California mobile home — quick answer
California does not title a mobilehome at the DMV. Registration and titling sit with the Department of Housing and Community Development, and a home installed on a permanent foundation system leaves the HCD register altogether. Working out which of those three states a home is in is the whole job.
How mobile home sales actually work in California
- Titling agency
- HCD Registration and Titling Program — not the DMV
- What HCD covers
- Mobilehomes, manufactured homes, commercial modulars, floating homes and truck campers
- The DMV exception
- Some manufactured homes are titled through the DMV instead
- On a foundation system
- Once installed on one, the home is no longer registered by HCD
- Foundation form
- HCD 433A
- Where to file
- HCD Registration and Titling, PO Box 277820, Sacramento CA 95827-7820
- Transfer form
- HCD RT 476.6G, Multi-Purpose Transfer Form
- Duplicate title
- Form HCD RT 480.4
Transferring a mobile home in California, step by step
- Work out which register the home is on before anything else — HCD, the DMV, or neither because it went onto a permanent foundation.
- If it is on the HCD register, the seller signs the HCD certificate of title and the buyer files the transfer with the Registration and Titling programme in Sacramento.
- Ask whether an HCD 433A was ever recorded. That is the form that puts a home on a foundation system and takes it off the HCD register.
- Send the forms, documents and fees to the Registration and Titling office rather than a DMV field office, which cannot process them.
What private buyers get wrong here
- Turning up at the DMV with a mobilehome transfer is the standard wasted trip in California. For most homes it is the wrong agency entirely.
- A home on a permanent foundation has left the HCD register, so there is no HCD title to sign over and the sale is a real property transaction.
- HCD also registers truck campers and floating homes, which surprises people who assume the register is only about homes on lots.
Verified 2026-09-25 against California HCD — Registration & Titling and California HCD — Buy, Sell, or No-Sale Transfer Instructions and California HCD — Form 433A and California HCD — HCD RT 476.6G, Multi-Purpose Transfer Form . Rules change — confirm before you sign.
Is a mobile home bill of sale required in California?
California does not title a mobilehome at the DMV. Registration and titling sit with the Department of Housing and Community Development, and a home installed on a permanent foundation system leaves the HCD register altogether. Working out which of those three states a home is in is the whole job.
Does a California mobile home bill of sale need to be notarized?
Check the instructions for the specific title and bill-of-sale form. A requirement to notarize a title assignment does not automatically mean the separate bill of sale needs notarization. If notarization is required, wait to sign until the notary instructs you.
What to include on a California mobile home bill of sale
- Buyer and seller full legal names and addresses
- Year, make, model, and type (single/double-wide)
- Serial number / VIN and HUD label number
- Size (width × length) and current location
- Price, date, and signatures of both parties
Official sources
- California HCD — Registration & Titling
- California HCD — Buy, Sell, or No-Sale Transfer Instructions
- California HCD — Form 433A
- California HCD — HCD RT 476.6G, Multi-Purpose Transfer Form
Requirements change and can vary by county. Confirm with the California DMV before you sign. Not legal advice.
California Mobile Home Bill of Sale — FAQ
Is a mobile home bill of sale required in California?
California does not title a mobilehome at the DMV. Registration and titling sit with the Department of Housing and Community Development, and a home installed on a permanent foundation system leaves the HCD register altogether. Working out which of those three states a home is in is the whole job.
Does a California mobile home bill of sale need to be notarized?
Check the signing requirements for the specific title and bill-of-sale form. Notarization of a title assignment and notarization of a bill of sale are separate questions; a car rule does not establish the rule for this item.
Do I need a bill of sale to sell a mobile home?
In most cases, yes. A mobile home bill of sale documents the price and terms and supports the title transfer. If the home is titled as personal property you will also sign over the title; if it has been converted to real property, the sale is handled more like real estate.
Is a mobile home titled like a car?
Often, yes — when classified as personal property, a manufactured home is titled through the state motor-vehicle agency, similar to a vehicle. Once permanently affixed to land you own, it may be converted to real property and recorded with the county instead.
Is a bill of sale proof of ownership?
Generally no. For titled property like a car or boat, the title is what proves ownership. A bill of sale proves that a sale happened and records the price, date, and terms — it supports the title transfer but does not replace it. For untitled property (furniture, equipment, electronics), the signed bill of sale is usually the main proof of ownership.