SkySlope Launches C.A.R. Real Estate Forms!

What C.A.R. forms are

The California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) writes and maintains a library of standard forms so that California transactions use common, legally reviewed language. C.A.R. updates the library in scheduled releases, most recently in June 2026, so the version of a form matters as well as its name. Each form has a short code (RPA, SPQ, AVID) that agents use in conversation and on file checklists.

C.A.R. forms are licensed, and agents usually fill them in through a forms platform that carries the library.

Common C.A.R. forms by code

Form names follow C.A.R.’s list of standard forms.

The zipForm change and the December 31, 2026 date

C.A.R. provides zipForm to members as a free benefit. Its FAQ for members describes the following changes:

• zipForm Standard (desktop) is available until December 31, 2026. After that, members must use the online version of zipForm or Transact to keep the current C.A.R. library.
• zipForm will “likely be retired in 2027”; C.A.R. has not set a date.
• Templates in the member benefit do not transfer automatically to Transact and need to be recreated. Active transactions and saved forms can be migrated.
• Brokerage accounts on zipForm for Brokers do not change until the broker admin starts the switch.

Where California agents fill in C.A.R. forms

California agents can access the current C.A.R. library in three main ways:

Some MLSs give members direct access to SkySlope Forms from inside the MLS, including CRMLS through its dashboard and UtahRealEstate.com and OneKey MLS through single sign-on. Existing users sign in at the SkySlope Forms login. More California information is on the SkySlope California page.

Filling, signing and filing them in SkySlope

1. 1

   Create the fileAgent

   Start a Forms file for the listing or purchase. Every form, signature and version is kept in it.

2. 2

   Import MLS dataSystem

   Enter the MLS number and choose the listing. SkySlope fills in the property address, parcel number and list price on every form in the file.

3. 3

   Add forms or a templateAgent

   Add C.A.R. forms and your brokerage’s own documents from one searchable list, or apply a saved template.

4. 4

   Sign and fileClient

   Send the packet to DigiSign. Signed forms return to the file and, for brokerages on SkySlope, to the transaction checklist.

Signatures are handled in DigiSign, SkySlope’s own e-signature tool. Which California documents can be signed electronically, and which still need a notary, is covered in electronic signatures in real estate.

Using the forms as a broker’s checklist

For a California brokerage, the same forms become the compliance checklist each file is reviewed against. A purchase-side checklist based on the forms above usually looks like this; the broker decides which items are required and which are conditional.

In SkySlope each item is a checklist line. The agent uploads the document, it is attached to its line, and the broker accepts or rejects it. That record is what a DRE audit reviews.

Preparing before December 31

What should California agents do before zipForm Standard ends?

• List your templates. Record every saved packet and clause set in zipForm Standard, since these do not transfer automatically.
• Check what your brokerage uses. If your broker already licenses a platform with the C.A.R. library, rebuild your templates there.
• Decide on active files. Choose which open transactions will finish where they are and which will move.
• Confirm your signature tool connects to your forms tool, so signed documents come back without re-uploading.
• Start early. Rebuilding templates in the last week of December, during active escrows, makes errors more likely.

Brokers moving a whole office should also read our guide to choosing transaction management software, since the forms decision and the compliance review decision are usually made together.

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