California DMV Forms: The Ones You'll Actually Need (and Where to Find Them)

*Independence note: This page is published by californiadmvappointment.us, an independent informational website. We are not affiliated with the California DMV, the State of California, or any government agency. For the official source of every form below, see the DMV’s own forms portal at dmv.ca.gov/portal/forms/.*

The California DMV has hundreds of forms, and almost nobody needs most of them. If you’re getting a license, registering a car, buying or selling a vehicle, or pulling your driving record, the list below covers every form you’re likely to touch. Every form number here was checked against dmv.ca.gov — form numbers have to be exact, because one wrong digit can mean the DMV rejects your paperwork.

This page works best alongside our California DMV appointment guide, which walks you through booking and preparing for your visit. If you need a form in person, our DMV office finder can help you locate the nearest field office.

How California DMV forms actually work

DMV forms come in three flavors, and knowing which is which saves you a wasted trip:

• Fill out online. A handful of forms — most notably the driver’s license/ID application — can be started on dmv.ca.gov. You fill it out online, and then visit a field office to finish the transaction. Online forms aren’t the same as a finished transaction: DMV still needs you in person for things like photos, thumbprints, and tests.
• Printable PDF. Most registration and title forms are PDFs on the DMV’s forms portal (dmv.ca.gov/portal/forms/). You print them, fill them in, and bring them to a field office or mail them to the address on the form. Some can be filled in on your computer before printing.
• In-office or by mail only. A few forms are printed on special security paper and deliberately aren’t downloadable. You have to pick them up at a field office or call DMV at 1-800-777-0133 and ask for one by mail. There’s one famous example in this category — more on that below.

A quick habit that prevents rejections: always use the most current version of a form. DMV revises forms and stops accepting old revisions, so don’t reuse a blank you printed two years ago.

Driver’s license and ID forms

DL 44 — Driver License or Identification Card Application

This is the starting point for almost everything license-related: your first California driver’s license, a license renewal, an ID card application, and a REAL ID application. The DMV calls it the Driver License or Identification Card Application, and you can’t skip it.

The best way to handle it is to complete the application online before your visit — DMV’s online application (sometimes called the eDL-44) takes about nine minutes and lets you upload documents for REAL ID, which saves time at the office. You’ll still finish the process in person: identity checks, a photo, a thumbprint, and any required tests happen at the field office. Paper copies are also available at offices if you’d rather do it there.

If you’re applying for a REAL ID, read our REAL ID appointment guide and our documents checklist before you start — having the right documents when you walk in is the single biggest time-saver.

DL 44C — Commercial Driver License Application

Don’t let the similar name confuse you: the DL 44C is not a version of the DL 44 for minors. It’s the Commercial Driver License Application, used when you’re applying for a commercial driver’s license (Class A or B) or upgrading to one. If you’re a regular Class C driver, you’ll never touch this form.

Vehicle registration and title forms

Vehicle paperwork is where most people run into DMV forms, and it’s also where using the wrong form causes the most delays.

REG 343 — Application for Title or Registration/Verification of Vehicle

The REG 343 is the form for getting a vehicle registered in California for the first time. You need it when you bring a vehicle in from out of state, buy a new vehicle that the dealer didn’t register for you, or re-register a vehicle after it’s been junked, salvaged, or dropped from DMV’s records. It’s a printable PDF from the DMV’s forms portal, and you submit it with supporting documents and fees — note that DMV says it generally shouldn’t be mailed by itself; it goes with the rest of your registration packet.

Moving to California with a car? Our new residents guide covers the full vehicle registration process step by step.

REG 227 — Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title

Lost your car’s title? Or transferring ownership when the title is missing? The REG 227, officially the Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title, is your form. It replaces a lost, stolen, mutilated, illegible, or paperless California Certificate of Title, and it can also be used to complete a transfer of ownership when the original title isn’t available.

One thing to know: if your vehicle is two model years old or newer and there’s a lienholder on record, the legal owner — not you — may need to be the one who applies. And when a REG 227 is used for a transfer, you’ll usually also need a REG 262 for the odometer disclosure (see below). It’s a printable PDF; submit it at a field office or by mail.

REG 31 — Verification of Vehicle

Here’s a form you don’t fill out — and shouldn’t try to. The REG 31, Verification of Vehicle, is used when a vehicle needs a physical inspection: someone checks the VIN and other vehicle characteristics against your documents. It’s required for nonresident vehicles you’re registering in California, among other situations.

The form itself says “Not to be completed by applicant,” and DMV is strict about it: only authorized DMV or Auto Club employees, DMV-licensed vehicle verifiers, CHP officers, or other peace officers can complete it. When you register an out-of-state vehicle, the verification typically happens at the DMV office as part of your appointment — one more reason to book ahead rather than hoping for the best.

REG 256 — Statement of Facts

The REG 256 is DMV’s all-purpose “I certify the following is true” form. It’s a Statement of Facts signed under penalty of perjury, and it shows up in dozens of situations: correcting your name on a registration, stating a vehicle’s value, explaining ownership facts the standard forms don’t cover, claiming a use-tax exemption on a family transfer, or handling a transfer-only request on a vehicle under planned nonoperation.

Think of it this way: when your transaction needs a sentence of explanation that no checkbox covers, DMV will ask for a REG 256. It’s a printable PDF — you fill in the relevant section (the form has several, labeled A through H), sign it, and submit it with your transaction.

REG 262 — Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form

This is the form people go looking for online and can’t find — and that’s by design. The REG 262 (Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form) is needed in specific transfer situations: when a vehicle is sold more than once on the same title, or when odometer disclosure is required and you’re using a REG 227. It also includes power-of-attorney provisions for vehicle transactions.

Because it’s printed on security paper with features that make the odometer disclosure federally compliant, DMV does not offer it as a download. You pick one up free at any DMV field office, or call 1-800-777-0133 and ask DMV to mail you one. Beware of unofficial sites offering “printable” copies — a photocopy may not be accepted, and getting it wrong can stall your transfer.

REG 138 — Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability

This one matters every time you sell a car. The REG 138, Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability, is how you tell DMV you’ve sold or transferred your vehicle. File it within five days of the sale. It protects you against responsibility for parking and traffic violations — and civil or criminal actions — involving the vehicle after your sale date.

You have two options: submit it online through DMV’s Internet Notice of Release of Liability, or print the PDF and mail it to the address on the form. Keep a copy either way. Note that filing the notice doesn’t remove your name from DMV’s records by itself — that happens when the new owner completes the transfer — but it does establish your release-of-liability date, which is the whole point.

Records and driving history

INF 1125 — Request for Your Own Driver License/Identification Card or Vehicle/Vessel Registration Information Record

If you need a copy of your own driving record — for a job, an insurance company, a court case, or just to check what’s on file — the INF 1125 is the form. Its full official name is the Request for Your Own Driver License/Identification Card or Vehicle/Vessel Registration Information Record, and it’s for exactly that: your own records. (Don’t confuse it with a REAL ID checklist — it’s nothing of the sort.)

Online record requests are limited to viewing and printing; if you want a certified copy mailed to you, fill out the INF 1125 PDF and mail it with the required fee to the DMV headquarters address printed on the form. Records requested in person at a field office carry a fee per record.

Quick form finder

| Form | When you need it |

|—|—|

| DL 44 | Applying for a license or ID card (original, renewal, replacement, REAL ID) |

| DL 44C | Applying for a commercial driver’s license |

| REG 343 | First-time CA registration or bringing a vehicle from out of state |

| REG 227 | Lost title, or transferring ownership without the title |

| REG 31 | Vehicle physical inspection (you don’t fill this out) |

| REG 256 | Certifying facts DMV needs: value, name, ownership details |

| REG 262 | Odometer disclosure / re-transfer paperwork (pick up in person — not downloadable) |

| REG 138 | You sold your vehicle — file within 5 days |

| INF 1125 | Requesting a copy of your own driving or vehicle record |

Before you go

Print your forms ahead of time, fill in everything you can at home, and double-check that every signature line is signed. The most common reason DMV sends people home isn’t missing documents — it’s a form filled out incompletely or an unsigned page. Bring the forms, your supporting documents, and a payment method, and check our documents checklist one more time before you leave.

Frequently asked questions

Last verified against dmv.ca.gov: 2026-10-14