{"id":21537,"date":"2022-09-30T13:21:50","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T13:21:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etags.com\/blog\/?p=21537"},"modified":"2026-01-16T16:05:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T16:05:50","slug":"gifting-a-used-vehicle-in-california-what-gifter-and-giftee-must-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etags.com\/blog\/gifting-a-used-vehicle-in-california-what-gifter-and-giftee-must-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Gifting A Car in California: A Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gifting a vehicle is a wonderful act of kindness. With recent used car prices hovering in the area of $27,199 to $33,790, the gift of a car or SUV can greatly impact someone\u2019s life for the better. Four wheels can mean securing a better job, going back to school, or becoming more mobile and independent.<\/p>\n<p>So let&#8217;s get to i!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to Gift a Used Vehicle in California<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While it may be tempting to just hand over the keys and be satisfied with your generous gift, there are a few things to keep in mind in order to make the transfer a legal one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tasks for the Gift Giver<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before anything else, be sure to check for any liens against the car. A lien is the legal right of the bank or money lender on a vehicle until the debt is repaid. If you gift a car with a lien against it, the lienholder could seize the vehicle. Gifting a car that has a lien can also unfairly saddle the recipient with debt. If there are any liens, you can clear them using the following methods:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For vehicles with previous liens: Get signatures from any previous lienholders before gifting the vehicle.<\/li>\n<li>Vehicles with previous lien releases: Get a notarized Lien Satisfied\/Legal Owner\/Title Holder Release <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmv.ca.gov\/portal\/file\/lien-satisfied-title-holder-release-reg-166-pdf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Form REG 166<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After addressing any liens, you can gift your vehicle by following these steps:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Sign over the original certificate of title to the recipient and list the vehicle\u2019s mileage at the time of transfer.<\/li>\n<li>Provide a Smog certificate. It\u2019s good to note that Smog certificates are not required if you gift your car, pickup truck, or SUV to a family member. They\u2019re also not required for non-diesel vehicles that are less than four years old.<\/li>\n<li>Create a bill of sale between yourself and the gift recipient &#8211; even if no money is being exchanged for the vehicle. It can be as informal as a document that you draft on your own.<\/li>\n<li>Within 5 days of gifting the vehicle, notify the California DMV of the change of ownership by completing a Notice of Transfer and Release Liability (Form REG 138).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.etags.com\/blog\/sold-your-vehicle-in-california-protect-yourself-submit-an-nrl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RELATED ARTICLE: SOLD YOUR VEHICLE IN CALIFORNIA? PROTECT YOURSELF WITH AN NRL<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tasks for the Gift Recipient<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re the one receiving a gifted car, congratulations! Only a few tasks are required for recipients:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Collect the bill of sale, smog certification, and odometer reading from the gift giver.<\/li>\n<li>Complete a Statement of Facts (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dmv.ca.gov\/portal\/file\/statement-of-facts-reg-256-pdf\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">REG 256<\/a>) to get a tax exemption on the vehicle\u2019s value.<\/li>\n<li>Within 10 days of receiving the vehicle, transfer the California title and register the vehicle in your name.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Title and Register Your Car Online Through eTags!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can title and register a gifted car quickly and easily online with eTags! With our user-friendly platform, you will be prompted to upload all necessary information, including your driver\u2019s license, insurance card, and any required forms. If there\u2019s anything missing, not to worry &#8211; we\u2019ll notify you through your eTags account. And if you need a hand at any time during this process, don\u2019t hesitate to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etags.com\/support\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reach out<\/a> to us. Because as always, at eTags, we\u2019re here to help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gifting a vehicle is a wonderful act of kindness. With recent used car prices hovering in the area of $27,199 to $33,790, the gift of a car or SUV can&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1771,18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21537","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-california","7":"category-gifting-a-vehicle","8":"category-vehicle-titles"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.5 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gifting A Car in California: A Guide | eTags - Vehicle Registration &amp; Title Services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.etags.com\/blog\/gifting-a-used-vehicle-in-california-what-gifter-and-giftee-must-do\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gifting A Car in California: A Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gifting a vehicle is a wonderful act of kindness. 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