Moving Out of California From LA County or the West Valley
What should you know before you sell and move out of California from Los Angeles County or the West Valley? Moving out of California from Los Angeles County starts with one question most sellers skip: is your home inside the City of Los Angeles? Every sale in the county pays the county transfer tax, but homes inside city limits, including Chatsworth, Porter Ranch, Northridge, Granada Hills, West Hills and North Hills, also pay the city's transfer tax and, on high-value sales, Measure ULA. After that, check your gain against the Section 121 exclusion, settle Form 593 withholding before escrow closes, and plan the part-year return you'll file after you leave.
Updated November 2026. By Steve Hise and Tricia Garcia, Real Estate Toolbox at eXp Realty, Simi Valley (DRE #01702055 / #02032007). Our office is just over the hill from Chatsworth and Porter Ranch, and we help sellers on both sides of the county line.
Free guide: Leaving California, the Seller’s Game Plan. The tax questions to answer first, a worksheet for your walk-away number, three ways to time your sale with your move, and a 90-day checklist.
Step one: find out which city your home is in
The San Fernando Valley isn't one city. Much of the West Valley is part of the City of Los Angeles. Los Angeles City Council District 12, for example, lists Chatsworth, Granada Hills, North Hills, Northridge, Porter Ranch, Sherwood Forest and West Hills as its neighborhoods. Other nearby communities, such as Calabasas and Hidden Hills, are separate cities with their own rules.
A neighborhood name on your mail is a postal name, not a city boundary. Check your property tax bill or ask your escrow or title officer to confirm the jurisdiction before you estimate costs. It's the single biggest variable in what you'll pay to sell.
Transfer taxes in Los Angeles County vs. the City of Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder says a documentary transfer tax applies to documents that convey real property, at $0.55 for each $500 of value (often written as $1.10 per $1,000). The county lists five cities that add their own tax on top: Culver City, Los Angeles, Pomona, Redondo Beach and Santa Monica.
For the City of Los Angeles, the county's rate table shows these amounts for sales effective July 1, 2026:
| Where the home is | Transfer tax (per the recorder's rate table) |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, outside the five special cities | County: $0.55 per $500 of value |
| City of Los Angeles | County $0.55 per $500, plus city $2.25 per $500 |
| City of Los Angeles, sale above $5,400,000 but below $10,900,000 | Add 4% of the total sale price (Measure ULA) |
| City of Los Angeles, sale at or above $10,900,000 | Add 5.5% of the total sale price (Measure ULA) |
| Ventura County (Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks) | $0.55 per $500, per the Clerk-Recorder fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 |
In plain numbers: for every $1,000,000 of sale price, the county tax works out to $1,100. Inside the City of Los Angeles, the city adds $4,500 per $1,000,000, for $5,600 in total. Measure ULA is the big one. It's figured on the whole price, not just the part above the threshold, and the thresholds were $5,300,000 and $10,600,000 for sales effective July 1, 2025, so they can change each July. The county notes that the tax math is the document preparer's job, not the recorder's. Your purchase contract says who pays each tax, so ask escrow for the exact figures on your sale.
Check your gain before you pick a sale date
The Franchise Tax Board says California follows the federal rules for selling a main home. If you owned it and lived in it as your primary residence for at least 2 of the 5 years before the sale, you can generally exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or up to $500,000 for married or RDP couples filing jointly. This is the Section 121 exclusion. Gain above the limit is taxable.
- Long-time West Valley owners are the people most likely to have gain above the limit. Improvements such as a new roof, an added bathroom or a pool add to your basis and lower your gain, so start pulling receipts now.
- Timing matters. If you move out and rent the home before selling, the 2-of-5 clock keeps running. Talk with a CPA before you sign a lease.
If you've already moved, read how California taxes your home sale after you move out of state.
Form 593: the withholding escrow handles
Under the FTB's 2026 Form 593 instructions, escrow generally withholds 3 1/3% of the sales price for California income tax unless an exemption applies. A seller can instead elect an alternative calculation based on the estimated gain. Selling the home you live in, or one last used as your principal residence under Section 121, is usually exempt from withholding. Hand the completed form to escrow before closing. After closing, withheld money only comes back as a credit on your California return. Our Form 593 guide walks through each line.
Timing your sale with your move
If you need your equity for the next down payment, selling first is usually simpler. If you want to move once, buying first may fit. A rent-back after closing, or a same-day close with your new home, can bridge the gap. We plan both moves together so you're not stuck in between. Compare the options in sell first or buy first when you're moving out of state, and see the full order of steps in selling your house and leaving California, step by step.
Weighing a move within California instead? The Board of Equalization says Proposition 19 lets an eligible homeowner transfer a base year value to a replacement home anywhere in California, generally bought or built within two years of the sale. It doesn't carry to another state. See our Prop 19 guide.
After you move: the part-year return
The FTB says part-year residents pay California tax on all income received while a resident, and nonresidents pay tax on California-source income, which includes the sale of California real property. If you sell after you've moved, the gain is still California-source. Part-year residents and nonresidents file Form 540NR, where any Form 593 withholding is claimed as a credit. Keep records of the date you left.
Where West Valley sellers are going
We've written pages for the moves we see most often from this side of the hills: Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Boise, Nashville and Florida. Run your numbers first with our Leaving California calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Does Measure ULA apply to my home sale?
Only if the home is inside the City of Los Angeles and the sale is above $5,400,000 (for sales effective July 1, 2026), per the LA County Registrar-Recorder's rate table. Homes in other cities, or in unincorporated areas, don't pay it.
Is Chatsworth or Porter Ranch in the City of Los Angeles?
Yes. Los Angeles City Council District 12 lists Chatsworth, Porter Ranch, Northridge, Granada Hills, West Hills, North Hills and Sherwood Forest as its neighborhoods. Confirm your own parcel with escrow or your tax bill.
Will escrow hold back money for California taxes when I leave?
Generally 3 1/3% of the sales price under Form 593, unless an exemption applies. Selling the home you live in, or one last used as your principal residence, is usually exempt.
Can I take my Prop 19 tax base to another state?
No. The Board of Equalization says the Prop 19 base year value transfer goes to a replacement home anywhere in California, not in another state.
Leaving the Valley? Let's map out your sale
We have about 20 years of combined experience and have helped hundreds of families sell and move. For the big picture, start with our guide to leaving California and selling your home. Selling in North Hills? See sell my house in North Hills. When you're ready, start here to schedule a call, or call or text 805-424-6226.
Sources
- Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, Documentary Transfer Tax (viewed November 14, 2026).
- Los Angeles City Council District 12 (viewed November 14, 2026).
- Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 (viewed November 14, 2026).
- Franchise Tax Board, Income from the sale of your home (viewed November 14, 2026).
- Franchise Tax Board, 2026 Instructions for Form 593 (viewed November 14, 2026).
- Franchise Tax Board, Part-year resident and nonresident (viewed November 14, 2026).
- California State Board of Equalization, Proposition 19 (viewed November 14, 2026).
Steve Hise and Tricia Garcia, Real Estate Toolbox at eXp Realty, 1720 E Los Angeles Ave, Suite F, Simi Valley, CA 93065
Steve Hise CA DRE #01702055 | Tricia Garcia CA DRE #02032007
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Transfer tax rates and thresholds can change each year, and tax rules depend on your dates, ownership and situation, so confirm figures with escrow and talk with a CPA before you set your sale date.
