REG 343 is the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) application for title or registration of a vehicle. One form covers autos, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, off-highway vehicles and trailer coaches, and it asks for the vehicle, each owner, any legal owner, the odometer reading, key dates and the cost. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the form is published by the DMV at dmv.ca.gov.
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What is REG 343?
Form REG 343, Application for Title or Registration/Verification of Vehicle, is the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) form on which an owner gives the information needed to apply for a title or registration of a vehicle. The revision printed on it is REG 343 (REV. 12/2022).
The form has nine numbered sections and must be completed on both sides:
- Section 1: vehicle information, including VIN, make, plate number, vehicle type and commercial-vehicle questions.
- Section 2: owner information, with co-owners joined by AND or OR.
- Section 3: legal owner (lienholder or title holder).
- Section 4: odometer information.
- Section 5: date information.
- Section 6: cost information.
- Section 7: out-of-state vehicles, including sales tax paid to another state and the disposition of out-of-state plates.
- Section 8: military service information.
- Section 9: certifications and signatures.
Several answers send you to companion DMV forms: REG 4008 for certain commercial weights, REG 256 for a gift, REG 5036 for body type modifications and REG 5045 for the Nonresident Military (NRM) Vehicle License Fee Exemption. The DMV lists REG 343 among its featured forms alongside the Statement of Facts (REG 256) and Bill of Sale (REG 135).
Who needs to file REG 343?
The main group is anyone who is applying to the California DMV for the title or registration of a vehicle and must give the vehicle, ownership and cost details this form collects.
The form addresses these groups:
- Individual owners and co-owners. Each owner must sign on the reverse side. Once the vehicle is registered, co-owners joined by "AND" need each owner's signature on a transfer; co-owners joined by "OR" need only one.
- Businesses and lessors. A company is entered as the owner or lessor, and its signature must include the printed company name and an authorized representative's countersignature, for example "ABC CO. by JOHN SMITH".
- Lessees. The form has a co-owner or lessee line and a separate lessee address.
- Legal owners. A bank, finance company or individual holding a lien or title is entered in Section 3.
- Owners of out-of-state vehicles. Section 7 applies to vehicles that come from another state.
- Military families. If you or your spouse is on active duty in the U.S. Uniformed Services, you may qualify for an exemption described in form REG 5045.
The form states no exclusions of its own.
When to file REG 343
The form prints no due date of its own. You complete REG 343 when you apply for a title or registration of a vehicle, and its date questions show the events that matter: the date the vehicle entered or will enter California, the date it was first operated in California, the date you went to work, obtained a California driver license or became a resident (whichever came first), and the date the vehicle was purchased or acquired.
The odometer section offers two readings: the reading on the date of purchase in California, or the reading as of the date you sign when there is no change in ownership. For any deadline tied to your purchase, move or transfer, check with the DMV at dmv.ca.gov before you apply.
Documents you need
- Declaration of Gross Vehicle Weight/Combined Gross Vehicle Weight (REG 4008): complete it if you answer Yes to the commercial vehicle question (10,001 lbs. or more, or a pickup exceeding 8,001 lbs. unladen and/or 11,499 lbs. GVWR).
- Statement of Facts (REG 256): complete it if you check GIFT in Section 6.
- Statement of Construction (REG 5036): complete it if body type modifications, additions or alterations were made since you purchased or acquired the vehicle.
- Nonresident Military (NRM) Vehicle License Fee Exemption (REG 5045): refer to it if you or your spouse is on active duty in the U.S. Uniformed Services and may qualify for an exemption.
- Motor Carrier Permit: may be required for the commercial vehicles described in Section 1; the form refers you to dmv.ca.gov for details.
How to fill out REG 343
Enter vehicle identification details
In Section 1, enter the vehicle identification number, make, year model, fuel type, California license plate number, model or series and body type model. For a motorcycle, add the engine number.
Choose vehicle type and answer questions
Check one box: Auto, Commercial (includes truck or pickup), Motorcycle, Off Highway or Trailer Coach; trailer coaches also give length and width in inches. Answer the for-hire question and the 10,001 lbs. commercial question; commercial vehicles also give axles and unladen weight, actual or estimated.
List owners and addresses
In Section 2, enter the true full name of the owner (LAST, FIRST MIDDLE, SUFFIX), business name or lessor, plus driver license or ID number and state. Mark co-owners AND or OR, then add the physical address, county, optional equipment number and any different mailing, lessee or trailer coach address.
Identify the legal owner
In Section 3, enter the bank, finance company or individual holding the lien or title, with address. If there is none, write "None"; for an ELT legal owner, copy the name, address and ELT number exactly from the ELT listing.
Record the odometer reading
In Section 4, enter the reading in miles or kilometers with no tenths, as of the purchase date in California or, if ownership has not changed, as of the date you sign. Check a discrepancy box and explain only if the reading is not the actual mileage or exceeds the mechanical limits.
Complete the date information
In Section 5, enter the dates the vehicle entered or will enter California and was first operated there, the date you went to work, got a California driver license or became a resident, and the purchase date. Check New or Used and Inside CA or Outside CA. Check the boxes for non-owner at entry or non-resident where they apply.
Enter the cost information
In Section 6, check one box only: Purchase, Gift or Trade, and enter the amount in U.S. dollars. Check the seller type (Dealer, Private Party, Dismantler or Immediate Family Member) and answer the body modification question; revived junk or salvage vehicles include labor cost.
Complete out-of-state details
In Section 7, answer the sales tax question (N/A, Yes or No) and give any tax paid to another state. Commercial vehicles state the last registration type, and everyone states what happened to the out-of-state plates.
Answer military service questions
In Section 8, answer whether you or your spouse is on active duty as a member of the U.S. Uniformed Services now and when the vehicle was last licensed. If yes, state where you were stationed.
Review, sign and download the PDF
In Section 9, each owner prints a name, signs, dates and gives a telephone or email address; a business adds its printed name and a representative's countersignature. Check that the vehicle information repeated on the second side is complete, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF.
How to submit REG 343
The form itself names no mailing address, portal or office, so submit it through the channels the California DMV lists for title and registration applications; check dmv.ca.gov for current options.
Before you submit:
- Complete both sides of the form.
- Have every owner sign on the reverse side (Section 9).
- Add any companion form your answers call for: REG 4008, REG 256 or REG 5036.
- If a Motor Carrier Permit may be required for a commercial vehicle, the form refers you to dmv.ca.gov.
The DMV publishes the form at the official source page linked on this page. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the DMV's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Completing only one side. The form says to complete both sides, and the owner signatures are on the reverse.
- Leaving Section 3 blank when there is no lienholder; the form says to write "None".
- Re-entering the new registered owner's name as the legal owner in Section 3; the form says not to.
- Entering an ELT legal owner's name, address or ELT number differently from the ELT listing; they must match exactly.
- Checking more than one box in Section 6; check one box only and enter the information for that box.
- Including sales tax, insurance, finance charges or warranty in the cost; the cost covers the vehicle, trade-in value and permanently attached accessories or leased equipment.
- Answering Yes to the commercial weight, gift or body modification question without completing REG 4008, REG 256 or REG 5036.
- Signing for a business without the printed company name and an authorized representative's countersignature.
- Entering tenths in the odometer reading; the form asks for no tenths.
Frequently asked questions
What is the REG 343 form used for?
REG 343 is the California DMV's Application for Title or Registration/Verification of Vehicle. You complete it to give the vehicle, owner, legal owner, odometer, date and cost information needed for a title or registration of an auto, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, off-highway vehicle or trailer coach.
Can I fill out REG 343 online?
You can fill out the REG 343 PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not submit the form to the DMV; you submit it through the channels the California DMV lists at dmv.ca.gov.
Who has to sign REG 343?
Each owner must sign on the reverse side in Section 9, with a printed name, date and telephone or email address. A business signature needs the printed company name and an authorized representative's countersignature, such as "ABC CO. by JOHN SMITH".
What is the difference between AND and OR for co-owners?
Co-owners joined by "AND" need each owner's signature when ownership is later transferred; co-owners joined by "OR" need the signature of only one owner. You mark AND or OR next to each co-owner in Section 2.
What do I write in Section 3 if there is no lienholder?
Write "None". The form requires it when there is no legal owner. Do not re-enter the new registered owner's name there. For an ELT legal owner, the name, address and ELT number must match the ELT listing exactly.
Which other forms might I need with REG 343?
It depends on your answers: REG 4008 for certain commercial weights, REG 256 (Statement of Facts) for a gift, and REG 5036 (Statement of Construction) for body type modifications. Military families may qualify for an exemption described in REG 5045.
What counts as the cost of the vehicle on REG 343?
The total cost or value in U.S. dollars includes the basic vehicle, any trade-in value and all permanently attached accessories and leased equipment. It does not include sales tax, insurance, finance charges or warranty. Check one box only in Section 6.
What happens to out-of-state plates?
Section 7 asks you to state what happens to them: expired, or surrendered to CA DMV, destroyed, retained, or returned to the issuing state's motor vehicle department. The form says the plates will not be affixed to any vehicle unless it is dual registered in both states.
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