of current minimum insurance. And the insurance DOES NOT have to include the car you're buying since you are automatically covered for 30 days if your present insurance is current and meets the state law regarding minimum coverage.

If you make an appointment and have all this together you should be in and out in a half hour. Good Luck.

Answer 5

Well what you can do on-line is get a permit.

second, don't go to DMV, just go to a third party DMV.  They're faster, they charge like an extra $20 dollars for plates.  But you can do all the paperwork way faster!!!