City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a car in San Diego, California. It documents the transfer and helps you complete DMV title paperwork.
Create a compliant bill of sale and download the signed PDF immediately.
DMV / Title Office
DMV San Diego – Clairemont Mesa Office
Address
4375 Derrick Dr, San Diego, CA 92117
Phone
(800) 777-0133
Office Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (Thu until 6:00 PM)
Title Transfer Fee
$15.00
Sales Tax Rate
7.75%
Base Registration Fee
$46.00
California state base 7.25% + San Diego County district tax 0.50%
California does not require notarization. Seller must sign the title and submit a Notice of Transfer (REG 138) within 5 days of sale.
County Clerk / Recorder
San Diego County Recorder
Phone
(619) 237-0502
Website
https://arcc.sdcounty.ca.govThe most common car makes in private-party sales are Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan. Average private-party car prices range from $5,000–$25,000. The average NCAP safety rating for recent car models is 4.2 out of 5 stars. Cars average 3.1 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Airbags (Takata), Power Train, Fuel System.
Before completing a car bill of sale in California, verify these safety items:
Liability insurance required in 49 states (New Hampshire is the exception). Average annual premium: $1,600–$2,200. Cars lose approximately 20% of value in the first year and 60% over five years. Japanese brands retain value best. Peak season for private car sales is spring (march–may) when tax refunds boost demand, with an average of 21 days on market.
Cars are classified as "Passenger vehicle" for registration purposes. Standard passenger cars weigh 2,500–4,500 lbs; no special weight-class registration required. Federal odometer disclosure is required for cars under 20 years old.
San Diego residents completing a car bill of sale should be aware of local requirements in addition to California state rules. The state sales tax rate is 7.25%, 7.25% base; county/city adds 0.25–3.25% (total up to 10.75%). The most popular car makes in California include Toyota, Honda, Ford.
BillOfSaleNow has generated 14,217 bill of sale documents for California transactions, with 382 generated this month alone. The most popular vehicle type is car.
45% faster sale
Vehicles whose listings include a history report spend ~45% less time on site before selling, and report-viewers are 5x more likely to become a lead.
Source: Experian / AutoCheck
$4,000 avg loss
NHTSA estimates 450,000+ vehicles per year are sold with rolled-back odometers — the average victim loses about $4,000 in downstream repair costs.
Source: NHTSA
17.5M private sales/yr
About 17.5 million private-party vehicle transactions happen in the U.S. each year — roughly 47% of the used market.
Source: Cox Automotive 2024
1 in 3 buyers
Roughly 1 in 3 used-car buyers say they suspect private sellers are hiding mechanical problems — documentation closes that trust gap.
Source: JW Surety Bonds (n=3,000)
San Diego is in San Diego County. Title transfers are handled by the DMV San Diego – Clairemont Mesa Office at 4375 Derrick Dr, San Diego, CA 92117. Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (Thu until 6:00 PM). Phone: (800) 777-0133.
The combined rate is 7.75%. California state base 7.25% + San Diego County district tax 0.50%.
No. California does not require notarization. Seller must sign the title and submit a Notice of Transfer (REG 138) within 5 days of sale.
Title transfer fee: $15.00. Base registration fee: $46.00. Sales tax at 7.75% is collected at the time of title transfer.