What REG 31 Actually Verifies
REG 31 is California’s Verification of Vehicle form, the document a DMV employee, a licensed vehicle verifier, or an officer fills out after physically inspecting your vehicle to confirm the VIN and other details match your paperwork. You can’t complete it yourself, and it typically comes up when you’re registering a vehicle that doesn’t already have a California record, like one you just brought in from another state.
The inspection covers the vehicle sitting in front of the verifier, not photos or documents alone. They check the VIN itself, where it’s located and how it’s attached, the federal safety and emission labels, the odometer, and how everything compares against your title or registration card.
Who Can Actually Complete REG 31 Form
Four types of people are authorized to fill this out, and unless you happen to hold one of these roles yourself, you’re not one of them:
- A DMV employee, at a field office, free of charge.
- A California licensed Vehicle Verifier (VV), a private inspector the state has licensed specifically for this job, usually for a fee.
- An authorized Auto Club employee, typically available if you’re a member.
- A trained peace officer, such as CHP, who has completed vehicle verification training.
Whoever does it has to physically inspect your complete, assembled vehicle. A photo, a video call, or a verification based on paperwork alone doesn’t count.
Where to Get Your DMV REG 31 Completed
Which option makes sense for your DMV REG 31 depends mostly on your vehicle and how soon you need it done.
- DMV field office. Free, but appointments can book out several weeks depending on your area, and walk-ins mean waiting.
- CHP. Also free, reserved for specific cases listed below, and usually requires a referral from DMV first.
- AAA. If you’re a member, many branches handle routine verifications at no extra charge.
- A licensed private Vehicle Verifier. Often the fastest option, and some will come to your location, but you’ll pay a fee that varies by provider.
A private verifier, AAA employee, or out-of-state officer can’t handle every situation. These go straight to DMV or CHP instead:
- The federal certification label disagrees with the VIN, or is missing, damaged, altered, or was never issued, like on a direct import or grey-market vehicle
- Revived salvage or revived junk vehicles
- Specially constructed, kit, or replica vehicles
- Used motorcycles with no available California record
- Vehicles with documents from a foreign country
- Motorcycles that have had an engine change
If your situation matches any of these, book directly with DMV or CHP instead of a private verifier, since they’ll have to turn you away otherwise.
The Nine Sections of This Vin Verification Form
Whoever verifies your vehicle works through all nine numbered sections, and each one needs at least one box checked, marked not applicable if it doesn’t apply. Leaving any of them blank voids the whole form.
- VIN location, attachment, and type. Where the plate or stamp sits, how it’s attached, and what form it takes.
- VIN and engine number condition. Whether it’s legible and matches, or shows signs of tampering, damage, or being reassigned by the field office.
- Model year source. Usually the 10th digit of the VIN for 1980 and newer vehicles.
- Federal Certification Label status. Required for 1970 and newer vehicles, except off-highway vehicles.
- Odometer reading. Recorded exactly as shown, skipped only for off-highway and low-speed vehicles.
- Supporting ownership document. The verifier compares your VIN against your title, manufacturer’s certificate, or registration card.
- Emission label. Confirms which federal or state emissions standard the vehicle meets.
That covers seven of the nine. The license plate and vehicle description fields at the top round out the rest, filled in from whatever’s actually on the vehicle in front of the verifier.
Moving to California? The 20-Day Rule
New residents get 20 days from the date they establish residency, or the date of purchase if they bought the vehicle from a private seller in another state, to register it with California DMV. Signing a lease, starting a job, registering to vote, or enrolling kids in a California school all count toward establishing residency, even before you’ve gotten around to the paperwork.
Since your out-of-state vehicle has no California record yet, this verification is a standard part of registering it here. Field office appointments can run weeks out in busier areas, so many new residents book a licensed vehicle verifier or visit AAA ahead of their DMV appointment instead of waiting on everything at once.
Taking an Off-Highway Vehicle or Motorcycle Street Legal
Only a verification completed by an authorized DMV employee is accepted when you’re switching a motorcycle currently registered off-highway, or titled “for off-highway use only,” over to on-highway street registration. A private verifier, AAA, or an officer can’t sign off on this particular switch.
On the off-highway side, a 2003 or newer model year OHV with a “3” or “C” in the eighth position of the VIN is considered non-complying and gets a red sticker, which restricts where it can legally be ridden.
Specially Constructed and Kit Cars
A replica built from a kit, like a Cobra, Mustang, or Corvette reproduction, assembled for private use and not for resale, registers as a Specially Constructed Vehicle. The model year field gets entered as “0000” instead of an actual year, since kit vehicles were never manufactured with one.
If a licensed manufacturer or remanufacturer built the kit, it has to be registered under their name instead of the make it’s replicating.
If Your VIN Doesn’t Match Your Title
A genuine mismatch between the VIN on your vehicle and the number on your titling documents doesn’t automatically mean trouble. This form includes a Statement of Facts for exactly that situation, where you certify, under penalty of perjury, that you own the vehicle and had no knowledge of the discrepancy before the verification. It’s built into the form because honest clerical errors happen.
What the form doesn’t tolerate is active tampering. If a verifier spots evidence the VIN has been altered or obliterated, standard procedure is to notify DMV’s Investigations Section right away, not just note it and move on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fill out REG 31 myself?
No. It has to be completed by a DMV employee, a California licensed vehicle verifier, an authorized Auto Club employee, or a trained peace officer, after they physically inspect your assembled vehicle. There’s no version of this form you fill out on your own.
Where can I get a California VIN inspection form completed?
A DMV field office or CHP does it for free, though CHP usually needs a referral first. AAA often includes it for members, and a licensed private vehicle verifier can usually get you in faster, sometimes at your own location, for a fee.
Does AAA do VIN verifications for free?
It depends on your membership and branch. Many AAA locations handle routine verifications for members at no separate charge, but availability and any fees can vary, so it’s worth calling your local branch first.
Do I need REG 31 verification for a car I brought from another state?
Yes, in most cases. Since an out-of-state vehicle has no existing California record, verification is a standard part of registering it here, and new residents have 20 days from establishing residency to get it done.