REG 256 Spanish, the Statement of Facts (Declaración de Hechos), is the Spanish-language version of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) form on which you state facts that support a vehicle or vessel transaction. One form has eight lettered sections, A through H, covering use tax exemption, smog certification exemption, transfer or title only, a wheelchair lift window sticker, body modifications and name statements, all signed under penalty of perjury. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the DMV publishes the original at dmv.ca.gov.
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What is REG 256?
REG 256 Spanish, titled DECLARACIÓN DE HECHOS, is the Spanish-language Statement of Facts of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), a sworn form on which an applicant states the facts behind a claim, exemption or correction in a vehicle or vessel transaction.
The form is built from sections you complete only when they apply. The instructions printed at the top say to complete the relevant section(s), including the vehicle description, and to sign in Section H.
- A. Facts for the use tax exemption, with the current market value.
- B. Facts for the smog certification exemption (certificación contra contaminación ambiental).
- C. Facts for a transfer only or a title only.
- D. Window sticker for a wheelchair lift or carrier.
- E. Vehicle body modification (title of ownership required).
- F. Name statement (title of ownership required).
- G. Statement of facts, a free-text space that begins "Yo, el abajo firmante, declaro" (I, the undersigned, declare).
- H. Applicant's signature, made under penalty of perjury under California law.
The header asks for the license plate or CF number, the vehicle or vessel identification number and the year and make. The Spanish edition is printed as Rev. 7/2009 and refers to the English edition, Rev. 8/2008, which the DMV lists on its forms page as Statement of Facts (REG 256).
Who needs to file REG 256?
People whose California DMV transaction requires a statement of facts on one of the matters below complete the sections that apply to them and sign Section H.
- Use tax exemption (Section A): transfers that are family transfers, additions or removals of a family member, gifts, court orders or inheritances.
- Smog exemption (Section B): vehicles with a smog certification from the past 90 days, powered by electricity, diesel or another listed fuel, located outside California (Nevada and Mexico are excepted), or transferred between the listed family members, owners and lessors or lessees.
- Transfer or title only (Section C): owners of a vehicle that is not registered and has not been used or parked on a street or highway.
- Wheelchair lift or carrier sticker (Section D): holders of a disabled person placard or plates, disabled veteran plates or a permanent disabled parking placard.
- Body modification (Section E) and name statement (Section F): owners who hold the title of ownership, which both sections require.
Exclusion: the form says the use tax exemption cannot be claimed if the vehicle or vessel was bought from a qualifying relative who is in the business of selling that same type of vehicle or vessel. Gifts do not include exchanges between people, transfers of contracts or other consideration of value.
When to file REG 256
Complete this form when a DMV transaction calls for a statement of facts on one of the matters in Sections A through F; the form prints no due date of its own. Some sections carry their own timing or condition. The smog exemption for a recent certification applies only if the last certification was obtained within the past 90 days. In Section E you enter the date on which the modifications were made, and in Section H you date your signature. If you are unsure whether your transaction needs the form, ask the DMV through its forms page at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/forms/.
Documents you need
- Title of ownership, required for Section E (vehicle body modification) and for Section F (name statement), as printed in the heading of each section.
- Public scale certificate, required in Section E when the unladen weight changed; the form makes an exception for trailers.
- Disabled person plate, disabled veteran plate or permanent disabled parking placard number, to be entered in Section D when you request the wheelchair lift or carrier window sticker.
How to fill out REG 256
Enter the vehicle description
At the top of each page, enter the plate or CF number (NO. DE PLACAS/CF), the vehicle or vessel serial number (NO. DE SERIE DEL VEHÍCULO/EMBARCACIÓN) and the year and make (AÑO/MARCA).
Complete Section A for use tax
Mark the reason the transfer is exempt: family transfer, addition or removal of a family member, gift, court order or inheritance (Herencia). Enter the current market value on the line provided.
Complete Section B for smog exemption
Check the reason the vehicle needs no smog certification: a certification in the past 90 days, electricity, diesel or another fuel, a location outside California, or one of the listed transfers. Remember the asterisk note on biennial certification.
Complete Section C if applicable
Choose El traspaso solamente (transfer only) or El título solamente (title only). This section confirms the vehicle is unregistered and was not used on public roads.
Complete Section D for the sticker
Enter your disabled person plate, disabled veteran plate or permanent parking placard number. Then enter the plate number, make and serial number of the vehicle that will carry the sticker, and fill in the mail-to name and address.
Complete Section E for modifications
Enter the current market value, the modification cost and the date. Check each change: unladen weight, motive power, body or number of axles, with the old and new values.
Complete Section F for name
Print the names. Check one: the two names are the same person, your name is misspelled and should be corrected, or you are changing your name from one name to another.
Write any facts in Section G
In G, after Yo, el abajo firmante, declaro, write the facts you are declaring.
Sign and date Section H
Print your last name, first name, middle name and daytime phone number, then sign and date. The signature certifies, under penalty of perjury under California law, that the statements are true and correct.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that you completed every section that applies and left the others blank. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and use it as described under How to submit.
How to submit REG 256
The form prints no mailing address, portal or appointment rule of its own. You complete it and sign Section H, and it goes with the DMV transaction the sections support, such as a transfer of ownership or a title, both of which Sections B and C mention. Section D includes a mail-to block (Enviar por correo a) that asks for a name, address, city, state and ZIP code. To confirm where your transaction is handled, use the DMV forms page at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/forms/. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the DMV's channels.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Claiming the Section A use tax exemption for a vehicle or vessel bought from a qualifying relative who is in the business of selling that same type of vehicle or vessel.
- Marking Gift in Section A for an exchange between people, a transfer of contracts or any other consideration of value; the form excludes these from gifts.
- Leaving the header blank: the form asks for the plate or CF number, the vehicle or vessel identification number and the year and make.
- Completing Section C for a vehicle that has been driven, moved, towed or abandoned on a California public road, or kept on a street or highway.
- Completing Section E or F without the title of ownership, or omitting the public scale certificate when the unladen weight changed (trailers excepted).
- Assuming the starred smog exemptions in Section B apply always; the form says smog certification is not required unless the biennial certification is required.
- Not printing the names clearly in Section F, which asks you to print (Favor de imprimir) the names being corrected or changed.
- Submitting the form without signing and dating Section H, which is the sworn certification under penalty of perjury.
Frequently asked questions
What is REG 256 Spanish?
REG 256 Spanish is the Spanish-language edition (Declaración de Hechos, Rev. 7/2009) of the California DMV Statement of Facts. You complete the sections that apply to your vehicle or vessel transaction and sign Section H under penalty of perjury.
Which sections of the REG 256 do I fill out?
Only the sections that apply. The form says to complete the relevant section(s), including the vehicle description, and sign in Section H. Sections A to F cover use tax, smog, transfer or title only, window sticker, modifications and names.
Who qualifies for the use tax exemption on the REG 256?
The transfer must be a family transfer, an addition or removal of a family member, a gift, a court order or an inheritance. It cannot be claimed if the vehicle was bought from a qualifying relative who is in the business of selling that type of vehicle.
What smog exemptions does the REG 256 list?
Section B lists a smog certification obtained in the past 90 days, electric, diesel or other power, a location outside California (Nevada and Mexico excepted) and certain transfers among family members, owners and lessors. Starred reasons still require the biennial certification where it applies.
Do I need my title to complete the REG 256?
For Section E (body modification) and Section F (name statement), yes: both headings say the title of ownership is required. A public scale certificate is also required in Section E when the unladen weight changed, except for trailers.
Does the REG 256 have to be signed?
Yes. Section H is the signature section, where you print your name and daytime phone number, then sign and date, certifying under penalty of perjury under California law that the statements are true and correct.
What is the difference between the Spanish and English REG 256?
They are two language editions of the same Statement of Facts. The Spanish edition printed here is Rev. 7/2009 and the English edition it references is Rev. 8/2008. The DMV forms page lists the English form as Statement of Facts (REG 256).
Can I fill out the REG 256 Spanish form online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not the DMV, and does not file or submit the form; you use it through the DMV's channels.
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