✓A duplicate California title replaces a Certificate of Title that's lost, stolen, damaged, illegible, or paperless - you apply with a REG 227 (Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title).
✓The replacement title fee is $28. You don't have to clear renewal fees or parking tickets just to get a replacement title.
✓If your vehicle has a lienholder (a lender on the title), section 5 of the REG 227 must be notarized; with no lienholder, no notarization is needed.
✓The new title usually arrives 15–30 days by mail.
✓Replacing your own title is different from transferring ownership when you buy or sell - that's the title-transfer guide.
FormREG 227
Fee$28
Notarized?Only if there's a lienholder
Timeline15–30 daysby mail
WhenLost / stolen / damaged
A duplicate title replaces your California Certificate of Title (the “pink slip”) when the original is gone or unusable. You don’t need a duplicate to drive or renew - but you do need one to sell or transfer the vehicle, or to satisfy a lender. The application is a single form, the REG 227, and the replacement title comes by mail.
This page is about replacing your own title. If you’ve bought a car and need to put it in your name, or you’re selling one, that’s the ownership change - see title & ownership transfer.
When you need a duplicate
Apply for a duplicate when the Certificate of Title is lost, stolen, mutilated, illegible, or paperless. Who signs the REG 227 depends on the vehicle’s age and whether there’s a lender:
For a vehicle two model years old or newer, the legal owner/lienholder of record applies.
When the registration shows no legal owner, the registered owner (you) applies.
A replacement title is issued for the title itself - renewal fees and parking violations don’t have to be cleared just to get one.
Liens and notarization
Whether the REG 227 must be notarized comes down to one thing: a lienholder (a lender or legal owner listed on the title).
Lienholder on the title → section 5 of the REG 227 must be notarized.
No legal owner on record → no notarization needed.
If a lender holds your title electronically (an electronic lien, or ELT), the title is paperless until the loan is paid - replacing it follows the same REG 227 process through the lienholder.
Cost
Duplicate / replacement title
Vehicle Code §9265.
$28
You don't have to pay renewal fees or clear parking violations to get a replacement title only - those are separate from the title itself.
How to apply - step by step
Applies whether the title is lost, stolen, or damaged.
1
Complete a REG 227
Fill out the REG 227 (Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title) - it covers a title that's lost, stolen, damaged, illegible, or paperless.
2
Notarize section 5 if there's a lienholder
If a lender or legal owner is listed on the title, section 5 of the REG 227 must be notarized. With no lienholder on record, you can skip notarization.
3
Submit by mail or in person
Mail the completed REG 227 with the fee, or bring it to a DMV office.
4
Pay the $28 fee
The replacement title fee is $28. See the fee schedule for the current amount.
5
Wait for the new title
The replacement Certificate of Title usually arrives by mail within 15–30 days.
Frequently asked questions
How do I replace a lost California car title?
Complete a REG 227 (Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title), submit it by mail or at a DMV office with the $28 fee, and the replacement title arrives by mail in about 15–30 days.
What's the fee for a duplicate title?
The duplicate / replacement title fee is $28. You don't need to pay renewal fees or clear parking tickets to get a replacement title on its own.
Does the REG 227 need to be notarized?
Only if there's a lienholder (legal owner) on the title - then section 5 must be notarized. If the registration shows no legal owner, notarization isn't required.
My title is damaged or illegible, not lost - same process?
Yes. The REG 227 covers a title that's mutilated, illegible, or paperless as well as lost or stolen. Surrender the damaged title if you still have it.
I lost the title and I'm selling the car - is this the same form?
The same REG 227 also handles replacing a missing title as part of a sale. The ownership side is covered in title & ownership transfer, and the seller's release of liability has its own guide.