Hey, it’s Sonny. If the DMV ever told you “you’ll need a Statement of Facts for that,” this is the form they meant. I probably fill out more of these than any other piece of DMV paper. I buy cars from Long Beach to Riverside, and the REG 256 shows up whenever a deal has a wrinkle. A gifted car, a family transfer, a smog question, a price that needs explaining: this one form handles all of it.
So let me walk you through it the way I’d explain it on the phone, section by section. I’ll even show you what to write in that scary blank box. And if the wrinkle in your paperwork is attached to a car you’d rather just be done with, call me at (714) 900-3723. I’ll tell you straight whether I can take the whole problem off your hands.
What the REG 256 is and where to get it
The Statement of Facts is the DMV’s catch-all declaration form. Whenever something true about your transfer doesn’t fit in any box on the title, this is where you say it on paper. It’s two pages with eight sections labeled A through H. Here’s the part that trips people up: you only fill out the sections that apply to you. Skip the rest entirely.
But everyone signs Section H, and that signature is under penalty of perjury. That matters more than people think. So write facts, not wishes.
Also, good news for once: the REG 256 is a normal downloadable PDF. It’s free, with no special ordering and no security paper. Download the official REG 256 directly from the DMV. Print it at home, grab one at any DMV office, or pick one up at AAA. And if you want my one-page cheat sheet showing which section fits which situation, download the free REG 256 Quick Guide.
Section A: skipping the use tax
This is the section most people came for. When a car changes hands in California, the new owner normally owes use tax on the price at the DMV counter, and the state’s tax agency, the CDTFA, spells out how that works. But Section A lets you claim an exemption when the transfer qualifies, and the list is specific. It covers sales between a parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, spouses, or registered domestic partners. It also covers a true gift, an inheritance, or a court-ordered transfer like a divorce.
A quick aside on that inheritance box. Half the inherited cars I see become driveway burdens nobody asked for. So if that’s where you’ve landed, my page on selling an inherited car in California walks the whole path from paperwork to payment.
Now the two traps. First, siblings. A sale between adult brothers or sisters is not tax exempt, no matter how many forum posts say otherwise. The sibling exemption only applies when both siblings are minors. That almost never describes a real car sale.
Second, the dealer-relative rule. The family exemption dies if the relative selling you the car sells cars for a living. So if your uncle runs a used car operation, the state taxes his “family deal” like anyone else’s. You’ll also enter the vehicle’s current market value here. Be honest about it, because a $9,000 car listed at $500 invites the DMV to pull the transfer for review.
Section B: skipping the smog check
Section B explains why your transfer doesn’t need a smog certificate. The legitimate reasons include a passing smog within the last 90 days and certain powertrains like electric vehicles and older diesels. Then there’s the one that surprises everyone: family transfers.
Here’s the asymmetry I make people repeat back to me. A transfer between adult siblings skips the smog check in Section B. But that same transfer still owes use tax in Section A. Two sections, two different family lists, one form. The state wrote it that way, not me. And if your smog situation is messier than an exemption, like a car that already failed the test, I wrote a whole guide on selling a car that failed smog in California. I buy those constantly.
Section C: the barn car section
Section C requests a title transfer or title only for a vehicle that has never been operated or parked on California streets. That means no registration fees come due with it. So this is the honest path for the true barn find. Think of the project car that’s lived on jack stands in a Whittier garage since the Clinton administration. You can get the title moved into your name without buying a full year of registration for a car that can’t drive. Then again, the other honest path is skipping the restoration fantasy altogether, because old cars exactly like that are what I buy every week.
But hear the warning in my voice. Section C only works if the car genuinely never touched a public road. You sign under penalty of perjury. A single parking citation or toll-camera photo from the “parked” years contradicts the whole statement. If the car actually sat on the street, the fees exist whether you declare them or not. So don’t sign your name to a story.
Sections D, E, and F: the quick ones
Three sections handle narrower jobs. Section D requests a window decal when a wheelchair lift or carrier blocks your rear plate. It’s free for disabled placard and plate holders. Section E reports a vehicle body change. So if a truck got a flatbed conversion or a different powertrain, this is where the DMV learns about it.
Section F is the name statement. It clarifies that two name variations belong to the same person, like a maiden name on the title and a married name on your license. One note there: Section F covers name variations, but actual errors written on a title usually need a different correction form. So call the DMV before assuming F covers a botched title.
Section G: what to actually write in the blank box
Section G is just lined paper that says “statement of facts,” and that empty space freezes people. So here’s the formula I use: first person, past tense, specific, short. Name the car, state the fact, date it, done. A few real examples of the style:
“I purchased this 2009 Accord on 5/14/2026 for $900 because the transmission does not engage in reverse and the vehicle does not move under its own power.”
“This vehicle was given to me as a gift by my neighbor, Robert Garcia, on 3/2/2026. No money or services were exchanged.”
“The odometer reads 88,412 but the cluster was replaced in 2019; true mileage is unknown.”
Notice what those have in common: no excuses, no paragraphs, no adjectives. The clerk needs facts that explain the file. Three plain sentences beat a page of story every time. And if seeing beats reading, download my free REG 256 Examples Pack. It shows a gift, a family transfer, an inheritance, and a title-only barn car, each filled out from the plate number to the signature.
When the REG 256 is the wrong form
People reach for this form when they actually need a different one. Save yourself the counter trip. Lost the title completely? That’s a duplicate title application, and my step-by-step REG 227 guide covers every line. Just sold a car and want the tickets to stop coming to you? That’s a release of liability, and my REG 138 filing guide walks through it. And if you’re staring at the title itself wondering where signatures go, start with how to fill out a California title. Then the 256 never becomes necessary.
REG 256 questions I hear every week
Does the REG 256 need to be notarized?
No. Your signature in Section H under penalty of perjury is the whole requirement. Anyone telling you to pay a notary for this form is selling you a stamp you don’t need.
Who signs it, the buyer or the seller?
Whoever makes the statement signs it. So if the buyer claims a tax exemption, the buyer signs. If you’re explaining a fact about a car you’re transferring out, that’s your signature.
Can I claim the gift exemption if the person isn’t family?
Yes. A true gift, meaning nothing of value moved in either direction, skips use tax no matter who gave it. The family rules only matter for sales, where money changed hands.
What’s the penalty for fudging it?
Perjury on a DMV document is a crime. Beyond the legal exposure, the DMV can void the transfer and bill everything you dodged, with penalties stacked on. The form is cheap insurance when it’s true and expensive trouble when it isn’t.
Do I need a REG 256 to sell my car to a dealer?
Usually no, and that’s one of the quiet perks. When I buy a vehicle, it goes into dealer inventory, and the use tax question doesn’t apply to that transfer. I handle whatever statements the file needs. The paperwork gymnastics mostly live in private-party sales.
My car’s market value is basically nothing. What do I put?
Put the honest number, even if it’s $300. Then use Section G to say why in one sentence. A low value with a stated reason sails through. A low value with no explanation invites questions.
The bottom line
So that’s the REG 256. Eight sections, use the ones that fit, tell the truth in plain sentences, and sign once. It fixes more DMV problems than any other single page.
But sometimes the form exists because the car itself has become the problem. Maybe it’s the high-mileage gift you never wanted, or the project that never left the driveway. For that, there’s a simpler statement of facts: call me. Reach the Cypress office at (714) 900-3723 or Van Nuys at (818) 405-8808, seven days a week, 8 AM to 8 PM. I answer personally. I’m not a corporate robot. I’ll give you a fair offer or point you in the right direction, whichever the facts call for.
