Appoints somebody else to sign the transfer paperwork for you. The wording on the form is deliberately narrow - to complete all necessary documents, as needed, to transfer ownership as required by law - so it covers this car and this transfer, and nothing else.
Written against REG 260 (Rev 3/2007), issued under California Vehicle Code 4453.5.
This one has stood unchanged since March 2007. That also means there is no newer version to chase - check the REG 260 (REV. 3/2007) in the footer and print it fresh.
Two documents, and they are not the same thing. Take the blank REG 260 from the dmv.ca.gov copy so you get the revision that is current today, then print our REG 260 guide and keep it beside you while you fill theirs in.
This is the actual REG 260, rendered from the PDF the California Department of Motor Vehicles publishes and completed end to end: letterhead, every field, and the blocks at the foot.
Amber — you write it
Grey — not yours to fill
Numbered — explained below
The actual REG 260, both halves completed - the sheet prints twice with CUT HERE between them. One owner is appointing here, so the second appointer row stays empty. All signatures must be in ink; the form says so in capitals.
Field by field
Every line, in the order you meet it
1
You fill this in
Vehicle/vessel description
VIN, year model, make and plate or CF number.
Watch out: Naming the car is what keeps the authority tied to one vehicle. A REG 260 with the description left blank is not a broader power of attorney, it is an incomplete form.
2
You fill this in
I, ... (print name)
Your name, printed. This is the person handing over the authority.
Watch out: Print it as it appears on your driver licence - the DMV matches the signature below against it.
3
You fill this in
Second appointer line
The second registered owner, if the title names two.
Watch out: If the title joins the owners with AND - which California prints as a slash - both lines have to be completed and both signed.
4
You fill this in
appoint: ... (print name)
One line, for the person who will sign in your place.
Watch out: Their name exactly as it reads on their licence, because that is what they will produce at the counter.
5
You fill this in
Signature, city, state, zip
Sign on the rule, then city, state and zip beside it.
Watch out: In ink. The form says ALL SIGNATURES MUST BE IN INK in capitals, and a pencilled power of attorney is not a power of attorney.
6
You fill this in
Date and DL, ID or dealer number
The date you signed and your licence or ID number.
Watch out: Then complete the lower half too. The sheet prints the form twice with CUT HERE between them - one copy goes with the paperwork, one stays with you.
At a glance
What goes where
On the form
What to put in it
Vehicle/vessel description
VIN, year model, make, plate or CF number, motorcycle engine number. The car is named on the form, which is what keeps the authority tied to one vehicle.
I, ... (print name)
You. Two lines, because a car with two registered owners needs both of them to appoint.
appoint: ... (print name)
One line. The person who will sign in your place - print the name exactly as it appears on their licence, because the DMV will match the signature against it.
Signature required by person appointing power of attorney
Plus city, state, zip, date and a driver licence, ID or dealer number, for each appointer. The certification above it is under penalty of perjury.
What gets this one rejected
•Pencil, or anything other than ink. The form says in capitals that ALL SIGNATURES MUST BE IN INK.
•One owner signing for two. If the title names co-owners joined by AND, both appointer lines have to be completed and signed.
•Using it to sell a car for someone who has died. A power of attorney ends at death; that route is the REG 5 or a probate document, not this form.
•Completing only the top half. Like the bill of sale, the sheet prints twice with CUT HERE AND KEEP THIS COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS between them.
•Leaving the vehicle description blank to make the authority general. A REG 260 with no car on it is not a broader power of attorney, it is an incomplete form.
Every line here was read off REG 260 (Rev 3/2007) itself —
the PDF is here — and off the California Department of Motor Vehicles pages.
This is plain-language help with a form, not legal advice, and where our wording and the agency's differ,
theirs governs.
