The downside, in California, is that the DMV still considers you to be the owner even after you sell your car to them. Some woman got a ticket because of this,

The downside, in California, is that the DMV still considers you to be the owner even after you sell your car to them. Some woman got a ticket because of this, although it was eventually dropped. In California, CarMax and other dealers don’t need to register a purchased vehicle in the company name. So even with her release of liability, the DMV considered the former owner to the registered owner of the ticketed vehicle. http://consumerist.com/2013/04/19/woman-hit-with-traffic-ticket-for-car-shed-sold-to-carmax-months-earlier/ http://consumerist.com/2013/04/19/woman-hit-with-traffic-tic...