California Department of Motor Vehicles Edition REG 156 (REV. 11/2024) 2 pages California

REG 156 — Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents (California)

The California DMV form to replace license plates, stickers, a registration card, a disabled person placard and other DMV items.

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REG 156 · Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents (California)
The official California Department of Motor Vehicles form, edition REG 156 (REV. 11/2024) — blank
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REG 156 (2024) Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents (California) — page 1 of 2
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REG 156 (2024) Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents (California) — page 2 of 2
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Fill this form online Blank PDF from California Department of Motor Vehicles

What is REG 156?

REG 156 is the California Department of Motor Vehicles' Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents. The registered owner uses it to replace items that were lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated, never received from the DMV or a prior owner, or surrendered: license plates, a registration card, year and month stickers, vessel year and mussel fee stickers and the vessel certificate of number, a disabled person placard or ID card, a planned non-operation (PNO) card, a PFR sticker, CVRA weight decals and year stickers, and trailer or OHV ID cards. The current edition is REG 156 (REV. 11/2024).

The form has five sections on one page: the registered owner and addresses, the items you want replaced, what happened to them, a license plate section for when stolen or missing plates meet an address that differs from DMV records, and a certification signed under penalty of perjury. You can take it to any DMV office or mail it to the DMV at the address printed on the form.

FileIt lets you fill out the REG 156 online. It pre-fills your name and email from the People records in your vault, prints names as LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE the way the form asks, and puts every answer onto the DMV's own PDF. The finished form is saved in your vault, and you can sign it by hand or send it for e-signature. FileIt never submits anything: you take or mail the form to the DMV yourself.

Who fills it
The registered owner of record (and lists any co-owner).
Where it goes
Any DMV office, or by mail to DMV, P.O. Box 942869, Sacramento, CA 94269-0001, as printed on the form.
Fee
The form says there is a fee to replace most items and doesn't print the amounts. It points to dmv.ca.gov for current fees.
In person
Required when license plates were stolen or missing and your address differs from DMV records (Section 4).
Signatures
The registered owner signs the certification under penalty of perjury.
Edition
REG 156 (REV. 11/2024): the application on page 1, the privacy notice on page 2.

Who needs to fill out REG 156?

  • California vehicle owners whose license plates, stickers or registration card were lost, stolen or damaged.
  • Owners whose plates, stickers or card never arrived from the DMV or weren't passed on by the prior owner.
  • Boat owners replacing a vessel year sticker, mussel fee sticker or certificate of number.
  • Disabled person placard or ID card holders who need a replacement.
  • Owners who need a PNO card, PFR sticker, CVRA decal or sticker, or a trailer or OHV ID card replaced.
  • Owners who want a registration card showing their current address.

When to use REG 156

  • As soon as you notice a plate or sticker is missing or stolen.
  • When an item from the DMV hasn't arrived. The form asks you to allow 30 days from the issue date before reapplying.
  • When plates were destroyed or mutilated. The remnants must be surrendered to the DMV.
  • When you surrender one or two plates and need replacements.
  • When you need a registration card with your current address. If your address has changed, the DMV also asks for the appropriate change of address form.

What you need before you start

  • The license plate (or CF) number, make, and vehicle ID or hull ID number. Motorcycles also need the engine number.
  • The registered owner's true full name or business name, and driver license or ID card number. The same for a co-owner.
  • Your physical residence or business address, county, and mailing address if it's different.
  • For a disabled person placard: the placard number and the holder's birth date.
  • A police report, court documentation or other law enforcement documentation where CVC §4467 requires it.
  • For stolen or missing plates with a changed address: proof of ownership, your driver license or ID card, a police report if stolen, and a CHP VIN verification if duplicate plates were issued in the last 90 days.
  • Your telephone number and email address, and payment of the DMV's replacement fee.

What’s on REG 156

The 2024 edition has 2 pages. FileIt asks for it in 9 parts, and it is signed by Registered owner:

  1. VehicleRegistered owner
  2. Section 1: Registered owner of recordRegistered owner
  3. Section 1: Co-ownerRegistered owner
  4. Section 1: AddressRegistered owner
  5. Section 1: Mailing address (if different)Registered owner
  6. Section 2: Plates, stickers, documents requestRegistered owner
  7. Section 3: The item requested wasRegistered owner
  8. Section 4: License plate (only if your address is different from DMV records)Registered owner
  9. Section 5: CertificationRegistered owner

How to fill out REG 156, step by step

1 Vehicle

At the top, enter the license plate or CF number, the make and the vehicle or hull ID number. These are comb boxes, one character per box, and FileIt prints them in capitals. If you're replacing a disabled person placard, give its number and the holder's birth date. The engine number is for motorcycles only.

2 Section 1: Registered owner of record

Give the true full name (last, first, middle) or the business name, and the driver license or ID card number. Add a co-owner if there is one. Then the physical residence or business address, including St., Ave., Rd. or Ct., the apartment or suite, city, state and ZIP, and the county where you live or where the vehicle or vessel is mainly garaged. Add a mailing address only if it's different.

3 Section 2: What you want replaced

Tick every item you need: license plates, registration card, year or month sticker, vessel stickers or certificate of number, disabled person placard or ID card, PNO card, PFR sticker, CVRA weight decal or year sticker, or trailer or OHV ID card. If a missing plate, sticker or placard turns up later, the original is no longer valid and must be destroyed or returned to the DMV.

4 Section 3: What happened

Tick each box that applies: lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated, not received from the DMV, not received from the prior owner, surrendered (one or two plates), special plates retained by the owner, or requesting a registration card with your current address. A box under CVC §4467 is for a copy of a police report, court documentation or other law enforcement documentation. Use Other to explain anything else.

5 Section 4: License plate

Complete this only if your plates were stolen or missing and your address is different from the DMV's records. Say whether one plate is missing (automobiles, two-plate commercial vehicles and pick-ups, and the remaining plate must be surrendered) or two plates, or the single plate of a truck tractor, motorcycle or trailer (and notify a law enforcement agency immediately). In this case you must appear in person at a DMV office with the documents the section lists.

6 Section 5: Certification

Print your true full name, your title if you sign for a company, and your telephone number, date and email. By signing you certify that the mailing address is valid, existing and accurate, consent to receive service of process there, and declare under penalty of perjury that the form is true and correct. Sign on the X line, by hand or through FileIt's e-signature.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Mailing the form when Section 4 applies. Stolen or missing plates with a changed address need a visit to a DMV office.
  • Not surrendering the remaining plate when only one of two plates is missing.
  • Reapplying for an item not received from the DMV before 30 days have passed since it was issued.
  • Using the original plate, sticker or placard after it turns up. Once replaced, it is no longer valid and must be destroyed or returned to the DMV.
  • Writing the name in a different order or form than on the registration. The form asks for the true full name, last name first.
  • Forgetting the change of address form when your address has changed.
  • Leaving the form unsigned.

After you fill it out

Sign the certification, by hand or through FileIt's e-signature.

Take the form to any DMV office, or mail it to DMV, P.O. Box 942869, Sacramento, CA 94269-0001, with the replacement fee. Check dmv.ca.gov for current fees, as the form suggests.

If Section 4 applies, go to a DMV office in person with your proof of ownership, ID, any police report and, if needed, the CHP VIN verification.

FileIt saves the filled PDF in your vault folder. Keep it with the vehicle's records until the replacements arrive.

Fill out REG 156 online with FileIt

  1. Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
  2. Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 63 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
  3. Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real California Department of Motor Vehicles form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
  4. Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

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REG 156: frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to replace plates or stickers in California?

REG 156 (REV. 11/2024) says there is a fee to replace most items but doesn't print the amounts. It refers you to dmv.ca.gov for current fee information.

Where do I send REG 156?

Submit it at any DMV office or mail it to DMV, P.O. Box 942869, Sacramento, CA 94269-0001, as printed on the form. If Section 4 applies, you must go to a DMV office in person.

My license plate was stolen. Do I need a police report?

If your plates were stolen and your address differs from the DMV's records, Section 4 requires a copy of the police report stating the plates were stolen. The form also has a box for law enforcement documentation under CVC §4467.

What if only one of my two plates is missing?

The form says the remaining plate must be surrendered to the DMV, and you are issued replacements.

Can I replace a disabled person placard with REG 156?

Yes. Tick Disabled Person Placard in Section 2 and give the placard number and the holder's birth date at the top of the form.

Can I sign REG 156 electronically?

FileIt lets you send it for e-signature, or you can print it and sign in ink. Check with the DMV office if you're unsure what it accepts.

Does FileIt send the form to the DMV?

No. FileIt fills the official PDF and saves it in your vault. You take it to a DMV office or mail it yourself.

Official sources

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by California Department of Motor Vehicles or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-01.

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