Curbstoning

Curbstoning is when someone sells cars as a business without a dealer license, usually posing as a private seller and listing cars online or parking them by the road. Curbstoners often skip title transfers, hide damage, or sell washed-title or flood cars.

If you’re buying a used car or a cheap “project” from a stranger, check that the name on the title matches the seller’s ID. If you’re selling a junk car, sell to licensed buyers, so the car doesn’t end up flipped with your name still on the record.

California’s DMV says it is illegal to provide vehicle-related services without a DMV-issued business license, including unlicensed vehicle dealers, brokers and salespeople, “also known as curbstoners.”¹