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Pay your temporary passport, emergency travel document or other administrative fees – Canadians outside Canada

These fees are for Canadians abroad paying for a temporary passport or emergency travel document.

Temporary passports and emergency travel documents don’t replace your regular ones. They’re valid only for urgent, proven travel situations or residency requirements determined by the consulate or embassy.

Before paying for any of these services, please contact the Government of Canada office abroad where you will be submitting your application, to confirm your eligibility. Pay these fees only if the office instructs you to .

Additional fees may apply

You many need to pay extra fees on top of the fees above if you need

• to replace a lost or stolen passport
• to pick up your passport when you’re back in Canada
• other administrative services (special stamp or observation)

Contact your nearest Canadian embassy or consulate for more information . Pay these fees only if the office instructs you to .

How to pay your fees

 pay online.

To pay your fees online you need

• PDF reader software
• a credit or debit card
• a valid email address

When you finish, you must

• print a receipt of your payment
• include it with your application

Pay your fees online

 Pay in person at a Canadian embassy or consulate abroad

Payment options at Canadian embassies and consulates depend on where you apply. Before you visit an office, contact them for payment options .

Credit cards and prepaid cards

We accept credit cards and prepaid cards from:

• MasterCard ® ,
• American Express ® , and

If you use a prepaid credit card, keep it for at least 18 months after you pay to make refunds easier.

We also accept all Visa Debit cards.

The card you use does not have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.

Debit cards

We only accept Debit MasterCard ® and Visa ® Debit cards. The logos on the front of your card will show you which type of card you have.

The card you use does not have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt, but it does not need to match your application.

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Our permanent residence fees have increased

The fees for all permanent residence applications increased on April 30, 2024. If you paid your fees before April 30, but have not yet submitted your complete application, you will need to pay the difference .

You can pay your fees in different ways depending on the fee type and where you are paying from. Answer the questions below to get payment instructions.

On this page

• Temporary residence
• Permanent residence

Family sponsorship

Citizenship, inadmissibility, other applications and services, temporary residence, electronic travel authorization (eta), international experience canada.

The International Experience Canada participation fee increased by $5 (from $156 to $161) on December 1, 2022.

Study Permits (including extensions)

Temporary resident permit, visitor visa (including super visa) or extend your stay in canada.

To be eligible to pay the maximum fee of $500 (in Canadian dollars):

• family members must all apply at the same time and same place
• your children must qualify as dependants

Work Permits (including extensions)

Work permit maximum group fee: To qualify, you must be a group of three or more performing artists and their staff, and apply at the same time and place.

If you also need visitor visas (temporary resident visas), you still need to pay for them individually. For visitor visas, the group fee only applies to families.

Permanent Residence

Business immigration.

These fees apply to:

• Quebec business immigration
• Self-employed people
• Start-up visa
• Live-in Caregiver Program
• Home Child Care Provider Pilot (without the work permit fee)
• Home Support Worker Pilot (without the work permit fee)

Home Child Care Provider Pilot and Home Support Worker Pilot

If you are applying for a work permit, you must pay for it separately :

• pay your caregiver fees and get your receipt, then
• pay your work permit fees and get another receipt.

Include both receipts with your application.

Economic immigration (including Express Entry)

• Agri-food pilot
• Atlantic immigration pilot
• Atlantic immigration program
• Canadian experience class
• Federal skilled workers
• Federal skilled trades
• Provincial nominee
• Rural and northern immigration pilot
• Quebec-selected skilled workers

Humanitarian and compassionate

These fees also apply to the

• Health-care worker permanent residence pathway
• Pathway to permanent residence – Families of Canadian victims of recent air disasters
• Pathway to permanent residence – Family reunification for Ukrainian nationals
• Temporary public policy for Hong Kong residents
• Temporary public policy to further facilitate access to permanent resident status for out-of-status construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
• Temporary resident to permanent resident pathway (TR to PR pathway)

Permanent resident cards

Your permanent resident (PR) card can only be delivered to an address in Canada. If you are outside Canada and don't have a valid PR card, or if your card is lost or stolen, apply for a  permanent resident travel document  to return to Canada.

Permanent resident travel document

Permit holders class.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship may grant permanent resident status to an inadmissible foreign national based on humanitarian and compassionate or public policy grounds.

Protected person

Right of permanent residence fee.

For most permanent residence applications, you need to pay the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) when your application is approved. You will have to pay it before you can become a permanent resident.

You can pay the RPRF at the same time as your application fees to avoid delays. If we approve your application before you pay it, we will contact you to explain how.

We will refund the RPRF if you withdraw or we refuse your application. The RPRF is the only fee that we can refund after we start processing your application.

The RPRF does not apply to:

• the dependent children of a principal applicant or sponsor
• sponsorship applications for adopted children
• sponsorship applications for an orphaned brother, sister, niece, nephew or grandchild or
• protected persons, including applicants eligible on humanitarian and compassionate grounds and convention refugees.

Apply for an RPRF loan .

Adopted children and other relatives

Note: If you are applying under the Family Class, you can pay your fees when the sponsor files the sponsorship application.

Parents and grandparents

Spouse, partner or children (abroad), spouse, partner or children (in canada), citizenship - application fees, other citizenship fees and services, authorization to return to canada, rehabilitation, repay your removal expenses.

If you are a citizen of certain countries or territories, you have to give your biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) when you apply for a:

• visitor visa
• study permit or
• work permit.

Find out if you need to give biometrics .

Note: The biometrics fee covers:

• collecting fingerprints and a digital photo
• moving your documents between our visa office and the VAC where you gave your biometrics

If your children qualify as dependants and need to give their biometrics, you can pay the family fee.

Note:  The biometrics fee covers the following costs:

• transferring your documents between our visa office and the VAC where you gave your biometrics

If your children qualify as dependants , you can pay the family fee.

Note:  The biometrics fee covers the cost of collecting fingerprints and a digital photo. If your children qualify as dependants , you can pay the family fee. The biometrics fee also covers the VAC core services if you submit your application through a VAC.

Core services include:

• checking that applications are complete
• sending applications to the visa office
• moving supporting documents and passports to and from the visa office and
• tracking online applications.

Canadian passports and travel documents

To find fees and payment options for Canadian passports and travel documents, visit Pay your fees for a Canadian passport, a travel document or other services .

Employer compliance

Notes: Employer Compliance – group of entertainers (3 or more):  To be eligible for the group fee, you must make your offers of employment to a group of three or more foreign nationals, consisting of performing artists and their staff, at the same time.

Verify your status or replace an immigration document

Request a refund.

Find out how to request a refund and which fees are eligible.

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• Learn about the naturalization process
• Learn about citizenship rights and responsibilities
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Renew an adult passport

Find out if you can renew your passport or need a new one. Learn how to renew your passport by mail, get it changed or corrected, or what to do if it expires soon.

Renew early. Passport processing times  vary. And some countries and airlines deny entry if your passport expires in less than 6 months.

Determine if you can renew your passport

If any of the following are true, you cannot renew your U.S. passport and must instead apply for a new passport in person using Form DS-11:

• Issued before your 16th birthday
• Issued more than 15 years ago
• Damaged, lost, or stolen. Learn how to report a lost or stolen passport.
• Issued in your previous name, and you do not have a legal document like a marriage license to prove your legal name change

If none of the above situations are true, you can renew your U.S. passport. 

Can you renew an expired passport?

You can renew an expired passport, but only if it was issued within the last 15 years.

How to renew your passport and what documents you will need

Passports can only be renewed by mail, and the renewal process for passport books and cards is the same. You will select which type of passport you want when you fill out the application form. Online renewals are currently paused. Because it can take up to three months to process your application, it is important to renew your passport before it expires.

Typically, you will need the following items to renew your passport:

• You can fill out Form DS-82 online , or
• Download Form DS-82 and fill it out by hand, or
• Find your local passport acceptance facility or regional agency and pick up a copy.
• Passport photo
• Passport fee
• Your most recent passport - Your most recent passport will be mailed back to you separately after your new passport is mailed.
• Name change documentation, if necessary

Learn how to submit all your documentation and passport fees and where to mail them.

Check with the Department of State to find out the current processing times for passport renewals .

If you need your passport quickly

Learn how and where to get your passport fast for emergency or urgent travel or to get expedited processing. The time it takes for each varies throughout the year, and there may be additional fees. Use the fee calculator or chart.

Check the status of your passport renewal

Learn how to check the status of your passport renewal online . Or check its status by phone (call wait times may be long).

If you need to change your name or correct your passport

After you receive your renewed passport, if you change your name or find an error, you will need to get an updated one to reflect the change. The process, cost, and forms you need depend on how long you have had your current passport. Follow the steps from the State Department to change your name or correct your passport.

If you are outside the U.S.

Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate near you to request a passport while outside the U.S.

If you need help with your passport application

If you have questions about your U.S. passport, the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) can help. Get contact information for NPIC and find out when to contact them based on when you are traveling.

Be aware of passport expiration rules for your destination

Some countries and airlines will not allow a U.S. passport holder to enter if their passport expires in less than 6 months. 

Check your destination country's U.S. passport expiration rules on the  Department of State's country information page .

• On the left, search for the country name in the "learn about your destination" box.
• On that country's page, look for "passport validity."

LAST UPDATED: May 15, 2024

Have a question?

Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it.

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Filing Fees

Alert:  We published a  final rule  to adjust certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees for the first time since 2016.

For more information, please visit our  Frequently Asked Questions  page.

A filing fee is required for many immigration forms. If you do not submit the correct fee, we will reject your form.

We periodically adjust our fees. For a complete list of all USCIS fees, see our  Fee Schedule .

You can use our  Fee Calculator  to determine the exact filing and, if applicable, biometric services fees for any form processed at a  USCIS Lockbox facility .

How you pay your USCIS filing fees (including biometric services fees and other fees, if applicable) will depend on whether you are inside or outside of the United States.

If you live outside the United States or its territories

If you live outside the United States or its territories and you want to file your application, petition, or request where you live, go to the  Forms  section of our website to determine if you can file your form at an international office. We do not accept all forms of payment abroad. Check the appropriate  International USCIS office  webpage or contact the  U.S. Embassy or Consulate  for information on how to pay USCIS fees.

If you are inside the United States

Depending on the form you are submitting, you may pay your fees:

• Online using a card or bank withdrawal; or
• By mail with a card, check, bank draft, or money order.

When filing Form I-131, Application for Travel Document , directly with a USCIS field office to request emergency advance parole, you may pay only by card, personal check, or business check. Refer to the USCIS  Emergency Travel  page for more information.

For more information on filing your specific form, go to the USCIS All Forms page. Please see our  News  page for the latest updates.

Multiple Applications or Methods of Payment

If you are submitting multiple forms , pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms. For example, when filing Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status ; Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization ; and/or  Form I-824, Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition , together with a  Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker , you must provide separate payments for each form. If you combine the payments for these forms, we may reject the entire package.

You must pay for each application, petition, or request you submit using a single payment method (check, bank draft, money order, or card) and not a combination of payment methods. For example, if you file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization , you cannot pay for half the fee with a personal check and half the fee with credit card.

Pay with a Check

You may pay fees with bank drafts, cashier’s checks, certified checks, personal or business checks (made payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security), and money orders that are drawn on U.S. financial institutions and payable in U.S. funds. If filing Form I-131 directly with a domestic USCIS field office to request emergency advance parole, you can only pay by personal or business check (or card).

You must mail your check, bank draft, or money order together with your benefit request form. Refer to the form instructions for more information. Please see our  News  page for the latest updates.

If you are paying your fees by check, please be aware of the following:

• Authorization for an Electronic Funds Transfer : By submitting your check, you authorize us to convert your check into an electronic fund transfer. We will use the account information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer from your checking account for the amount of the check. If the transfer cannot occur for technical reasons, you authorize us to process the copy of your original check through normal paper check procedures.
• Insufficient Funds : The electronic fund transfer from your account can occur faster than normal processing for a paper check. If your check or other financial instrument is returned as unpayable, we will resubmit the payment one time. If it is returned as unpayable a second time, we will reject your filing.
• If your check is not dated within the previous 365 days, we will reject the filing.

Personal checks must be preprinted with your name and your bank’s name. Your address and phone number must be preprinted, typed, or written in ink.

• Write the date you are completing the check. Use the U.S. style of month/day/year. (Example: Jan. 4, 2017, or 1/4/17, but not 4/1/17 or 4 JAN 2017.)
• On the “Pay to the Order of” line, write “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” (not “USDHS” or “DHS”).
• Use numerals to show the exact dollar amount of the fee for the service you are requesting. In the example, the amount is “$760.00.”
• Spell out the exact dollar amount of the fee and write the “cents” portion of the amount as a fraction over 100. In this example, the amount is “Seven hundred sixty and 00/100.”
• Write a brief description of the purpose of your payment. In this example, it is “N-400 application.” Include the applicant’s name on the memo line if it is not on the check itself (for example, if you are paying the fee for your child).
• Sign the check in ink using your legal name.

If paying by credit or debit card, you must pay each filing fee separately for each application, petition, or request you submit.

You may pay filing and any other applicable fees with a credit or debit card issued by a U.S. bank if you are filing:

• An application, petition, or request with a  USCIS lockbox ; or
• An application, petition, or request with the USCIS service centers.

There is no additional cost if you pay by credit or debit card. We cannot accept a credit or debit card issued by a foreign bank.

Acceptable Credit or Debit Cards

You may use Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and prepaid cards from the same card networks. Make sure the card’s credit limit can cover the fee. We will reject your application, petition, or request if the card is declined, and we will not attempt to process your credit card payment a second time.

We do not  support payment by gift cards .

How to Pay with a Card When Filing by Mail

To pay with a card, follow these two steps:

• Complete and sign  Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions (PDF, 261.57 KB) .
• Place the form on top of your application, petition, or request when you file it.

When filing Form G-1450 with a Lockbox or Service Center, you may split the payment for one form  across multiple credit, debit, or prepaid cards that add up the correct total. Complete one Form G-1450 for each card. However, you may use only one Form G-1450 when requesting emergency advance parole from a USCIS field Office. In all cases, the credit, debit, or prepaid card must be from a financial institution located in the United States.

If we accept your filing, we will charge your card for the proper amount and destroy your Form G-1450 to protect your card information. (We will destroy it even if we reject your filing and do not process your payment.)

You will see a charge from USCIS on your credit card statement.

There is a daily transaction limit for credit cards of $24,999.99 per credit card per day set by the Department of the Treasury. We allow an exemption to this limit of up to $99,999.99 for H-1B registrations and petitions submitted online using one credit card.

We use the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Pay.gov Trusted Collections Service to process your credit card payment. Trusted Collections Service is a web-based application that allows government agencies to process debit or credit card payments. You cannot pay the fee directly to Pay.gov.

The Department of the Treasury ensures that Pay.gov is  Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliant. This security standard is a set of requirements designed to ensure all companies processing, storing, or transmitting credit card information maintain a secure environment.

For your security, we will destroy your Form G-1450 after processing it, regardless of whether we accept or reject your application, petition, or request.

Third-Party Payments

Anyone authorized to use a credit card may pay for your application, petition, or request. The cardholder must complete Form G-1450, sign it, and give it to you to submit with your filing.

Declined Credit Cards

If a credit card is declined, we will not attempt to process the credit card payment again. We will reject your application, petition, or request for lack of payment.

Rejection Notices

If we reject your filing, we will send you a notice explaining why we rejected it.

If you file a corrected application, petition, or request, and wish to pay again by credit card, you will need to include a new Form G-1450.

Avoid Immigration Scams

Learn how to protect yourself from common immigration services scams, and where to report suspected fraud, at  Avoid Scams .

And remember, the current versions of all USCIS forms are always available for free at  uscis.gov/forms .

If you  file your form online , the system will guide you through the process of paying your fees with a credit, debit, or prepaid card. Bank account withdrawals are also available when paying online. Once you are ready to submit your form, the system will automatically direct you to the secure Department of the Treasury site, pay.gov, to pay your fees online.

We only use pay.gov to process fees. Always check the website address before you pay. Beware of scam websites and scammers who may pretend to be a USCIS website.

If you mail your form to a USCIS Lockbox facility, you may  pay your fees with a debit, credit, or prepaid card . To do so, follow these steps:

• Complete and sign  Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions .
• Place the form on top of your application, petition, or request.
• Mail the entire package to the appropriate USCIS Lockbox.

If we accept your filing, we will:

• Charge your card for the proper amount; and
• Destroy your Form G-1450 to protect your credit information (we will destroy it even if we reject your filing and do not process your payment).

You will see a charge from USCIS on your card statement.

For general filing information, see the  Form Filing Tips webpage.

If we approve your petition, application, or request and the payment has not been properly funded or you subsequently dispute payment of the fee, we may revoke, rescind, or cancel the approval with notice (for example, by issuing a Notice of Intent to Revoke). We will not separately bill you for the unpaid fee. If you receive a Notice of Intent to Revoke, you may respond with payment of the correct fee amount.

When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing and biometric service fees are final and nonrefundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. Please refer to the form you filed for additional information, or you may call the  USCIS Contact Center  at 800-375-5283 (for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability: TTY 800-767-1833).

We are funded largely by application and petition fees. Recognizing that some applicants cannot pay the filing fees, we established a fee waiver process for certain forms and benefit types. We will approve a fee waiver only if you clearly demonstrate that you are unable to pay the filing fees. We carefully consider the merits of each fee waiver request before making a decision. Visit the Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver page to learn more.

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Immigrant Visa Process

Both Petitioner and Applicant

Step 3: Pay Fees

The first thing you need to do after receiving your NVC Welcome Letter is pay your processing fees. There are two processing fees:

• Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee
• Affidavit of Support Fee.

You will need a bank routing number and a checking or savings account number from a U.S. based bank. 

To pay your fee, log into your case in CEAC  and click the ‘PAY NOW’ button under Affidavit of Support Fee or IV Fee on your summary page.

Please note you cannot pay these two fees simultaneously; the online system will ask you to pay them one at a time.

After submitting your payments online, please allow  up to 1 week  for NVC to process your fees before continuing to the next step. You will not be able to access Form DS-260 until NVC has processed your payments.

Who's Involved

Petitioner : A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident family member or employer (or the employer's agent) who files a family-based or employment-based immigrant visa petition with USCIS. 

Contact NVC

Please use the  Public Inquiry Form  if you need to contact NVC.

National Visa Center:  After petition approval, the National Visa Center (NVC) handles processing for certain kinds of documents, sending them onward to U.S. Embassies & Consulates.  When and how to Contact NVC

External Link

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Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

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Pay your application fees online

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Canadian passports and travel documents

You can only pay online for some types of applications. Confirm your payment options before you pay online.

Canadian passports mailed or picked up outside Canada and the United States

Pay for passports mailed or picked up outside Canada and the United States , including the fees for replacing a lost or stolen passport.

Official passports (special or diplomatic)

Pay for an official passport for representatives of the Government of Canada and people travelling on Government of Canada-related business, as well as the foreign visa facilitation service for official travel.

Temporary passports and emergency travel documents outside Canada

Pay for temporary passports and emergency travel documents issued outside of Canada. Only pay these fees if a Government of Canada consulate or embassy has told you to.

Travel documents for non-Canadians

Pay for certificates of identity and refugee travel documents.

For permanent resident (PR) card and permanent resident travel document fees, see Permanent resident documents .

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Title Transfers and Changes

To prove vehicle ownership, it’s important to have a valid, up-to-date, and accurate California Certificate of Title. Here’s how you can transfer and change a title. 

Transfer your Title online!

You can now transfer a title online. Learn more about the steps and get started.

How to Transfer a Title

Anytime there’s a change to a vehicle or vessel’s registered owner or lienholder, that change must be updated in DMV’s records within 10 days and the California Certificate of Title must be transferred to the new owner.

A change in ownership is usually due to:

• Sale, gift, or donation
• Adding or deleting the name of an owner
• Inheritance
• Satisfaction of lien (full payment of car loan)

To transfer a title, you will need:

• Either the California Certificate of Title or an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) (if the title is missing). 
• The signature(s) of seller(s) and lienholder (if any).
• The signature(s) of buyer(s).
• A transfer fee .

Depending on the type of transfer, you might need to complete and submit additional forms. See below for other title transfers and title transfer forms.

Submit your title transfer paperwork and fee (if any) to a DMV office or by mail to: 

DMV PO Box 942869 Sacramento, CA 94269

Rush Title Processing

If you need us to expedite your title processing, you can request rush title processing for an additional fee.

Transfer Fees

Depending on the type of transfer, you may need to pay the following fees:

• Replacement title
• Use tax, based on the buyer’s county of residence
• Registration

See the full list of fees .

Renewal fees and parking/toll violation fees don’t need to be paid to issue a replacement California Certificate of Title.

Title Transfer Forms

These forms may be required when transferring ownership of a vehicle or vessel:  Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) Vehicle/Vessel Transfer and Reassignment (REG 262) form (call the DMV’s automated voice system at 1-800-777-0133 to have a form mailed to you) Statement of Facts (REG 256) Lien Satisfied/Title Holder Release (REG 166) Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability Smog certification Vehicle Emission System Statement (Smog) (REG 139) Declaration of Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)/Combined Gross Vehicle Weight (CGW) (REG 4008) Affidavit for Transfer without Probate (REG 5) Bill of Sale (REG 135) Verification of Vehicle (REG 31)

Other Title Transfers

When you’re buying a new car or a used car from a dealership, the dealer will handle the paperwork and you’ll receive your title from DMV in the mail.

When vehicle ownership is transferred between two private parties, it’s up to them to transfer the title. If you have the California Certificate of Title for the vehicle , the seller signs the title to release ownership of the vehicle. The buyer should then bring the signed title to a DMV office to apply for transfer of ownership. 

If you don’t have the California Certificate of Title , you need to use an Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) to transfer ownership. The lienholder’s release, if any, must be notarized. The buyer should then bring the completed form to a DMV office and we will issue a new registration and title.

Make sure you have all signatures on the proper lines to avoid delays.

Other Steps for the Seller When Vehicle Ownership is Transferred

• 10 years old or older.
• Commercial with a GVW or CGW of more than 16,000 pounds.
• New and being transferred prior to its first retail sale by a dealer.
• Complete a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) within 5 days of releasing ownership and keep a copy for your records.

Once the seller gives the buyer all required documentation and DMV receives the completed NRL, the seller’s part of the transaction is complete.

*If the vehicle has been sold more than once with the same title, a REG 262 is required from each seller.

Other Steps for the Buyer When Vehicle Ownership is Transferred

• Current registered owner(s), how names are joined (“and/or”), and lienholder/legal owner (if any).
• License plate number, vehicle identification number (VIN), make, model, year, and registration expiration date.
• Title brands (if any).
• Words “Nontransferable/No California Title Issued,” indicating a California title was not issued and a REG 227 cannot be used (see FAQs).
• Get a smog inspection (if applicable).

Once the buyer has provided the DMV with all the proper documents and fees, the vehicle record is updated to reflect the change of ownership and a registration card is issued.

A new title is issued from DMV headquarters within 60 calendar days.

To transfer a vehicle between family members, submit the following:

• The California Certificate of Title properly signed or endorsed on line 1 by the registered owner(s) shown on the title. Complete the new owner information on the back of the title and sign it.
• A Statement of Facts (REG 256) for use tax and smog exemption (if applicable).
• Odometer disclosure for vehicles less than 10 years old.
• Transfer fee .

You may transfer a vehicle from an individual to the estate of that individual without signatures on the Certificate of Title.

Submit the following:

• The California Certificate of Title. On the back of the title, the new owner section must show “Estate of (name of individual)” and their address. Any legal owner/lienholder named on the front of the title must be re-entered on the back of the title.
• A Statement of Facts (REG 256) confirming the owner is deceased and Letters Testamentary have not been issued. The person completing the statement must indicate their relationship to the deceased.

Use tax and a smog certification are not required.

Vehicle ownership can be transferred to a deceased owner’s heir 40 days after the owner’s death, as long as the value of the deceased’s property in California does not exceed:

• $150,000 if the deceased died before 1/1/20.
• $166,250 if the deceased died on or after 1/1/20.

If the heir will be the new owner, submit the following to a DMV office:

• The California Certificate of Title. The heir must sign the deceased registered owner’s name and countersign on line 1. The heir should complete and sign the back of the title.
• Affidavit for Transfer without Probate (REG 5) , completed and signed by the heir.
• An original or certified copy of the death certificate of all deceased owners.

If the heir prefers to sell the vehicle, the buyer also needs (in addition to the items above):

• Bill of Sale (REG 135) from the heir to the buyer.
• Transfer fee (two transfer fees are due in this case).

To transfer vessel ownership, submit the following:

• The California Certificate of Ownership. The registered owner signs line 1. The legal owner/lienholder (if any) signs line 2. Complete the new owner information on the back of the certificate and sign it.
• Bill(s) of sale, if needed to establish a complete chain of ownership.
• A Vessel Registration Fee .
• Use tax based on the tax rate percentage for your county of residence.

After you sell a vessel, complete a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) within five days of releasing ownership and keep a copy for your records.

How to Update or Change a Title

Because a California Certificate of Title is a legal document, it is important to keep it accurate and up-to-date. Here’s how you can update or change a title. 

Order a Replacement California Certificate of Title

You must order a replacement California Certificate of Title when the original is lost, stolen, damaged, illegible, or not received. 

To order a replacement title, submit the following:

• Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) .
• The original title (if you have it).
• California photo driver license (if submitting form in person).
• Replacement title fee .
• If another replacement title was issued in the past 90 days, a Verification of Vehicle (REG 31) completed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). This requirement only applies if the registered owner’s name or address doesn’t match DMV records*.

You can submit your application either in-person* at a DMV office or by mail:

Department of Motor Vehicles Registration Operations PO Box 942869 Sacramento, California 94269-0001

If you’re submitting your form to a DMV office, we recommend you make an appointment so you can avoid any lines. 

You’ll receive your title by mail 15-30 calendar days from the date you submit the replacement title application.

*If you’re applying for a replacement title and the registered owner’s name or address doesn’t match DMV records (except for obvious typographical errors), you must submit your application in person with proof of ownership (e.g. registration card) and an acceptable photo ID (e.g. driver’s license/ID card).

Online Replacement Title Request

Visit our Virtual Office to request a replacement title online.

Change or Correct a Name on a Title

Your true full name must appear on your vehicle or vessel California Certificate of Title and registration card. If your name is misspelled, changes (e.g as a result of marriage or divorce), or is legally changed, you need to correct your name on your title.

To change or correct your name, submit:

• California Certificate of Title with your correct name printed or typed in the “New Registered Owner” section
• A completed Name Statement in Section F of the Statement of Facts (REG 256) .

You may submit your application to any DMV office or by mail to:

Department of Motor Vehicles Vehicle Registration Operations PO Box 942869 Sacramento, CA 94269-0001

Removing Information that was Entered by Mistake

If a name or other information is entered on a title by mistake, complete a Statement to Record Ownership (REG 101) .

Frequently Asked Questions

If the vehicle has a legal owner/lienholder, then section 5 of the REG 227 needs to be notarized. If the registration does not show a legal owner/lienholder, notarization is not required.

Need help finding the lienholder on your vehicle title? We keep a listing of banks, credit unions, and financial/lending institutions that may have gone out of business, merged, changed their name, or been acquired by another financial institution.

No. You must obtain a title from the state where the vehicle was last titled.

If you’re unable to obtain a title from that state, provide documentation that they cannot issue a title. A motor vehicle bond may be required

Contact us for more information .

Need something else?

Fee calculator.

Use our fee calculator to estimate any applicable registration or title transfer fees.

Renew Your Vehicle Registration

You need to renew your vehicle registration every 1-5 years in California, depending on the vehicle. Make sure your registration is up-to-date.

Make an Appointment

Some applications can be submitted to a DMV office near you. Make an appointment so you don’t have to wait in line.

General Disclaimer

When interacting with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Virtual Assistant, please do not include any personal information.

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The content currently in English is the official and accurate source for the program information and services DMV provides. Any discrepancies or differences created in the translation are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes. If any questions arise related to the information contained in the translated content, please refer to the English version.

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