How to Sell My Car in LA

If you are living in Los Angeles and have a car that you do not want to keep, you can try to sell the car on your own. Selling a car in Los Angeles is a similar process to selling a car in any other city in the United States. The only unique thing about selling a car in Los Angeles is what you must do once you have actually sold the car.

Instructions

1

Take some photos of your car to be used in an ad. Make sure you have cleaned the car before taking the photos. Get both interior and exterior photos of the car, and try to take the photos in a location that makes for a nice backdrop. For instance, do not take your photos of the car while it is sitting next to a dumpster.

2

Create an ad for the car that describes the vehicle. Focus on any details that make it special. If the car has any problems, be sure to disclose them.

3

Post your ad in publications that will target Los Angeles area buyers. You can sign up for a combo print and online ad package with the Los Angeles Times that puts your ad in the paper for two weekends and on Cars.com for two weeks. The Cars.com portion of the ad gets 12 photos and can be renewed for free until the car sells. An online-only package is also available that puts your ad on Cars.com and over 175 other related website. Additionally, you can place a free ad on the Los Angeles Craigslist website (see Resources). Up to four photos can be included with the ad.

4

Take your car to a local Los Angeles car dealer and trade in the car if you want to get another car. You can also just take your car to one of the area CarMax locations and try to sell it to them. There are three CarMax locations in Los Angeles.

5

Download and print the bill of sale on the California DMV website (see Resources). This must be completed by you and the buyer if you sell the car on your own. It transfers ownership of the car from you to the buyer.

6

Visit the California DMV website (see Resources) to complete the online "Notice of Release of Liability" form. This must be completed within five days of selling your vehicle. It is important to get this in because it releases you from liability for any parking tickets or other vehicle infractions. No fee is required to file the form.