Replacing a Lost California Title

If your California vehicle title is lost, stolen, mutilated, or simply missing somewhere in your filing system, the DMV will issue a duplicate using Form REG 227. The fee is $26, the form has to be notarized in many cases, and the processing time runs about 30 days.

The REG 227 application

Download the REG 227 ("Application for Duplicate or Paperless Title") from the California DMV website. The form has fields for:

• The vehicle identification number (VIN), license plate, year, make, and model.
• Each registered owner's full legal name and California driver's license number.
• The reason a duplicate is needed (lost, stolen, mutilated, never received, paperless conversion).
• Lienholder information, if any.
• Owner signatures.

When notarization is required

If the title shows two or more registered owners, all signatures on the REG 227 must be notarized — California treats it as a securely-witnessed transaction to prevent fraudulent duplicate requests. Single-owner applications generally do not require notarization, but most field offices recommend it anyway because it reduces the chance of a rejection later.

Submitting the application

Two paths:

• By mail. Send the completed REG 227, a check for $26, and a photocopy of each owner's driver's license to the DMV's Headquarters Title Section in Sacramento. Allow 4-6 weeks.
• In person. Bring the same documents to any California DMV field office. Most offices process the application on the spot and mail the new title within 30 days.

If a lienholder is on the title

California uses an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) system: when a vehicle has an active lien, the title is held electronically by the lender rather than mailed to the owner. To request a paper duplicate, the lien must first be released. Three scenarios:

• Loan paid off, never received the paper title. The lender failed to file the electronic release. Call the lender's title department; most can submit the release within a few business days.
• Loan paid off, lender no longer exists. Submit a "Release of Lien by Affidavit" with proof of payoff (final loan statement, payoff confirmation) instead of the lender's release.
• Loan still active. The duplicate title will be issued to the lienholder, not to you. Most lenders charge a small administrative fee to send the duplicate to a sale or refinance closing.

Salvage and rebuilt branding

If the original title was branded "Salvage" or "Revived Salvage," the duplicate will carry the same brand. There's no way to remove a brand by duplicate — once a vehicle is branded by California or another state, the brand follows the VIN forever. See vehicle history reports for the practical impact.

Theft of the title

If the title was stolen rather than just lost, file a police report before submitting the REG 227. Marking "stolen" on the form alerts the DMV to flag any subsequent transfer attempts using the original document, which provides additional protection against title fraud.