How to see if dealer transferred title to them ? (California)

I traded in a car in 2023 for another at a dealership and a month later got a paper saying the registration was due. I ignored it and fast forward to today I got a check from the dealership for 590$ for a refund on the registration. I negotiated for them to pay my expired tags and they said they would. Is there a way for me to check I tried looking up the plate on the dmv website with the VIN but it’s not showing up. I think the sales manager may have paid out of pocket.