LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 13Pt. 2Ch. 8Art. 3§ 18088 Out-Of-State Vehicle Title Recognition

§ 18088 Out-Of-State Vehicle Title Recognition

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 18088 Out-Of-State Vehicle Title Recognition

Key Takeaways

  • •If you move to California with a mobile home or camper from another state, California will accept its current title and ownership papers.
  • •California will also note any loans or debts tied to it, even if they’re from another state.
  • •If the papers look real and California doesn’t know they’re fake, they’ll trust them—no one in the office gets in trouble for accepting them.

Example

You buy a used RV in Arizona and move to California.

California will accept Arizona’s title and note any loans on it, so you can register it there without starting over.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 18088 Out-Of-State Vehicle Title Recognition

(a)  Upon application for registration of a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, or truck camper previously registered outside this state, the department shall grant full faith and credit to the currently valid certificate of title describing the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, or truck camper, the ownership thereof, and any liens thereon, issued by the state in which the vehicle was last registered, except there shall be a notation upon the certificate of title of any and all liens and encumbrances other than those dependent upon possession. (b)  In the absence of knowledge by the department that any certificate of title issued by another state is forged, fraudulent, or void, the acceptance thereof by the department shall be a sufficient determination of the genuineness and regularity of the certificate and of the truth of the recitals therein, and no liability shall be incurred by any officer or employee of the department by reason of so accepting a certificate of title. (Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1527, Sec. 23.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

ownershipregistrationliabilityacceptancepossessionterminationlienfraud

Related Statutes

  • § 18086.5 Bond For Title Defects
  • § 18124.5 Vehicle Title Fraud Laws
  • § 18085 Manufactured Home Registration Requirements
  • § 18089 Conditional Mobile Home Registration
  • § 18091 Vehicle Title Certificate Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 18088.
View Official Source