Free California Motor Vehicle Power of Attorney Template

A California motor vehicle power of attorney appoints someone to act for a vehicle owner at the DMV. The department’s own manual describes it as a written document conveying the right to act as attorney-in-fact. It may also be used to release ownership on a title or a bill of sale.

The DMV sets these rules in its Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual, at section 1.125. The manual is written for dealers and registration services, which makes it the clearest statement of what counter staff will check.

What the Document Must Contain

DMV lists four requirements for a power of attorney:

• The vehicle or vessel identification number, the VIN or HIN
• The name of the designated attorney-in-fact
• The signature of the principal
• It must accompany applications signed by the attorney-in-fact

A general power of attorney is the exception on the first point, since it will not name a specific vehicle.

Which Form to Use

Meanwhile, DMV accepts its own Power of Attorney, Form REG 260, available on the DMV website only. A power of attorney section also appears on the Vehicle or Vessel Transfer and Reassignment Form, REG 262, included there for convenience.

Also, the department accepts a restricted power of attorney, limited to one type of transaction such as a transfer of ownership. A general power of attorney, covering unlimited types, works too.

Copies Are Accepted, With One Exception

Here California is unusually relaxed. A photocopy or fax copy of a general power of attorney, including the REG 260, is acceptable.

However, the REG 262 is different. It is a secure document, and copies are not accepted even where only the power of attorney section has been completed.

When a Business Is the Agent

Where a business entity is the attorney-in-fact, the business name must appear in the countersignature. The manual gives the pattern: Jim Smith by Uome Loan Company by John Brown as POA.

What an Agent Cannot Do

Then the manual lists unacceptable uses. A power of attorney cannot be used to:

• Sign a certification or Statement of Facts, Form REG 256, attesting to the principal’s knowledge, except where the certification concerns disposition of the original California title on a REG 227
• Disclose odometer mileage

One more limit applies to exports. Say a vehicle is being exported to another country. The attorney-in-fact must then appear in person, with a power of attorney worded for that purpose or a general one. DMV’s own REG 260 and REG 262 are not accepted for the Certification of Exportation.

DMV’s requirements don’t include notarization. Section 1.125 lists what a power of attorney must contain, and the only signature it calls for is the principal’s.

Also, the copy rule points the same way. Because DMV accepts a photocopy or fax of a REG 260, the department plainly is not insisting on a notarized original for this document.

Several template sites say otherwise, so it is worth knowing why. The California Probate Code sets execution rules for powers of attorney generally, including acknowledgment or witnesses. Those rules matter for a general power of attorney used beyond the DMV counter. For the DMV’s own vehicle form, the manual governs what gets accepted.

Tip: If your document will be used for anything besides vehicle transactions, take advice on executing it properly. A California motor vehicle power of attorney on the REG 260 is built for the DMV, not for banks or courts.

As always, match the form to the transaction first. Follow these steps:

1. Decide whether you need the REG 260, the REG 262, or a general power of attorney.
2. Enter the vehicle identification number, unless you are using a general power of attorney.
3. Name the attorney-in-fact exactly as they will sign.
4. Sign as the principal, and date the document.
5. Where a business is the agent, use the countersignature pattern with the business name.
6. Submit it with the application your attorney-in-fact signs.

Here too, DMV’s own checklist is short, so build from it.

• Vehicle or vessel identification number
• Year, make, model, and license plate number
• Name of the designated attorney-in-fact
• The transactions the agent may handle
• Principal’s signature and the date
• Business name in the countersignature, where the agent is a company
• The application the agent will sign, submitted alongside

Document Genius’s guided form walks you through each field. So your California motor vehicle power of attorney is ready to download, sign, and take to the DMV.