California registration fees & sales tax
Buying a used car in California costs more than the sticker: the statewide vehicle sales tax base is 7.25%, the title fee is $23 and base registration is $65. Local surtaxes and county fees can add to these statewide bases.
Pricing
Free: VIN decoding and NHTSA safety recall lookups, unlimited, no signup and no credit card. Paid: a full vehicle history report is $9.99 for one VIN, $14.99 for a 3-report pack and $24.99 for a 10-report pack. One-time payment, no subscription and no auto-renewal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the vehicle sales tax in California?
The California statewide base vehicle sales tax rate is 7.25%. Counties and cities may add local surtax on top of that base.
How much is a title transfer in California?
The California title fee is approximately $23, and base registration is approximately $65. Amounts vary by vehicle weight and county.
Do I pay sales tax on a private-party car sale in California?
In most states, including California, sales or use tax is due when the title is transferred at the DMV, even on private-party purchases.
Data sources
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoding API
- NHTSA safety recall database
- NHTSA complaints database
- NMVTIS (U.S. DOJ) title-brand records
CleanVins is not affiliated with Carfax, AutoCheck, NHTSA or NMVTIS.