Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form

What Is REG 262?

REG 262 is California’s Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form. It bundles three documents most sellers would otherwise track separately into one sheet: a bill of sale, a federal odometer disclosure statement, and a power of attorney. It isn’t the ownership certificate itself, it’s a companion form that has to travel with the title or an Application for Duplicate Title when you transfer a vehicle or vessel.

One form, three jobs, and you’ll usually only fill in all three if your situation calls for it.

• Bill of sale. Who sold the vehicle or vessel, who bought it, and for how much, or the gift value if nobody paid for it.

• Odometer disclosure. The mileage at the time of transfer, certified under penalty of perjury, as federal and state law require.

• Power of attorney. An optional section letting you name someone else to finish the transfer paperwork on your behalf.

DMV treats it as a public service form that fills a gap other documents can’t, which is why it tends to show up alongside a missing title, an out-of-state title, or a title that’s simply run out of room for this information.

When You Actually Need This Form

Most private vehicle sales in California get by with a signed title and maybe a bill of sale. This form shows up in a narrower set of situations:

• The title is lost, damaged, or was never issued, so you’re filing an Application for Duplicate Title alongside it.
• Your out-of-state or older title doesn’t have its own bill-of-sale or odometer section to fill in.
• A dealer is reassigning a vehicle that’s changed hands more than once before reaching the next buyer.
• You need to correct or restate an odometer reading that was recorded incorrectly on an earlier document.

If none of these apply and your title’s own transfer section is already filled in correctly, you likely don’t need this form at all.

How to Get DMV REG 262 Form

DMV prints this form on secure paper with anti-counterfeiting features built in, the same reason the top of it reads “photocopies not accepted.” That security measure protects the odometer disclosure from tampering, so DMV issues it directly instead of offering it as a downloadable PDF.

• Pick one up at a DMV field office. It’s free, and no appointment is needed just to grab a form.
• Call DMV’s automated line at 1-800-777-0133 and request one by mail.
• Ask a dealership you’re working with. Many keep a supply on hand.

Grab two copies if you can. Every signature has to be in ink, and a mistake on security paper means starting over rather than crossing it out.

Filling Out Sections 1 and 2

Section 1 asks for the vehicle or vessel’s full identification number, year, make, and license plate or CF number, or the motorcycle engine number if that applies instead. Leave any part of the identification number blank and DMV returns the whole form as incomplete.

Section 2 is the bill of sale piece. Print the seller’s name and the buyer’s name, the date of sale, and the amount paid. If you gave the vehicle or vessel away, enter the gift value and note your relationship to the recipient, like parent, spouse, or friend, instead of a selling price.

The Odometer Disclosure Statement

Section 3 is where federal and state law require you to state the mileage at the time of transfer. Write the reading exactly as it shows, with no tenths, and certify that it reflects the actual mileage to the best of your knowledge.

Two checkboxes exist for when that’s not true: one if the odometer reading isn’t the actual mileage, and one if the mileage exceeds what the odometer can mechanically display. Check whichever applies and use the explanation line underneath to describe the discrepancy in a sentence or two. Leaving this section blank, or filling it out falsely, carries real penalties under federal law, including fines.

Signing Section 4: Buyer and Seller

Up to three buyers and three sellers can sign here, and each one has to hand print their name, write the date, and sign in ink beside it, along with a driver license, ID, or dealer/dismantler number. Both the buyer’s and seller’s parts ask for a full mailing address and a daytime phone number as well.

This is the section that makes the form a sworn statement rather than a casual note. Both sides certify under penalty of perjury that everything on it is true, so treat it with the same care as a notarized document even though no notary is required here.

Section 5: Power of Attorney, and Why Insurance Companies Use It

The last section lets you appoint someone else, an attorney in fact, to complete the paperwork needed to transfer ownership on your behalf. You don’t need to fill this out for an ordinary private sale.

It gets used most often after a total loss insurance claim. Once an insurer pays out on a totaled vehicle, it typically takes ownership of the wreck, and Section 5 lets you sign over that authority in one step instead of mailing in separate paperwork for every document the insurer’s title team still has to file. If your insurance company asked you to sign this section and name them as attorney in fact, that’s a standard part of closing out a total loss claim, not a sign that something has gone wrong.

Where to Submit Your Completed CA DMV REG 262

This form doesn’t get mailed in by itself. Attach it to whatever it’s supporting, the signed title, an Application for Duplicate Title, or the paperwork for a dealer reassignment, and submit the whole packet together, either by mail or in person at a DMV field office.

If you’re also applying for a duplicate title, double check that the names, identification number, and dates on this form match the rest of your packet exactly. A mismatch between documents is one of the more common reasons DMV sends the whole thing back.

Mistakes That Get This Form Rejected

• Leaving part of the identification number blank
• Using a pencil, a photocopy, or anything other than original ink signatures
• Forgetting to check a discrepancy box when the mileage doesn’t match, or checking one without explaining it
• Letting names, dates, or the identification number disagree with the title or duplicate title application it’s filed with
• Filling in Section 5 when the person signing isn’t actually the registered owner

Frequently Asked Questions

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