San Francisco Business Daily

Do I need a smog certificate to sell my car in California?

In the state of California do I need to get a smog certificate in order to sell my car?

Public Comments

1. Depends on how old the vehicle is and who you're selling it to. Straight from the California DMV's website: "When selling a California registered vehicle, the registered owner of record must: Provide the purchaser with evidence of a valid smog certification, if applicable. Smog certificates are good for 90 days from the date of inspection. The smog certification is not required if the owner or buyer signs a statement that smog certification was submitted with renewal fees within 90 days prior to the transfer date (a vehicle inspection report may be required for proof of certification). Recent legislation changed the requirements for vehicle transfers occurring on or after January 1, 2005. When you transfer a vehicle that is four or less model years old a smog certification will not be required. A smog transfer fee will be collected from the new owner. When a vehicle is more than four model years old, evidence of a current smog certification must be provided by a seller except when the following occurs: *The transfer occurs between a spouse, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, or grandchild. *A biennial smog certification was submitted to DMV within 90 days prior to the vehicle transfer date (a vehicle inspection report may be required for proof of certification)."