I've got a (sort-of) quick question about transferring a car title.

My friend purchased a vehicle in CA while working in San Diego, he started driving home (to Pennsylvania), had problems with the car, ditched it in Phoenix and flew home.  He didn't have the title when he left, it was mailed to the place he was staying while he worked.  My friend said he had to mail it out to some state thing to have it transferred to him.  Does that make sense, you have to mail a title to the state to change ownership?

I found a home for the car, another ARFcom member but he doesn't have the title yet.  My friend finally got the title from the guy he was living with, and my friend is insisting that the title doesn't need to be notarized before he sends it to the ARFcom member in Phoenix who now has the car.  Both this other ARFcom member and I find it hard to believe the title wouldn't need to be notarized, but my friend is insistent that it doesn't need to be notarized.

Do California titles need to be notarized to transfer ownership?
If not, how does the whole thing work?

I think the whole title thing depends on the state that the car is going to be registered in. I bought a car in Washington and the guy that I bought it from and I just walked into their DMV and he told the lady that he was giving it to me. That was the end of it, there was no title involved. In CA the title has to be signed but not notarized.

Quoted: Turned out that I was very lucky to have kept copies of both forms as the bimbo I sold the car to didn't register it, didn't smog it, got lots of tickets, and finally it was sold at auction after getting towed and kept for a few months. Everyone was coming after me for the money but a copy of the forms shut them up.

Happened to you too eh?

My 67 Mustang I sold was left for dead in San Fran, stripped, and pushed into a high traffic area that caused a traffic jam in the morning commute.  Luckily I sold it 6 months earlier and kept the proof.  The SFPD was trying to contact me to bill me for all the trouble.

Keep that paperwork, treat it like your taxes and file it away, just incase....

Neato, thank you.

Rule of thumb:
Buy or sell private party, BOTH of you go to the DMV, fill out the Notice of Transfer and the Release of Liability form and fill out the Transfer paperwork TOGETHER.

Anything less and you are dumber than a bag of hammers and you deserve whatever you get.  

Quoted: I've got a (sort-of) quick question about transferring a car title. My friend purchased a vehicle in CA while working in San Diego, he started driving home (to Pennsylvania), had problems with the car, ditched it in Phoenix and flew home.  He didn't have the title when he left, it was mailed to the place he was staying while he worked.  My friend said he had to mail it out to some state thing to have it transferred to him.  Does that make sense, you have to mail a title to the state to change ownership? I found a home for the car, another ARFcom member but he doesn't have the title yet.  My friend finally got the title from the guy he was living with, and my friend is insisting that the title doesn't need to be notarized before he sends it to the ARFcom member in Phoenix who now has the car.  Both this other ARFcom member and I find it hard to believe the title wouldn't need to be notarized, but my friend is insistent that it doesn't need to be notarized. Do California titles need to be notarized to transfer ownership? If not, how does the whole thing work?

Within CA, all it takes is a signature in the space on the front of the pink slip / title. The new owner fills out the Application for Transfer form on the back of it.

Don't know about cross-border or within other states.

Seconding the advice to ensure it's all filled out and keep the proof safe for a long time.