What is the California Change of Address Form?

Form DMV-14, Notice of Change of Address, or also known as the California DMV Address Change Form or California Change of Address Form, is a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) form used to register a change in address in the State of California.

The form asks for identifying information such as name, current address, current mailing address, previous address, and information on vehicle/s owned.

The CA DMV Change Address Form is used to ensure that the information that the DMV holds on drivers remains correct and updated. This is important not only for the purposes of residence and/or driving within the state, but also for various transactions and services that may require your current home or mailing address. The form is also used in updating the registered address of one’s currently owned vehicles/trailer coach/vessel, or to inform the DMV if one is currently using a leased vehicle.

The California DMV Change of Address Form can also be used to update one’s Registered Voting Address with the DMV. Changes to address must be reported to the DMV through this form within 10 days of moving, otherwise, fines may be incurred due to having a non-updated address.

Who needs to use the California Change of Address Form?

Any person whose address changes for any reason must file a Change of Address Form with the DMV.

Moving to a New Address. One of the most common reasons for filing a Change of Address Form is due to moving to a new address. By law in the state of California, you are required to report a change in address via this form to the DMV within 10 days of changing your address.

Correcting Wrong Address. Sometimes, there are cases where the address listed in the records of the DMV is incorrect or otherwise outdated. This may be due to erroneous filing or the person in question forgetting to properly report a change in address. In most cases, this results in a buildup of fines and bills that are being sent to the wrong address, or even to a “ghost” or “nonexistent” address. In these cases, it is important to file the Change of Address Form ASAP in order to prevent any more major penalties from being applied.

How do I fill out the California Change of Address Form?

The DMV Change of Address California is a very quick and simple form to fill out as long as one ensures that they have the necessary information prepared.

Before you begin, make sure that you have both your driver’s license and your old and new addresses ready. If you are changing the address for your vehicle or vessel, make sure that you also have the most recent registration card for the vehicle and, if applicable, the address where your trailer or vessel is located.

ALL CHARACTERS IN THE FORM SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS, AND IN BLACK OR BLUE INK.

Personal Information

In this area, enter the following personal information in the relevant fields:

LAST NAME

FIRST NAME

INITIAL

BIRTH DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)

DRIVER’S LICENSE (If you are moving to California, you will need to apply for a new License)

Voter Change of Address

Check the box if you do not want the DMV to change your voting address. Otherwise, make sure to keep it blank.

New or Correct Residence Address

Enter the following information about your new address in the relevant fields:

STREET NUMBER

APARTMENT NUMBER (If applicable)

STREET NAME

CITY (Do not abbreviate. Use the first 22 characters in the city name)

STATE (Use the State Abbreviation here)

ZIP CODE

Important note: Do not enter your Post Office Box (P.O. Box) address here.

New or Correct Mailing Address

If your mailing address is the same as your residence address, you may leave this area blank.

Otherwise, enter the following information about your new mailing address in the relevant fields:

STREET NUMBER

APARTMENT NUMBER (If applicable)

P.O. BOX / STREET NAME AND PRIVATE MAIL BOX

CITY (Do not abbreviate. Use the first 22 characters in the city name)

STATE (Use the State Abbreviation here)

ZIP CODE

Note that you may now use your P.O. box here as your mailing address.

Vehicles, Vessels, or Placards Owned by You

In this area, enter the California License Plate/CF/Placard No. and the Last 17 positions on the Vehicle ID or Vessel Hull ID Number. If you do not yet have the former, you must apply for one at your local DMV office as soon as possible.

Check the relevant box for each vehicle that is leased or registered outside of California (CA). Use multiple forms as necessary if you have multiple cars.

Leased Vehicles

If your vehicle was leased by a company, enter the company’s name here. If you do not have any vehicles that were leased by any company, then you can leave this field blank.

Location of Trailer Coach or Vessel

If you are not using a Trailer Coach or Vessel, or if the location of your Trailer or Vessel is the same as your residential address, you may leave this field blank. Otherwise, enter the following information on your Trailer or Vessel’s location in the relevant fields:

STREET NUMBER

STREET NAME

CITY (Do not abbreviate. Use the first 16 characters in the city’s name)

COUNTY (Do not abbreviate.)

Old Address

Enter information on your old address:

STREET NUMBER/NAME

CITY

STATE

ZIP CODE

Date and Signature

Tips when filing DMV Change of Address Form - California

The California DMV Change of Address Form is a very simple form that does not take much time to fill out. However, while it is easy to complete, you must make sure that you practice your due diligence.

Keep your information safe. The Change of Address Form contains several pieces of very important information, not least of which being your residential and mailing address. To prevent identity theft or harassment, make sure that you keep the fulfilled form in a safe and secure area. Do not leave it unsupervised, or send it to the DMV via unsecure and/or untrustworthy methods.

Ensure that all information required is given, updated, and correct. As this is a legal document, it is highly important that you ensure that you have not only provided all of the information that the form requested, but also that said information is updated, secure, and correct.

Many different kinds of issues can arise from not giving the correct information, and these issues can result in fines or even jail time, depending on the nature of the incorrect information. Make absolutely sure to double and even triple-check the information you wrote down.

Keep your information up to date. You will need to keep this information up to date when it comes to matters such as moving elsewhere, registering cars, or simply for any other services, businesses, or documents that require this kind of information.

As part of keeping your information up to date, make sure that you keep this information in a secure, but accessible (to you) place.

Fillable Form DMV Change of Address Form - California