Application for Duplicate or Transfer of Title

What REG 227 Is For

This form covers two different situations under one application: getting a replacement title when your original is lost, stolen, damaged, or never arrived, and transferring a vehicle to a new owner when the seller doesn’t have the title in hand to sign over.

It can’t be used if the vehicle has an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) on it. A bank or finance company with an electronic lien releases it through their own ELT process instead.

The Two Situations DMV REG 227 Covers

At the top of the form, you’ll see two checkboxes. Which one you check decides which sections you actually need to fill in.

• Situation 1: You still own the vehicle. You just need a replacement title because the original was lost, stolen, damaged, or never arrived. Check the “Duplicate Title” box and fill in Sections 1 through 3. That’s it.

• Situation 2: You’re selling or gifting the vehicle. You don’t have the title to hand over. Check “Transfer of Title with Duplicate” instead. The seller fills in Sections 1 through 4, and the new owner fills in Sections 6 and 7.

Both situations get handled through the same form, so checking the right box upfront is what saves you from filling in sections you don’t need.

Who Needs This Title Transfer Form

You’ll likely need this form if any of these describe your situation:

• Your California title was lost, stolen, or damaged beyond use
• You never received the title, either from the DMV or from the person who sold you the vehicle
• You’re selling or gifting a vehicle but can’t find the original title to sign over to the buyer
• You’re a buyer receiving a vehicle through this kind of duplicate-title transfer
• You’re a lienholder who needs to release your interest in a vehicle after a loan is paid off

If you already have the original title sitting in a drawer somewhere, you don’t need this form. A standard title transfer form is what you’d use when the paperwork is simply changing hands, not when it’s missing.

Before You Start

Have this ready before you sit down with the form, since it saves a trip back to the DMV:

• The vehicle’s license plate or vessel CF number, and the VIN or hull ID number
• The vehicle’s year and make, or the vessel’s builder
• Your driver’s license or ID number
• The exact reason the title is missing (lost, stolen, illegible, or never received)
• If you’re transferring ownership, the buyer’s full legal name and driver’s license number
• If there’s a lender involved, their name and address exactly as it appears on DMV’s records
• If the vehicle came from a qualified relative as a gift, you’ll also need to file a REG 256 Statement of Facts alongside this form

How to Fill Out REG 227 Form

Section 1: Registered Owner Information

Print your name exactly as it appears on the title or registration. If there’s a co-owner, their information goes in the second row. This section also asks for your county of residence, or the county where the vehicle or vessel is normally kept, which matters for DMV’s records even though it’s easy to skip past.

Section 2: Legal Owner of Record

Fill this in only if a bank, finance company, or individual currently holds a lien on the vehicle. If there’s no lender, leave it blank. Don’t list your own name here, this section is just for the lienholder, not the registered owner.

Section 3: Missing Title Statement

Check the one box that matches why you need a duplicate: lost, stolen, illegible or mutilated, not received from a prior owner, or not received from DMV. Read the warning above the checkboxes carefully, requesting a duplicate cancels the original title, so if the old one turns up later, it’s no longer valid.

Two things can change how you file this section. If your current address doesn’t match what DMV has on record, you have to apply in person with proof of ownership (your registration card or renewal notice) and your driver’s license or ID, mailing it in won’t work. And if the title on this vehicle was already replaced within the last 90 days, DMV will require a CHP vehicle verification before issuing another one.

Checking “Stolen”? File a police report first if you haven’t already, DMV may ask for the report number.

One more thing worth knowing: if your vehicle’s title carries a brand, like salvage or rebuilt, that brand carries over to the new title too. A duplicate doesn’t erase it.

Section 4: Registered Owner Release of Ownership

Only complete this if you checked “Transfer of Title with Duplicate.” Every owner listed under Section 1 needs to sign here to release their interest in the vehicle, and if two owners are joined by “AND” on DMV’s records, both signatures are required, not just one.

Section 5: Legal Owner Release of Ownership (Notarized)

This section of REG 227 form is only for lienholders, the bank, finance company, or person who financed the vehicle, letting go of their interest once the loan is paid off. It’s the one part of this application that actually needs a notary. The lienholder applies for the duplicate title first, then uses this section to release their interest on the new title once it’s issued.

Can’t find the old lienholder, or did they go out of business? DMV handles this case by case, so a field office visit is the fastest way to sort it out instead of guessing what to write in Section 2.

Section 6: New Registered Owner Information

The buyer fills this out when a transfer is involved. It covers the purchase price, or the market value if the vehicle was a gift or trade, along with the new owner’s name, license number, and address. If more than one buyer is listed, choose “AND” or “OR” based on whether you want every owner’s signature required for a future sale, or just one.

Section 7: New Legal Owner

If the new owner is financing the vehicle, the lender’s information goes here, entered exactly as it appears on their ELT listing if they participate in electronic titling. If there’s no lender, write “None.”

Section 8: Dealer’s Release of Acquired Vehicle

This section only applies when a licensed dealer acquired the vehicle and is releasing it to a buyer. Most private sellers and buyers can skip it entirely.

One more step for sellers: once the sale goes through, file a Notice of Release of Liability (REG 138) too. It’s a separate, quick form that protects you if the new owner gets a ticket or gets in an accident before registering the vehicle in their own name.

Does REG 227 Need to Be Notarized?

For most people filing this form, no. Notarization is only required in Section 5, when a lienholder is releasing their interest in the vehicle after a loan is paid off. If you’re simply requesting a duplicate title for a vehicle you still own, or transferring ownership as a private seller, you can sign the form yourself with no notary involved.

The confusion is understandable. The form includes a full notary certificate block near the bottom, which makes it look like every signature needs to be witnessed. That block exists specifically for the lienholder’s release in Section 5, not for registered owners completing Sections 1 through 4 or new owners completing Section 6.

Common Mistakes That Slow This Down

• Not realizing that a duplicate title cancels the original, so finding the old one later doesn’t undo the request
• Mailing the application in when your address doesn’t match DMV’s records, which actually requires filing in person
• Missing a required co-owner’s signature when names are joined by “AND”
• Leaving the missing title statement blank instead of checking the specific reason
• Assuming the entire form needs a notary, when it’s only Section 5
• Forgetting the REG 256 Statement of Facts when the vehicle came from a qualified relative as a gift

Fees and Processing Time

The duplicate title fee has landed in the $20 to $30 range in recent years, but DMV updates fees from time to time, so check their current fee calculator for the exact amount before you file.

Timing depends on how you file. Mail it in, and plan for four to six weeks. Drop it off at a field office instead, and it often moves faster, closer to two to four weeks. It’s worth planning around a month if you need the title for something time-sensitive, like selling the vehicle.

Where to Send It

The completed form can be mailed to the DMV or dropped off at a field office, along with any supporting documents your situation requires (like a REG 256 for a family transfer). If your address doesn’t match DMV’s records, or the title was replaced in the last 90 days, you’ll need to file in person instead, since those situations require proof of ownership, ID, or a CHP inspection that can’t be handled by mail.

Frequently Asked Questions