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California DMV form

REG 227 form - for title replacement or transfer

Official name: Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title

Reviewed by the DMVCA editorial team · Content last verified September 15, 2026 · sourced to dmv.ca.gov

REG 227 is the form you use when the California title (the pink slip) is missing. It does two jobs that people often think are separate: it replaces a lost, stolen or damaged title, and it transfers ownership of a vehicle whose title cannot be produced. One form, both situations - which is why its full name is "Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title".

Download REG 227 from dmv.ca.gov (PDF) Duplicate title - the full process, fee and timeline →

Describes REG 227 rev 9/2024, checked September 15, 2026. The DMV revises forms at the same web address - if the copy you download shows a different revision, treat the section notes below as out of date and follow the form itself.

When you need it

When you need it

  • Your title is lost, stolen, damaged or illegible and you want a replacement.
  • You are buying or selling a vehicle and the seller cannot find the title.
  • The title is held electronically (paperless) and a paper copy is needed for the transfer.
  • A lienholder has been paid off and the title never arrived after the lien was released.

When you need a different form

When you need a different form

The commonest reason a form comes back is that it was the wrong one.

Use REG 262

You have the title in hand and simply need the transfer and odometer sections.

REG 262 is a secure, serialised document the DMV does not publish as a downloadable PDF - you order it or collect it from an office. If the title exists, REG 262 is the transfer path, not REG 227.

Use REG 256

The transfer is a gift or a qualifying family transfer and you are claiming a use-tax exemption.

REG 227 itself points you at REG 256 for this. The Statement of Facts carries the exemption declaration; REG 227 alone will not claim it for you.

Use REG 166

A lienholder still appears on the record and has to release its interest.

REG 227 references REG 166 (Lien Satisfied / Legal Owner’s Release). Filing REG 227 without clearing the lien leaves the record unchanged.

What REG 227 asks for

What REG 227 asks for

Section by section, in plain language.

Vehicle identification
Plate or vessel number, VIN, year and make. These must match the DMV record exactly - a transposed VIN digit is the most common reason the application comes back.
Why the title is missing
A set of check-boxes covering lost, stolen, mutilated, illegible, not received from the prior owner, and paperless. You pick the one that applies; picking none stalls the application.
Registered and legal owner
The registered owner signs, and where a lienholder (legal owner) is on record their release is required. Names must be written as they appear on the DMV record, not an informal version.
Transfer section
Completed only when ownership is changing at the same time. This is the part that makes REG 227 a transfer form as well as a replacement form.

Notarisation. A duplicate-title application does not automatically need notarisation. It is required in specific situations - most commonly where the signature cannot be matched to the record. The DMV page and the form itself set out when; we do not restate a rule that turns on your particular record.

Fees that apply

Fees that apply

From the fee schedule - never typed on this page.

  • Duplicate / replacement title $28
  • Title transfer fee $15

Full table: California DMV fee schedule.

Related forms

REG 262 Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment You have the title in hand and simply need the transfer and odometer sections. REG 256 Statement of Facts The transfer is a gift or a qualifying family transfer and you are claiming a use-tax exemption.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is REG 227 the same as a duplicate title application?
Yes. REG 227 is the form for a replacement title, and the same form transfers a vehicle whose title cannot be produced. One form covers both.
Do I need REG 227 if I still have the title?
No. If the title exists, the transfer runs on the title itself plus REG 262. REG 227 exists for when the title is missing.
Does REG 227 need to be notarised?
Not automatically. Notarisation is required in specific situations, most commonly where a signature cannot be matched to the record. The form and the DMV page set out when.
Can I file REG 227 online?
No. It is a downloadable PDF you complete and submit; it is not one of the DMV’s online transactions.

Related guides

REG 256 - Statement of Facts Vehicle titles - transfers and changes Full DMV fee schedule
Sources. California DMV - REG 227 · California DMV - forms catalog
Content last verified September 15, 2026.
Official name Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title
Format Downloadable PDF
Revision 9/2024
Duplicate title fee $28
Transfer fee $15
Notarisation Only in specific cases

Continue exploring

→ All DMV forms The common set the guides reference. → DMV fee schedule Every fixed fee, from one source. → Duplicate title - the full process, fee and timeline The task this form belongs to.