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HomeVehicle CodeDiv. 5Ch. 4Art. 1§ 11700 Vehicle Dealer Licensing Requirements

§ 11700 Vehicle Dealer Licensing Requirements

Vehicle Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 11700 Vehicle Dealer Licensing Requirements

This law says you can't sell, make, or transport cars without a special license. If your license is taken away, you can only sell cars you own to other licensed dealers.

Key Takeaways

  • •You need a license to sell, make, or transport cars.
  • •If your license is canceled, you can only sell cars you own to other licensed dealers.
  • •You must return any cars you were selling for others or that don't belong to you.

Example

A person has a car dealership but loses their license.

They can only sell the cars they own to other licensed dealers, not to regular people. They must also return any cars they were selling for someone else.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 11700 Vehicle Dealer Licensing Requirements

No person shall act as a dealer, remanufacturer, manufacturer, or transporter, or as a manufacturer branch, remanufacturer branch, distributor, or distributor branch, without having first been issued a license as required in Section 11701 or temporary permit issued by the department, except that, when the license or temporary permit has been canceled, suspended, or revoked or has expired, any vehicle in the dealer’s inventory and owned by the dealer when the dealer ceased to be licensed may be sold at wholesale to a licensed dealer. The former licensee shall give the purchasing dealer a statement of facts stating that the seller is not a licensed dealer. Any vehicle on consignment with the dealer when the dealer ceased to be licensed shall be returned to the consignor. Any vehicle in the dealer’s possession, but not owned by the dealer and not on consignment when the dealer ceased to be licensed, shall be returned to the owner of the vehicle. (Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 1563, Sec. 38.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

dealerremanufacturermanufacturertransportermanufacturer branchremanufacturer branchdistributordistributor branchlicensetemporary permitstatement of factsconsignorowner

Related Statutes

  • § 11703.1 License Denial Grounds
  • § 11701 Vehicle Dealer Licensing Requirements
  • § 11716 Unregistered Vehicle Movement Permit
  • § 11713.2 Dealer Coercion Prohibition
  • § 11727 Limited License Revocation

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Vehicle Code. Section 11700.
View Official Source