If you are looking to sell your used car in Oakland, or any other city in California, there are several things you’ll need to do first. You do not technically need a pink slip (named after the pink color of the certificate), also known as the certificate of title, but it does make selling your vehicle much easier. This is irrespective of whether your sale is private or through a company such as Cash for Cars in Oakland.

If you do not have your pink slip and do not want to use it transfer the legal responsibilities of your vehicle to the new owner upon sale, you and the buyer will both need to complete a REG 227. This is a Certificate of Title or Application for Duplicate or Paperless Title, which is essentially the stop-gap alternative to the pink slip for selling your car.

There are several other things you will need if you’re looking to get cash for cars in Oakland, or wider California. Specific to the state of California you will need to make sure that your vehicle has a valid smog certification. These certifications only last for 90 days, so it is likely you will need to get a fresh certificate before sale. To do this, take the vehicle to a DMV-authorized smog check station near you that should be able to complete a smog check and issue a valid certification.

The check should cost anywhere between $30 and $60 depending on who you go to, and so long as your vehicle passes you will receive a state-issued sticker for your dashboard as proof. If your vehicle fails the smog check, you will need to have it diagnosed and repaired at a licensed Smog Check repair station. It is illegal to drive, sell, or otherwise use a vehicle that has officially failed its most recent smog check.

Release of Reliability Form

You will also need to file your release of reliability form to sell your car. This informs the DMV that you are no longer responsible for any tickets, fees or penalties incurred by the operation of the vehicle.

Completing this form is easy. Simply download it from the DMV website, fill it out, and email it back to them. You will need to know the license plate number of the vehicle being sold, the last five digits of the vehicle identification number (VIN), as well as the name and address of the new owner in order to fill out the form correctly. It may be a good idea to have these on hand and ready to save time.

To sell your vehicle in California, you will also need to complete the odometer reading to indicate the milage of your car. For more complicated sales you may also need to complete a Reg 262, which is the Vehicle Transfer and Reassignment Form. This serves as a single-page, multipurpose form, combining the odometer disclosure, bill of sale, and power of attorney.

Generally, the Reg 262 is reserved for more complex vehicle sales where without it significantly more amounts of paperwork would be required (such as sales involving multiple parties). If you are planning to sell your car privately, it would be a good idea to check the current market value of the vehicle through an online comparison site such as Kelly Blue Book. This process is much easier if using a company such as Cash for Cars in Oakland, who will be able to provide you with a competitive quote for your vehicle.