Lost title · California

Replacing a lost car title in California

California charges $28, and it has a feature almost no other state offers: the same form that replaces the title can transfer it.

A compact car raised on a two-post lift in a clean inspection bay

What California charges

The replacement title fee is $28. $28 replacement title via Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227), in person or by mail; typically arrives in 15-30 days. REG 227 can also transfer ownership directly, so a lost title need not delay a sale.

That figure comes from California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), read from its own page and current as of August 2026. The hub compares all fifty states if you want to see where California sits — the spread runs from $5 to $101, which is wider than most people expect for the same piece of paper.

The part that catches people out

REG 227 is titled “Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title,” and that word does real work. It means a missing certificate does not have to stop a California sale while you wait 15 to 30 days for a replacement to arrive — the buyer and seller can complete the transfer on the same form the replacement is requested on. Very few sellers know this, and it is the single most useful fact on this page.

California REG 227: Replacement or Transfer of Title, with every box filled in

That is the document California wants, and we publish a worked example of it: California REG 227: Replacement or Transfer of Title.

The exception is a lien still showing on the record. California will not hand a clean title to the owner while a lender is printed on it, so the release has to come first — and REG 227’s dual purpose does not get around that.

Sources

California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — replacement title fee — Where the California figure of $28 was read, current as of August 2026
California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — agency home — The agency that issues California titles

Common questions

What people ask about this

How much does it cost to replace a lost car title in California?

$28. $28 replacement title via Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227), in person or by mail; typically arrives in 15-30 days. REG 227 can also transfer ownership directly, so a lost title need…