City release page
Use this bill of sale when selling a heavy equipment 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 heavy equipment makes in private-party sales are Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu, Volvo, Case. Average private-party heavy equipment prices range from $10,000–$300,000. Heavy equipments average 0.7 NHTSA recalls per model across categories including Hydraulic System, Electrical, ROPS/FOPS.
Before completing a heavy equipment bill of sale in California, verify these safety items:
Equipment floater or inland marine policy required. Costs vary widely: $500–$5,000/year depending on value and use. Caterpillar and Komatsu machines hold value well — 50–60% retention after 5,000 hours. Peak season for private heavy equipment sales is spring when construction season begins, with an average of 60 days on market.
Heavy Equipments are classified as "Construction equipment (not registered for road use; transported on flatbed/lowboy)" for registration purposes. Heavy equipment is valued by engine hours, not mileage. Machines over 80,000 lbs require special transport permits. Federal odometer disclosure does not apply to heavy equipments.
San Diego residents completing a heavy equipment 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 heavy equipment makes in California include Caterpillar, John Deere, Komatsu.
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.