What REG 256 Form Actually Does
REG 256 is the DMV’s Statement of Facts form. It’s used alongside another DMV form, like a title transfer or registration application, to explain something that form doesn’t cover on its own, such as a tax exemption, a smog exemption, or a correction to your name.
Statement of facts has sections A through H. You usually complete only the section that applies to your situation, then sign Section H.
Find Your Section: A Through H
Read through this list and find the letter that fits you:
- Section A: Use Tax Exemption. Use this if you got the vehicle as a gift, through a family transfer, an inheritance, or a court order, and you don’t owe use tax.
- Section B: Smog Exemption. Use this if your vehicle doesn’t need a smog check for this transfer, for example, it was smogged in the last 90 days, runs on electricity or diesel, is kept outside California, or is moving between close relatives.
- Section C: Transfer Only or Title Only. Use this if the vehicle has never been driven, towed, or parked on a street, highway, or off-highway area.
- Section D: Window Decal for Wheelchair Lift or Carrier. Use this if you have a qualifying disabled plate or placard and need a decal for a wheelchair lift or carrier.
- Section E: Vehicle Body Change. Use this if the vehicle’s weight, body type, motive power, or number of axles changed.
- Section F: Name Statement. Use this if your name is misspelled on the title, needs correcting, or if two names on file belong to the same person.
- Section G: General Statement of Facts. This is a blank space for anything DMV specifically asked you to explain in writing that doesn’t fit Sections A through F.”
- Section H: Signature. Everyone signs here, no matter which section above you used.
If none of these match your situation, you probably don’t need this form.
What You’ll Need Before You Fill it Out
No matter which section you’re using, have this on hand:
- The vehicle’s license plate or CF number, VIN or hull ID number, and year and make
Depending on which section applies to you, you may also need:
- Section A: the vehicle’s current market value, even though you won’t be paying tax on it
- Section E or F: your Ownership Certificate, which is the vehicle’s title
- A family transfer: the exact relationship between you and the person giving you the vehicle, such as “parent” or “sibling,” not just “family”
How to Fill Out DMV REG 256
Section A: Statement for Use Tax Exemption
Check the one box that matches why you don’t owe use tax: a transfer between parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, spouses, or domestic partners, an addition or removal of a family member, a gift, a court order, or an inheritance. Siblings only qualify if both are minors related by blood or adoption.
This exemption doesn’t apply if you bought the vehicle from a relative who sells that type of vehicle or vessel for a living. You still need to write in the current market value, even though you won’t be taxed on it. DMV keeps this figure for its own records.
Section B: Statement for Smog Exemption
Check every box that applies. Common reasons include a smog check done in the last 90 days, an electric or diesel vehicle, or a transfer between close relatives, a sole proprietor and their own business, or a leasing company and its lessee with no change in who drives the vehicle. If the vehicle is kept outside California, this exemption applies too, except in Nevada or Mexico, those two don’t qualify.
Most of these exemptions only cover this one transfer. If Biennial Smog is required later, it can still apply then.
Section C: Statement for Transfer Only or Title Only
This section only applies to a vehicle that has never been driven, moved, towed, or parked on any street, highway, or off-highway area. Check the box for transfer only or title only, whichever applies. By checking it, you’re certifying the vehicle hasn’t been operated at all. If that changes and you want to drive it, you’ll need to get regular registration first.
Section D: Window Decal for Wheelchair Lift or Wheelchair Carrier
Enter your Disabled Person license plate number, Disabled Veteran plate number, or Permanent Disabled Person placard number, along with the vehicle’s make and ID number. This section also asks where DMV should mail the decal once it’s ready.
Section E: Statement for Vehicle Body Change
Attach your Ownership Certificate to this section. List the vehicle’s current market value, what the change cost, and the date it happened. Check every box that fits: a change in unladen weight (which needs a Public Weighmaster Certificate, except for trailers), a change in motive power, body type, or number of axles.
Section F: Name Statement
Attach your Ownership Certificate here too. Use this section to state that two names on file belong to the same person, to correct a misspelled name, or to record a legal name change. Print clearly, since DMV updates its records with exactly what you write.
Section G: General Statement of Facts
This is a blank space for anything DMV specifically asked you to explain in writing that doesn’t fit Sections A through F. If DMV didn’t request this, leave it blank.
Section H: Applicant’s Signature
Sign here no matter which section above you filled in. You’re certifying under penalty of perjury that everything you wrote is true, so check your answers before you sign.
Does This Form Need a Notary or a Fee?
REG 256 itself doesn’t have a separate filing fee listed on the form. The transaction you’re attaching it to, like a title transfer or registration, may still have its own fees, so check those separately with DMV’s fee calculator.
You sign Section H under penalty of perjury, which is why no notary is required anywhere on this form.
What Trips People Up
- Filling in a section that doesn’t actually match your situation
- Forgetting to attach an Ownership Certificate for Section E or F, both require it
- Claiming a family transfer exemption when the vehicle came from a relative’s dealership or vehicle business
- Leaving the market value blank in Section A, even though the transfer is tax exempt
- Using Section C for a vehicle that’s already been driven or parked on a public road, even once
- Checking a smog exemption box without confirming Biennial Smog doesn’t still apply
Submitting CA REG 256 With Your Other Paperwork
Submit DMV 256 form along with whatever else your DMV transaction requires. How you send it in, by mail, at a field office, or through a dealer, depends on the transaction it’s supporting, not on this form by itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to fill out every section of Statement of Facts?
No. Fill in the section or sections that match your situation, then sign Section H. Filling in a section that doesn’t apply can slow your application down.
Can I use REG 256 to correct my name on a vehicle title?
Yes, that’s what Section F is for. Use the Name Statement section to explain a misspelling, a name correction, or that two names on file belong to the same person, and attach your Ownership Certificate.
Do I still need to list the vehicle’s value if the transfer is tax exempt?
Yes. Section A asks for the current market value even when no use tax is owed. DMV keeps that figure on record regardless of the exemption.
Which sections require an Ownership Certificate?
Sections E and F both require you to attach your Ownership Certificate, which is the title itself. None of the other sections need it.
Can I use REG 256 for a vehicle title transfer?
Yes, but REG 256 is not the main title transfer form. You can use it to claim a use tax exemption or explain certain details, such as a name correction. You’ll still need the proper title transfer forms.