California · Vehicle Code

VEH §6150: In any criminal proceeding in which ownership, possession, or use of a motor vehicle is an issue, a copy certified by the department as its record of title on file, or with the official custodian of t

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes that certified motor vehicle title records are admissible as evidence of ownership in criminal proceedings. It also requires courts to grant a continuance if the legal owner is not named on the title or if consent/authority of the owner is at issue.

Read the full statutory text

In any criminal proceeding in which ownership, possession, or use of a motor vehicle is an issue, a copy certified by the department as its record of title on file, or with the official custodian of those documents of another state, shall be admissible as evidence of ownership of the motor vehicle. Upon the introduction of evidence that the legal owner of a motor vehicle is not named in the certificate of title or that use or possession was with the consent or authority of the owner, a reasonable continuance shall be granted any party to enable the owner of the vehicle to be brought into court to testify.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.