State service guide

California address and name change: DMV 14 timing, DL/ID reissue, and title update rules

California does not treat an address change, a driver license or ID reissue, and a legal name change as the same transaction. The practical path is to separate the jobs: update your address record within 10 days, decide whether you actually need a replacement DL/ID card, and handle legal name changes through a new DL/ID application plus any separate vehicle title or registration updates.

Open official source View California services
Address deadline Notify California DMV within 10 days
Address fee Address-only record updates are free
New card after address change Not automatic; replacement is optional and usually fee-based
Name change path Update SSA first, then submit a new DL/ID application and finish in a DMV office

Overview

What this page helps you verify

California's rules are easiest to follow when you think in three layers. First, an address update is a DMV record change and is generally free. Second, a legal name change on your DL/ID is a separate application that must be finished at a DMV field office. Third, if your vehicle title or registration still shows the old name, that record has to be corrected through the vehicle side of DMV using title and Statement of Facts forms.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

  • For an address-only update: your old and new addresses; if updating vehicle or vessel records, your most recent registration card and the address where the vehicle or vessel is located
  • For a DL/ID name change: your current DL/ID, a new DL/ID application, and proof of your true full name or the full REAL ID document set depending on the card you want
  • If your name has changed more than once: proof of each prior legal name change, such as a marriage certificate, dissolution document, adoption document, domestic partnership document, or another name change document that shows the before-and-after legal names
  • For a vehicle title or registration name change when you have the title: the California title plus a completed Statement of Facts (REG 256), Section F
  • For a vehicle title or registration name change when the title is missing: REG 227, REG 256, and at least one ownership document such as the registration card, Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin, lien release, or bill of sale with registration certificate

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

  1. If only your address changed, file a DMV 14 change of address online, by mail, or in person within 10 days.
  2. Wait for the address change to process and confirm it in MyDMV before ordering any replacement DL/ID or registration document.
  3. If your legal name changed, update your name with the Social Security Administration first, then complete a new California DL/ID application and finish the transaction at a DMV field office.
  4. If your vehicle title or registration still shows the old name, submit the title-side paperwork separately using the title and REG 256, or REG 227 if the title is unavailable.
  5. If you want your voter record updated through DMV, opt in during the change-of-address flow or re-register directly with election officials when DMV tells you that is required.

Address changes

A California address update is mainly a record update, not a new card order

California DMV says you must notify DMV within 10 days of changing your address, and the record update itself is easy and free. The main mistake people make is assuming that filing DMV 14 automatically prints a new license, ID card, registration card, or title. It does not.

  • DMV says a change of address does not require an in-person office visit.
  • You can submit the change online, by mail, or in person, and DMV says online changes can take up to 3 days to process.
  • DMV says new documents are not issued when you change your address; if you want a new DL/ID or registration card, that is a separate replacement request.
  • If you use MyDMV, you can update both your DL/ID and your vehicle or vessel registration in the same session, but DMV will not automatically cross-update records if you only change one of them.
  • You may use a PO box for mailing, but if the change includes your DL/ID, DMV still requires a residence address and does not allow temporary mailing addresses.

DL and ID cards

A legal name change on your California DL/ID is a new application that must be completed in person

California routes legal name changes through the DL/ID application flow, not the simple address-change flow. DMV verifies the name against Social Security Administration records first, so an SSA mismatch can stop the transaction before the card is issued.

  • Update your name with SSA before applying, because DMV says it verifies the new name with SSA first.
  • Use a new DL/ID application for the updated name; if you want a REAL ID card, you can request it in the same application.
  • For a non-REAL ID card, DMV says you need proof of your true full name. For a REAL ID, you need proof of identity, Social Security Number, and two proofs of California residency.
  • If this is not your first legal name change, DMV says you may need proof of all former name changes, not just the most recent one.
  • The name change is not complete until you visit a DMV field office. DMV says DL applicants receive a 60-day temporary license, and the physical card usually arrives by mail in 3 to 4 weeks.

Fees

California separates free record updates from fee-based replacement or change-information cards

The no-fee rule only applies to the address record update itself. If you ask DMV to issue a new card showing the updated information, the regular DL/ID change-information fee schedule applies.

  • DMV says changing your address is free.
  • As of May 16, 2026, DMV's licensing fee table lists a $37 fee for a noncommercial Class C change of DL/ID information.
  • As of May 16, 2026, a regular ID card change of information is $40, a senior ID card change of information is no fee, and a reduced-fee ID card change of information is $11.
  • Commercial DL fee lines are different, so commercial drivers should not assume the standard Class C amount applies to them.

Vehicle records

Vehicle address changes and vehicle name changes do not follow the same workflow

California is much lighter on address changes than on legal name changes for vehicle records. For an address change, DMV says you notify the state and no new registration card or title is automatically issued. For a name change, the title and registration record have to be corrected with title-side paperwork.

  • DMV's vehicle procedures manual says registered owners must notify DMV of an address change within 10 days, and the title or registration card does not need to be submitted for an address-only update.
  • DMV also says new title or registration documents are not issued just because you changed your address.
  • If you have the title and are changing the name on registration, DMV's public instructions say to write the corrected or changed name on the title and complete Section F of REG 256, then submit by mail or at a DMV office.
  • If the title is missing and you are changing your name rather than merely correcting it, DMV says you must submit REG 256, REG 227, ownership evidence, and the duplicate title fee in person at a DMV office.
  • If a lienholder has the title, DMV instructs you to complete REG 256 and give it to the lienholder so they can submit it with the title.
  • DMV notes that a hyphenated or multiword last name may appear as one word on a California title or registration card and that this alone is not an error requiring correction.

Voting and edge cases

The DMV change-of-address flow can update voting records, but not in every scenario

California's Motor Voter system ties DMV transactions to voter registration, but the practical rule is not 'always automatic.' The online change-of-address system gives you a choice, and one county-move scenario still requires re-registration.

  • During the online DMV address-change process, eligible customers can ask DMV to forward voter registration information and voter preferences to the Secretary of State.
  • The California Secretary of State says that when voters update their address with DMV, the new address is sent electronically to county elections offices and voter registration records are updated automatically.
  • The Secretary of State also says that if the address change was submitted as part of a license or ID renewal and the voter moved to a new county, the voter must re-register to vote.
  • If you hold a California CDL and your residence is now in another state, DMV's online address-change rules say you cannot keep the California CDL and must transfer it to your current state of residency.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

  • In California, an address update, a replacement card request, and a legal name change are related but separate transactions.
  • For DL/ID name changes, DMV's first verification step is the SSA match, so users should avoid applying before SSA records are updated.
  • For vehicle records, the fee question depends on whether you are only changing the name or also need a replacement title; DMV's public and internal guidance point to replacement-title fees rather than a stand-alone name-change fee.
  • California's online address-change tool has edge-case exclusions, including certain out-of-state CDL situations, APO/FPO addresses, and some records that require mailing DMV 14 instead.

FAQ

Common questions

  • If I change my address with California DMV, will they mail me a new license or registration card automatically?

    No. California DMV says new documents are not issued when you change your address. The address update changes the record only, and any replacement DL/ID or registration card is a separate request.

  • Can I complete a California name change on my driver's license or ID entirely online?

    No. You can start with the online DL/ID application, but DMV says the name change is not complete until you visit a DMV field office with your current DL/ID and the required proof documents.

  • Does changing my address at DMV update my voter registration too?

    Usually yes, unless you opt out. The California Secretary of State says DMV address changes are sent electronically to county elections offices, but if the address change happened during a license or ID renewal and you moved to a new county, you must re-register to vote.

Sources

Official references used for this page

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