California paperwork guides

How to Replace a Lost Car Title in California

The California Certificate of Title — the "pink slip" — is the document that proves you own the car. If yours is lost, stolen, damaged, or never arrived, the DMV replaces it with one form: the REG 227. Here is the process, step by step.

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Part of our California paperwork guides — written for Fresno, Clovis, and Madera sellers.

Replace a lost title, step by step

STEP 1

Confirm California issued the title

The REG 227 only works for California titles. If the vehicle was last titled in another state, that state has to issue the duplicate — California cannot replace another state's title.

STEP 2

Get the REG 227 form

Download the Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) from the DMV website, or pick one up at any DMV office. You will need your license plate number and VIN to complete it.

STEP 3

Complete the form as the registered owner

Fill in your information as the owner of record and the vehicle's details, and check the reason that applies: lost, stolen, illegible or mutilated, or never received. If you still have a damaged title, attach it to the application.

STEP 4

Handle the lienholder section

If a legal owner or lienholder — a bank or finance company — shows on the vehicle's record, the lienholder's release in Section 5 of the REG 227 must be notarized. If no lienholder shows on the registration, notarization is not required.

STEP 5

Pay the duplicate title fee

The DMV charges a $28 fee for a duplicate title. If you are transferring the car to a buyer in the same filing, the standard transfer fee applies as well.

STEP 6

Submit it and watch the mail

File the REG 227 at a DMV office or by mail. The DMV mails the replacement title to the registered owner — and once a replacement is issued, the original title is canceled, so if the old pink slip turns up later it is no longer valid.

What if the title is not in your name?

Only the owner named on the title can apply for a duplicate of their own title — the DMV will not issue a replacement to anyone else. That creates a common trap: you bought the car, never transferred the title into your name, and now the pink slip is gone.

The way out is built into the same form. The REG 227 is an application for replacement or transfer of title: the person named on the title signs it, and together with a bill of sale showing the chain of ownership, it can complete the transfer to you. If you cannot reach the person named on the title, talk to the DMV about your options before any money changes hands — a car whose titled owner cannot sign is a car whose ownership cannot be cleanly transferred.

Buying or selling? Agree on who files the REG 227 before the sale date, not after. A title problem disclosed up front is a simple filing; the same problem discovered later is a standoff.

Selling before the duplicate arrives

You do not have to replace the title first and sell second. Because the REG 227 covers both replacement and transfer, a seller and buyer can complete it together: the form replaces the missing title and transfers ownership in a single filing.

That is exactly how we handle cars with lost titles. Tell us the title is missing when you submit the form, and at pickup we complete the REG 227 with you as part of the sale paperwork — no DMV trip, no waiting for a duplicate to arrive in the mail first.

Duplicate title questions

How much does a duplicate California title cost?

The DMV charges a $28 fee for a duplicate title when you file the REG 227. If you are also transferring the car to a buyer at the same time, the standard transfer fee applies as well.

Can I get a duplicate title if the car is not titled in my name?

No — only the owner named on the title can apply for a duplicate of their own title. If you bought the car but never transferred it into your name, the person named on the title has to sign the REG 227; its transfer sections, together with a bill of sale, can complete the transfer. If you cannot reach that person, ask the DMV about your options before any money changes hands.

What if the lost title is from another state?

California cannot replace another state's title. You must obtain the duplicate from the state where the vehicle was last titled. If that state cannot issue one, the DMV asks for documentation showing that, and a motor vehicle bond may be required.

Do I have to wait for the duplicate title before I can sell my car?

No. The REG 227 is an application for replacement or transfer of title — completed with a buyer, it replaces the missing title and completes the transfer in a single filing. We buy cars with lost titles and complete the REG 227 with you at pickup.

Selling the car instead? We handle the paperwork with you

Skip the DMV line. Complete one vehicle intake, see your guaranteed offer, and we will complete the transfer paperwork with you at pickup — free local pickup included.

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