REG 256 is the Statement of Facts issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). One sheet carries several separate statements: a use tax exemption, a smog exemption, transfer only or title only, a window decal for a wheelchair lift or carrier, a vehicle body change and a name statement. You complete only the sections that fit your situation and sign Section H. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the DMV publishes the original on its forms page.
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What is REG 256?
Statement of Facts (REG 256) is a California DMV form on which a vehicle or vessel owner states, under penalty of perjury, the facts that support an exemption, a registration status, a decal request or a record correction.
The form begins with the license plate/CF number, the vehicle/vessel ID number and the year/make. Its sections then cover separate statements:
- A. Statement for use tax exemption (family transfer, addition or deletion of a family member, gift, court order or inheritance).
- B. Statement for smog exemption.
- C. Statement for transfer only or title only.
- D. Window decal for a wheelchair lift or wheelchair carrier.
- E. Statement for vehicle body change (ownership certificate required).
- F. Name statement (ownership certificate required).
- G. Statement of Facts, a free-text area that begins "I, the undersigned, state:".
- H. Applicant's signature.
The form tells you to complete the appropriate section(s) in full, including the vehicle description, and to sign Section H. The signature certifies, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California, that the statements are true and correct. The DMV lists REG 256 among its featured forms. The printed revision is REV. 8/2008.
Who needs to file REG 256?
Owners, buyers and recipients of a vehicle or vessel in California use REG 256 when a DMV transaction calls for one of its statements. Complete only the sections that apply to you.
- Section A: people claiming a use tax exemption because the transfer is a family transfer, an addition or deletion of a family member, a gift, a court order or an inheritance.
- Section B: people claiming that the vehicle does not need a smog certification for the transfer of ownership, for one of the reasons listed.
- Section C: people applying for Transfer Only or Title Only for a vehicle that has not been used or parked on a street or highway.
- Section D: holders of a Disabled Person License Plate, Disabled Veteran License Plate or Permanent Disabled Person Parking Placard who want a window decal for a wheelchair lift or carrier.
- Section E: owners who changed unladen weight, motive power, body type or number of axles.
- Section F: owners whose name is misspelled, who are changing their name, or who appear under two names that are one person.
The use tax exemption cannot be claimed if the vehicle or vessel was bought from an otherwise qualifying relative who is engaged in the business of selling that type of vehicle or vessel.
When to file REG 256
Complete REG 256 when a DMV transaction for your vehicle or vessel requires one of its statements, such as a use tax exemption on a transfer, a smog exemption, a body change or a name correction. No separate due date is printed on the form. One timing rule appears in Section B: the smog exemption for a recent certification applies only if the last smog certification was obtained within the last 90 days. In Section E, enter the date the changes were made and what they cost. Sections E and F require an ownership certificate, so have it ready when you submit the form.
Documents you need
- Ownership certificate: required with Section E (vehicle body change) and Section F (name statement).
- Public Weighmaster Certificate: required with Section E when unladen weight changed. Trailers are the stated exception.
- For Section D: your Disabled Person License Plate, Disabled Veteran License Plate or Permanent Disabled Person Parking Placard number, entered on the form.
How to fill out REG 256
Enter the vehicle description
At the top of each page, enter the license plate/CF number, the vehicle/vessel ID number and the year/make. The form says to complete the appropriate sections in full, including the vehicle description.
Complete Section A for use tax
Check the box that matches your transfer: family transfer, addition or deletion of a family member, gift, court order or inheritance. Then enter the current market value.
Complete Section B for smog
Check the reason the vehicle needs no smog certification: certification within the last 90 days, power source (electricity, diesel or Other), location outside California, or a listed transfer between related parties or lessor and lessee.
Complete Section C if applicable
Check Transfer Only or Title Only. This confirms the vehicle has not been used or parked on a street, highway or off-highway and is not currently registered.
Complete Section D for a decal
Enter your Disabled Person Plate, Disabled Veteran Plate or Permanent Disabled Person Placard number. Then enter the license number, make and vehicle ID number of the vehicle for the decal, and the name and address for the Mail to block.
Complete Section E for body changes
Enter the current market value, the cost of the changes and the date. Check each change that applies (unladen weight, motive power, body type, number of axles) and give the "from" and "to" values.
Complete Section F for names
Please print. Check one statement: two names are one and the same person, your name is misspelled (give the correction), or you are changing your name (give the old and new name).
Write Section G if needed
Under "I, the undersigned, state:", write the facts you are certifying that the other sections do not cover.
Sign and date Section H
Print your last, first and middle name and your daytime phone number, then sign and date. The signature certifies under penalty of perjury that the statements are true and correct.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that only the sections that apply are filled and that the vehicle description matches your records. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and attach any required ownership certificate or weighmaster certificate.
How to submit REG 256
REG 256 prints no DMV address, portal or appointment rule of its own. It is a statement that supports a DMV transaction, so it goes to the DMV through the channel for the transaction it supports.
- Forms page: the DMV publishes REG 256 at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/form/statement-of-facts-reg-256/ and lists it with its other forms.
- Section D: the form includes a Mail to block for name, address, city, state and ZIP.
- Attachments: Sections E and F require an ownership certificate. Section E also requires a Public Weighmaster Certificate when unladen weight changed (trailers excepted).
Sign Section H and fill in the vehicle description before you submit. For where to take the paperwork, check the DMV's instructions for your transaction. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the DMV's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving out the vehicle description (license plate/CF number, vehicle/vessel ID number, year/make) at the top; the form says to complete the sections in full, including it.
- Submitting the form without signing Section H, which carries the declaration under penalty of perjury.
- Claiming the use tax exemption on a vehicle bought from an otherwise qualifying relative who is engaged in the business of selling that type of vehicle or vessel.
- Checking Gift for a vehicle traded between individuals or for a transfer of contracts or other valuable consideration; the form says a gift does not include these.
- Treating a starred smog exemption in Section B as final when Biennial Smog is required; the note says smog certification is still needed then.
- Claiming the out-of-state smog exemption for a vehicle located in Nevada or Mexico; the form lists them as exceptions.
- Signing the Section C statement when the vehicle has been driven, moved, towed or left standing on a California public highway.
- Reporting a changed unladen weight in Section E without a Public Weighmaster Certificate, unless the vehicle is a trailer.
- Filing Section E or F without the required ownership certificate.
Frequently asked questions
What is REG 256 used for?
REG 256 is the California DMV Statement of Facts. It lets you state, under penalty of perjury, the facts behind a use tax exemption, a smog exemption, a transfer-only or title-only request, a wheelchair decal, a vehicle body change or a name correction.
Do I have to fill out every section of the REG 256 form?
No. The form says to complete the appropriate section(s) in full, including the vehicle description, and to sign Section H. Fill in only the statements that match your transaction and leave the others blank.
Who qualifies for the use tax exemption on REG 256?
Section A covers family transfers (parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, spouse, domestic partner, or siblings if both are minors), additions or deletions of a family member, gifts, court orders and inheritances. It cannot be claimed when the seller is a qualifying relative in the business of selling that vehicle type.
When does a transfer not need a smog certification on REG 256?
Section B lists the reasons: a smog certification within the last 90 days, electric or diesel power (or Other), a vehicle outside California (not Nevada or Mexico), or certain transfers between family, a sole proprietorship and its owner, lessors and lessees, or added owners. Starred reasons still need smog if Biennial Smog is required.
Does a name change on REG 256 need an ownership certificate?
Yes. Section F, the name statement, is marked ownership certificate required. It covers a misspelled name, a name change, and two names that belong to the same person. Section E, vehicle body change, carries the same requirement.
Can I fill out REG 256 online?
Yes. You can fill out the fillable PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the form with the DMV; you submit it through the DMV's channels.
Who signs the Statement of Facts?
The applicant signs and dates Section H and prints their name and daytime phone number. The signature certifies under penalty of perjury under California law that the statements are true and correct.
How do I get a wheelchair lift window decal with REG 256?
Complete Section D. Enter your Disabled Person Plate, Disabled Veteran Plate or Permanent Disabled Person Placard number, the license number, make and vehicle ID number of the vehicle for the decal, and the name and address for mailing.
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