REG 262 — the California transfer form you can't download.
REG 262, the Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form, is where a California odometer reading goes when the title can't carry it: an older title with no odometer line, a lost title being replaced on a REG 227, a car sold twice on one title, or a mistake in the title's odometer box. It also has an optional bill of sale and an optional power of attorney. What it doesn't have is a PDF. The DMV prints it on security paper, as federal odometer rules require, so you pick one up at a DMV office or call 1-800-777-0133 to have one mailed. Here is when you need it, what each section asks and the mistakes that void it.
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Quick Answer
- Where can I get a REG 262 form?
- Not online. The DMV says the REG 262 is printed on security paper to comply with federal odometer disclosure rules, so it can't be downloaded. Pick one up at a DMV field office, or call the DMV's automated line at 1-800-777-0133 to have one mailed. The DMV lists it among the forms that may not be reproduced, and photocopies aren't accepted.
- When do you need a REG 262 in California?
- When the title can't carry the odometer disclosure. The DMV's procedures manual lists five cases: the title is a noncomplying title, a REG 227 replaces a missing title, the title isn't available at the time of transfer, there's an error or alteration in the title's odometer section, or the car has been sold more than once on the same title. Dealers also use one when the title's reassignment section runs out of room.
- Does a REG 262 have to be notarized?
- The form has no notary section. The buyer and the seller each hand-print their name, sign in ink and certify under penalty of perjury. The odometer statement can't be signed by power of attorney: the form's instructions say federal law requires the buyer's and seller's own printed name, date and signature.
Four steps to complete a REG 262
The REG 262 travels with the title or the REG 227. It never replaces them.
- 1Get an originalFrom a DMV office, or call 1-800-777-0133 to have one mailed. Copies aren't accepted.
- 2Write the full VINSection 1 needs the complete VIN, or the DMV returns the application as incomplete.
- 3The seller states the milesWhole miles, no tenths, with boxes for "not the actual mileage" and "exceeds mechanical limits".
- 4Both sign in inkBuyer and seller hand-print, sign and date, then file it with the title or REG 227.
When the DMV Requires a REG 262
From the DMV's Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual (§ 5.075 and its transfer chapters), read on 28 October 2026.
| Situation | What goes on the REG 262 |
|---|---|
| The title is noncomplying: the old pink title or the noncomplying rainbow title | The odometer disclosure, signed by seller and buyer |
| The title is missing and a REG 227 is part of the application | The disclosure that would have gone on the title |
| The title isn't available at the time of the sale | The disclosure, made at the sale |
| An error or alteration in the title's odometer section | A fresh disclosure, with a REG 256 explaining why |
| The car was sold more than once on the same title | One REG 262 for each transfer, signed by that buyer and seller |
| A dealer runs out of reassignment room on the title | The reassignment, with the dealer's name and number |
The DMV also accepts a REG 262 for a noncomplying out-of-state title, and in place of the registered owner's release signature on line 1 of the title or on the REG 227.
What's on the REG 262, Section by Section
Rev 1/2025 is one sheet, with the form on the front and English and Spanish instructions on the back. A DMV memo dated September 19, 2025 said it would go into production in November 2025 and that earlier revisions stay acceptable until supplies run out. The changes were small: the top now refers to the REG 227, "Daytime" came off the phone fields, and a privacy statement was added. The banner across the top says it plainly: all signatures must be in ink, and photocopies aren't accepted.
Section 1, the vehicle or vessel description, asks for the identification number, year model, make, license plate or CF number, and a motorcycle's engine number. The DMV returns the application as incomplete without the complete VIN. A box in the top corner for an acquisition number is for dismantlers only.
Section 2 is a bill of sale: the seller "sell[s], transfer[s], and deliver[s]" the vehicle to the buyer on a date for a price, with a line for the relationship and value if it was a gift. It's optional. The DMV says it can be used whenever a bill of sale is required, and it can be skipped when the form is only carrying the odometer reading.
Section 3 is the odometer disclosure statement, "void if mileage is altered or erased". The seller writes the reading in whole miles with no tenths and certifies it's the actual mileage, unless they tick "not the actual mileage" or "exceeds the odometer mechanical limits", and there's a line to explain a discrepancy. Section 4 is where buyer and seller hand-print their names, sign, date, and give a driver license, ID or dealer number, an address and a phone number. The buyer acknowledges the reading, and both sign under penalty of perjury.
Section 5 is a power of attorney: "I/We … appoint … as my attorney in fact, to complete all necessary documents, as needed, to transfer ownership." It's optional, and required only when an attorney-in-fact will sign the title for something other than the odometer. The odometer statement itself can't be signed that way.
REG 262 at a Glance
When it's required, how to get one and the rules that void it, on one card.
From the California DMV's procedures manual, memo VIN 2025-09 and 49 CFR 580.17, read on 28 October 2026.
Which Cars Need an Odometer Reading
Federal odometer rules decide whether Section 3 is needed at all. A vehicle from model year 2010 or older is exempt now. From model year 2011, the exemption starts only at 20 model years old: the DMV's December 2021 memo gives the example of a 2011 model becoming exempt in 2031. Vehicles over 16,000 lb gross vehicle weight rating, and anything that isn't self-propelled, like a trailer, are exempt too.
Some DMV pages haven't caught up. The private-party registration page and the standard title transfer checklist still say a mileage record is needed only for vehicles "less than 10 years old". The procedures manual and the 2021 memo follow the 20-year rule, and the DMV says it encourages a reading even for exempt vehicles.
What voids or bounces it
- Any alteration: a write-over, cross-out or erasure voids the odometer statement.
- A photocopy: only the original is accepted.
- Pencil: it must be completed in ink.
- Power of attorney: can't sign the odometer statement.
Check the Mileage Before You Sign
Section 3 is only as good as the seller's honesty. Enter the VIN for a free preview of the odometer readings, title brands and salvage records on file.
Mistakes and How the DMV Wants Them Fixed
From the DMV's manual and its title-transfer pages.
Error in Section 3
A new REG 262 signed by both, with a REG 256 explaining why a separate disclosure is attached.
Error on the title's odometer line
A REG 101 for the title, and a REG 262 signed by seller and buyer.
Seller can't be found
Private sales only: disclose on the title or a REG 262 and explain on a REG 256.
Sold twice on one title
A REG 262 for each transfer; number the buyers "I", "II" and so on.
$15 per buyer
A transfer fee is due for each buyer; only the last can draw the $15 penalty.
10 and 5 days
Buyers have 10 days to transfer; sellers have 5 to report the sale.
REG 262 or REG 227
They're often filed together when a title is lost. Each does a different job.
REG 262
- Odometer disclosure, plus an optional bill of sale and power of attorney.
- Security paper: from a DMV office or by phone, never a download.
- Buyer and seller both sign, in ink.
- Goes in with the title or the REG 227, never alone.
REG 227
- Replaces or transfers a lost, stolen or damaged title.
- A PDF you can download from dmv.ca.gov.
- $28 replacement title fee.
- A lienholder's release on it must be notarized.
If an odometer disclosure is required and a REG 227 is being used, the DMV says each seller completes a REG 262.
Related Checks and Guides
The other DMV form guides, and the California title pages they connect to.
Where These Facts Come From
From the California DMV's procedures manual, memos and consumer pages, and the federal odometer rule, read on 28 October 2026. The only official image of the form is in memo VIN 2025-09.
CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and does not supply DMV forms. This page is general information, not legal advice.
REG 262 — Frequently Asked Questions
What California buyers and sellers ask most.
Can I print a REG 262 from the DMV website?+
No. The DMV says it is printed on security paper, which makes it compliant with federal odometer disclosure rules, so it isn't online. Get one at a DMV field office or call 1-800-777-0133 to have one mailed. Copies of a REG 262 are not acceptable.
Is the REG 262 a bill of sale?+
Section 2 can be. The DMV says it may be used whenever a bill of sale is required, with the seller signing in Section 4. The DMV's standalone bill of sale is the REG 135, which is online, and a bill of sale doesn't have to be notarized or witnessed.
Can someone sign the REG 262 for me with a power of attorney?+
For the transfer documents, Section 5 lets you appoint an attorney-in-fact. For the odometer statement, no: the form's instructions and the DMV's manual both say it can't be completed by power of attorney. A general power of attorney such as the REG 260 may be a photocopy or fax, but a REG 262 can't.
Does a car older than 10 years need a REG 262 odometer statement?+
It depends on the model year. Model year 2010 and older cars are exempt. From model year 2011, a disclosure is required until the vehicle is 20 model years old. Some DMV pages still say 10 years; the manual and the DMV's 2021 memo say 20.
What if I make a mistake on the REG 262?+
Errors or alterations void the odometer statement. The DMV wants a new REG 262 with a REG 256 explaining why a separate disclosure is attached, and it returns forms that weren't completed correctly. If the bill of sale or power of attorney sections were used, the DMV keeps the original anyway.
Where do I send the REG 262?+
With the title or the REG 227 and the rest of the transfer paperwork, to a DMV office or by mail to DMV, PO Box 942869, Sacramento, CA 94269. The DMV needs the original; a photocopy isn't acceptable.
Check the VIN Before You Sign the Odometer Statement
Enter any 17-character VIN for a free preview. The full report lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service and is not affiliated with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. This guide summarizes the DMV's published procedures manual, memos and title pages and the federal odometer rule, and is not legal advice. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
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