Dealer management software built for California car dealers
DMS Apex keeps your inventory, deals and California title paperwork in one simple system: the Buyer's Order and California sales tax, for $28 a month.
15-day free trial · no contract · no setup fee · cancel anytime
California rules at a glance
What DMS Apex builds in for dealers in California. Rates and rules change, so confirm yours with the state.
- State tax
- 7.25% (California sales tax)
- Who pays it
- Collected by the dealer
- Local tax
- Added on top; you set the rate for your dealership or type it on each deal
- Trade-in
- Does not reduce the tax
- Dealer document processing charge
- Included in the taxable amount
- Service contract
- Not taxed
- Required wording
- The Buyer's Order prints the fee notice, required contract notices, the as-is notice
- Official forms
- Buyer's Order with the 3-day cancel statement and as-is notice; Buyers Guide
Why a dealer needs a DMS
Spreadsheets, paper folders and memory work until the day a title application is wrong, a deposit is forgotten, or you can't say what a car really made. A dealer management system puts everything about a car and a deal in one place.
Know what every car really made
Cost, auction fee, repairs and the sale price sit together, so profit is a number you can see, not a guess at the end of the month.
Stop losing days to paperwork
The same information fills the Bill of Sale, the title application and the odometer statement, so nothing is typed twice and nothing is forgotten.
See which cars are getting old
Every car shows how long it has been on the lot, so slow cars get your attention before they cost you.
Keep deals from falling through the cracks
Pending sales hold the car, track the deposit, and show what is still to collect, so a deal is never half remembered.
Get the odometer and title details right
Mileage is confirmed before every sale, and older cars that are exempt print EXEMPT, the way the state expects.
Run it from anywhere
It works in any web browser on the office computer or a laptop. There is nothing to install and nothing to back up.
California dealer paperwork, done from the deal
Enter the deal once. DMS Apex fills the California forms you already use, so you spend less time at the desk and fewer trips fixing mistakes.
- ✓California sales tax7.25% state tax plus the district tax on the price and the document processing charge, with no trade-in deduction, as California's rules provide.
- ✓The document processing charge, labeled as California requiresThe Buyer's Order states that the dealer document processing charge is not a governmental fee.
- ✓The 3-day cancel and as-is statementsThe Buyer's Order prints the 3-day right to cancel statement for used vehicles of $50,000 or less and, on an as-is sale, the as-is notice.
Manage your inventory without the busywork
From the day a car is bought to the day it is sold, you can see what it cost, where it stands and how long it has been on the lot.
Add a car in minutes
Type the VIN and the year, make, model and details fill in. Stock numbers count up on their own.
Track every dollar into the car
Purchase price, auction fees and each repair are recorded against the car, with the vendor who did the work.
Know where every car stands
In Stock, Reserved, In Service or Sold, with the inventory age on every car.
Find any car fast
Search by make, model or year, sort by any column, and open a car with a double-click.
Wholesale and trade-ins too
Sell a car wholesale to another dealer, and record trade-ins right on the deal.
Reports you can export
Sales, pending sales, profit and loss, vehicles purchased, inventory, tax and fees, salesman and more, ready to print or open in Excel.
Why pay for a system built for a different kind of dealership?
Big-lot dealer systems are designed for large sales teams, finance departments and long rollouts. If you run your own lot and your own deals, you end up paying every month for modules you never open, on a contract, after weeks of setup. DMS Apex is built the other way around: the tools a hands-on dealer uses every day, at a price that makes sense.
| A typical full-scale DMS | DMS Apex | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Often several hundred dollars a month, and more as you add features | $28 a month, everything included |
| Contract | Long-term agreements are common | No contract. Cancel any time |
| Getting started | Weeks of onboarding, setup fees and training sessions | Sign up, add a car, start. No training needed |
| What you get | Dozens of modules built for large sales and finance departments | The tools a hands-on dealer uses every day, and nothing to wade through |
| California paperwork | Often extra, or set up separately | State and district tax, the fee statement and the 3-day cancel notice built in |
Comparison describes typical full-scale systems in general, not any one company.
Built for independent dealers who run their own lot
If you buy the cars, price them, sell them and handle the paperwork yourself, or with a trusted few, DMS Apex fits the way you already work. It follows a car from purchase to title, with no department structure to learn and nothing to configure first. You get the control a large lot has, without the overhead.
- ✓Add your first car in minutes
- ✓Works in any web browser
- ✓Your team sees what you allow
- ✓Prints on any black-and-white printer
- ✓Cash and outside-financed deals
- ✓Your data stays private to your dealership
Start in an afternoon, not a month
- 1Sign upCreate your account and add a card. Nothing is charged for 15 days.
- 2Add your carsEnter a VIN and the details fill in. Your inventory is ready as fast as you can type.
- 3Sell your first carBuild the deal and print the California paperwork from it.
$28 a month after your 15-day trial. Cancel anytime.
Questions California dealers ask
What does a dealer management system (DMS) do?
A DMS keeps your inventory, deals, customers, costs and paperwork in one place instead of in spreadsheets, paper files and memory. It shows which cars are on the lot, how long each has been there, what each car cost, what each sale made, and it prints the paperwork for a deal.
Does DMS Apex print California dealer paperwork?
DMS Apex prints a Buyer's Order with the not-a-governmental-fee statement, the 3-day right to cancel statement and the as-is notice California requires, plus the federal Buyers Guide. California's REG 343 and REG 262 are filed with the DMV, so they are not printed by DMS Apex.
How does DMS Apex work out California sales tax?
California charges 7.25% state tax plus the district tax of the buyer's registration address on the price and the document processing charge. A trade-in does not reduce the tax, and an optional warranty is not taxed. You type the combined district rate. Rules change, so please confirm yours with the CDTFA or your accountant.
How much does DMS Apex cost?
$28 a month, flat. There is a 15-day free trial, no contract and no setup fee. A card is needed to open your account, it is charged on day 15 unless you cancel before then, and you can cancel any time from Billing.
Do I need to sign a contract or pay to get set up?
No. There is no contract, no setup fee and no required training. You sign up, add your first car, and you are working.
Is my dealership's information private?
Yes. Every dealership has its own private database. Your cars, deals and customers are not mixed with anyone else's, and you decide which of your team can see costs and profit.
Does DMS Apex work in other states?
Yes, more states are being added all the time. See the full list on the States page. You can keep your inventory and deals in DMS Apex from anywhere, but the printed forms and tax rules are for the states we cover.
Is DMS Apex connected to the State of California?
No. DMS Apex is independent software. It fills the state's published forms so you can finish them from your deal, but it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles or the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Always check current requirements with the state.