A missing title is one of the most common reasons a car sale stalls in California. The good news: if the car is registered in your name in California, replacing the title is a routine DMV process. The form is REG 227, Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (older versions were called Application for Duplicate or Transfer of Title).
This guide explains who can use it, what you need, how liens affect it, and how to sell a car when the title is missing. It is general information, not legal advice. Always check DMV's current form and fee schedule before you apply.
What REG 227 is for
REG 227 does two different jobs:
- Replace the title. You get a duplicate Certificate of Title issued in your name. Use it if the title is lost, stolen, damaged or illegible.
- Transfer ownership without the original title. The form has a section where the owner releases the vehicle to a new owner. A seller who can't find the title can sign REG 227 instead, and the buyer submits it to DMV along with the rest of the transfer paperwork.
Which route is better depends on the sale. Many buyers, and most dealers, prefer a clean title in hand. Others are fine with a properly completed REG 227. Ask your buyer before you decide.
Who can apply
- The registered owner(s) shown on DMV's record.
- The legal owner, usually a bank or lender, if there is still a loan on the car.
If more than one owner is listed, look at how the names are joined. Names joined by "AND" generally mean every owner must sign. Names joined by "OR" mean one owner can sign.
Before you start: is there a lien?
If you financed the car, the lender is the legal owner and normally holds the title, often electronically. In that case you didn't lose the title, because you never had it.
- Loan still open: the title stays with the lender until the loan is paid. Ask the lender how it handles a payoff when you are selling the car.
- Loan paid off, but no title arrived: contact the lender. They can release their interest by signing the legal-owner section of REG 227 or by giving you a lien release, depending on how they handle it. Ask which they will provide. For a car two model years old or newer, the lender has to apply for the title itself; a separate lien release is not accepted.
- Lender out of business or merged: the successor bank often handles old liens. DMV can tell you who is listed as the legal owner on your record.
What you'll need
- A completed REG 227, signed by the required owner(s).
- Photo identification.
- The duplicate title fee. Check DMV's current fee schedule, since fees change.
- A lien release or lender signature, if a lender was listed.
- You don't have to pay renewal fees or parking tickets just to get a replacement title, but any registration fees due will need to be paid when the car is transferred.
- The damaged title, if you still have it and it is damaged rather than lost.
- Documents showing a name change, if your name is different from the name on the title.
How to apply
Depending on your situation, you can usually apply:
- in person at a DMV field office (make an appointment to avoid a long wait);
- through a DMV business partner, such as a licensed registration service, which can often handle the paperwork for an added service fee;
- by mail, sending REG 227 with the fee.
DMV also offers an online replacement title request for some owners, so check dmv.ca.gov for the newest options before you go.
Check your address first. The duplicate title is mailed to the address on DMV's record. If you've moved, file a change of address (form DMV 14, or online) before you apply, or the new title may go to your old home.
How long it takes
Processing and mail time varies. Plan for it to take weeks, not days, and don't schedule a sale that depends on the title arriving by a particular date. If timing matters, using the transfer section of REG 227 with your buyer may be faster than waiting for the duplicate.
Selling a car without the title
You have three practical paths:
- Get the duplicate first, then sell. This is the cleanest option, and buyers are the most comfortable with it.
- Sell with a signed REG 227. You complete the release section, and the buyer submits it with the bill of sale (REG 135), the smog certificate (if one is required) and the fees. Fill it in carefully. Errors mean the buyer goes back to DMV, and possibly back to you.
- Sell to a buyer who handles title work. Some dealers and dismantlers routinely deal with title issues. Ask exactly what they will need from you.
Whichever path you choose, file the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) within 5 days of the sale. Our REG 138 guide explains how.
Special cases
- The owner has died. If there is no probate, DMV's Affidavit for Transfer Without Probate (REG 5) may let an heir transfer the car. A duplicate title may also be needed.
- The title is from another state. California can't issue a duplicate of another state's title. Request it from the state that issued it.
- You bought a car and never got a title. That is a different situation from losing your own title. Ask DMV or a licensed registration service about your options before you pay anyone to "fix" it.
- The title was stolen. Apply for a duplicate promptly so the old title can't be used. If you think someone may try to sell your car, consider filing a police report.
Watch out for title shortcuts
Be cautious of anyone offering to "get you a title" without going through DMV, or asking you to sign a blank title. A California title is only issued by DMV. A licensed registration service works with DMV and can explain its fees up front.
How Auction Direct can help
If you're in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino or San Diego county, you can still get started on the Auction Direct Marketplace without the title in hand. Title help is available: Auction Direct coordinates duplicate-title paperwork through licensed registration services. The fee and timing vary with your situation. You will need the signed title to hand over when the buyer picks up the car.
Running or not, title or not, we'll help you sell it. Start your listing: it's free through December 31, 2026 (normally $25, no commission). For the full selling process, see how to sell a car in California.
Quick recap
- Check whether a lender holds the title before assuming it is lost.
- Update your address with DMV if you've moved.
- Complete REG 227 with every required signature and pay the duplicate fee.
- Either wait for the duplicate title, or use the REG 227 transfer section with your buyer.
- File REG 138 within 5 days of the sale.