The CA REG 262 form is a California DMV document called the Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form, and it bundles a bill of sale, an odometer disclosure statement, and a power of attorney into a single page. You need it when the title can’t do the job on its own: when the title is missing, when its odometer section has an error or doesn’t comply with current disclosure rules, or when the vehicle has passed through more than one owner before reaching the DMV. Because it’s printed on security paper, you can’t download it; you have to get an original from the DMV.
When You Actually Need One
The REG 262 is not required for every private sale. If you have a clean, current California title with a working odometer disclosure line, the seller signs the title on Line 1 and that may be all you need.1California State Department of Motor Vehicles. How to Register Vehicles Purchased in Private Sales
The DMV calls for a REG 262 in these situations:
- The title has no line for recording odometer mileage, or the odometer section contains an error or alteration.1California State Department of Motor Vehicles. How to Register Vehicles Purchased in Private Sales
- The original title has been lost, stolen, or damaged. In that case the REG 262 goes in alongside an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227).
- The title is noncomplying, such as an older California title or an out-of-state title that doesn’t meet current odometer disclosure format.
- The vehicle has gone through multiple transfers before reaching the DMV, and the chain of ownership needs to be documented.
- The seller isn’t the person named on the title, which requires a bill of sale signed by both the seller and the title owner.
Plenty of buyers and sellers use the form even when they technically don’t have to, because it creates a standalone bill of sale showing the price if a dispute surfaces later.
What Each Section Does
The form has five numbered sections, and not every section applies to every transaction. Which ones you complete depends on why you’re using the form.2California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form REG 262
Section 1 — Vehicle/Vessel Identification. The complete VIN, or Hull Identification Number for a vessel, goes here. An incomplete VIN gets the application returned.
Section 2 — Bill of Sale. Records the sale price or marks the transaction as a gift. Optional if you’re using the REG 262 only for odometer disclosure. When this section is used, the seller must also sign Section 4.
Section 3 — Odometer Disclosure Statement. The seller records mileage at the time of sale, and both buyer and seller sign. Not required when the form is used only as a bill of sale or power of attorney.
Section 4 — Buyer and Seller Information. Full legal names and addresses for both parties. All printed names and signatures must be handwritten in ink. A business name can be typed or computer-generated, but an authorized agent’s signature still has to be handwritten.
Section 5 — Power of Attorney. Needed only when an attorney-in-fact is signing the title for a party who can’t be present. Not required for odometer-only use.
How to Get a Blank Copy
You can’t download and print the REG 262. It’s printed on security paper, which means an original has to come from the DMV. Two ways to get one: pick it up in person at any DMV field office, or call the automated phone system at 1-800-777-0133 and have one mailed to you.3State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Title Transfers and Changes If you’re planning a private sale, get the form before you meet the buyer. Waiting until after the sale eats into the 10-day transfer window.
Filling It Out Without Getting Rejected
Everything on the form has to be completed in ink. Pencil won’t be accepted, and photocopies won’t either. The DMV wants the original with original signatures.2California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form REG 262
Start with the VIN. Copy it from the vehicle itself or the existing title, carefully. A single transposed digit causes a rejection. Enter the make, year, and model. For the bill of sale, write the actual sale price, or mark the form if the vehicle is a gift. In Section 4, both buyer and seller write their full legal names and current physical addresses, then sign. If you’re also completing the odometer disclosure, the seller writes the current mileage and both parties sign Section 3.
One common mistake is skipping sections you think don’t apply after you’ve already started filling them in. If you filled out the bill of sale section or the power of attorney section, the DMV will keep the REG 262 with your application even if the odometer section has an error.2California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form REG 262 So any section you touch needs to be right the first time.
Submitting the Form and the 10-Day Deadline
Once the paperwork is signed, the buyer submits the original REG 262 along with the signed title (or a REG 227 if the title is being replaced), the smog certificate when one is required, and the applicable fees. You can file in person at any field office or by mail. The transfer has to be completed within 10 days of the purchase date.3State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Title Transfers and Changes
Miss that window and you’ll owe a $15 late-transfer penalty on top of the regular $15 transfer fee.4California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration Fees The dollar amount is small, but a delayed transfer causes bigger problems: the vehicle is still registered to the seller on paper, so parking tickets and toll violations get routed to the wrong person.
The Seller’s Separate Five-Day Release of Liability
Holding onto a copy of the REG 262 is sensible, but a copy is not what releases a seller from liability. California law requires sellers to file a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) with the DMV within five calendar days of the sale.5California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability The NRL is a separate filing from the REG 262. It’s what officially tells the DMV you no longer own the vehicle, so parking citations, red-light camera tickets, and towing fees stop coming to you.
The NRL can be filed online and the vehicle record updates within one business day. No paper submission is needed when you file electronically.5California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability Sellers who skip this step often find out months later when they get a collection notice for someone else’s violations.
Odometer Disclosure Exemptions
The odometer section of the REG 262 exists because of federal law, not just state rules. Under 49 CFR Part 580, a seller has to disclose the odometer reading at the time of transfer, certify whether the reading reflects actual mileage, and note whether the odometer has exceeded its mechanical limit or shows a reading that doesn’t reflect true mileage. Both buyer and seller must sign.6eCFR. Part 580 Odometer Disclosure Requirements
Not every vehicle requires disclosure. These are exempt:
- Model year 2010 and older, for transfers in 2026. These vehicles are at least 10 calendar years past January 1 of their model year.
- Model year 2011 and newer, but only after 20 calendar years from January 1 of their model year. A 2011 vehicle won’t be exempt until 2031.
- Vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR.
- Non-self-propelled vehicles, such as trailers.
The 20-year rule for 2011-and-newer vehicles was a change from the previous 10-year blanket exemption. Vehicles from 2011 through 2016 fall in a range where sellers sometimes assume the exemption applies when it doesn’t.6eCFR. Part 580 Odometer Disclosure Requirements Getting the odometer disclosure wrong, or skipping it when it’s required, can bring federal fines and potential criminal liability.