Replacement Stickers & Cards

Lost your sticker? Don't risk a ticket.

A missing registration sticker or card is one of the fastest ways to get pulled over in California. CHP and local officers can read your plate and sticker from behind, and expired or missing tags are a probable-cause stop. Once you're pulled over, a "fix-it" ticket is the best case, a cited violation with a court date is the worst.

The good news: replacement is fast and cheap. Bring us the basics (your plate number, your ID, and a few dollars for fees), and we'll issue a duplicate registration card and a new current-year sticker on the spot. Most replacement transactions take under ten minutes from door to done.

What we can replace

We issue same-day replacements for lost, stolen, or damaged registration stickers (the current-year month and year decal that goes on your plate), registration cards (the paper document you keep in the glovebox), and license plates themselves when one or both are missing, damaged, or stolen. We also replace disabled person placards and issue duplicate title documents when the pink slip is lost.

For stolen plates or stickers, you'll need to file a police report first, officers in Oakdale, Riverbank, Modesto, and unincorporated Stanislaus County can take the report, and we accept the report number on the REG 156 form. Stolen plates also require new plate numbers to be issued, which adds a small fee but prevents the thief from continuing to use the old number on a different vehicle.

The REG 156 form, explained

Most replacement requests are processed on a REG 156 Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents. It's a single-page DMV form that asks what's being replaced, why, and collects the owner's signature. We fill it out with you at the counter, you don't need to download or print anything ahead of time.

The form has two key sections most people miss. First, the "reason" section distinguishes between lost, stolen, destroyed, and never received. The last category is important: if your mailed-out sticker from the DMV never arrived, you may qualify for a free replacement rather than paying the standard replacement fee. Second, the signature section requires the registered owner's signature specifically, a spouse or family member can't sign on their behalf without a power of attorney on file.

Damaged plates: when replacement is mandatory

California requires your plates to be legible and securely mounted. A bent plate, a plate with paint peeling or rust, or a plate where numbers can no longer be read clearly from a distance is technically non-compliant, and officers can cite you for it. If your plates have taken damage from a collision, a car wash brush, years of sun exposure, or a rear-end tap, come in for a replacement. The plate fee is modest, and we can issue a current sticker for the new plate the same visit.

Replacement for vehicles in other situations

We handle replacement paperwork for a range of less-common scenarios. Vehicles held in a trust or LLC require a signature from the authorized representative. Vehicles with an active lienholder may require the lender to release a hold before new documents can be issued, we'll call the lender from the counter if needed and walk the release through together. Vehicles registered in another state that are now in California need to go through the full registration process; we handle that as part of our registration and VIN verification services.

What to bring

Not sure if you have everything? Call (209) 248-0100, we'll confirm before you drive over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Want to review the paperwork before you come in? See the DMV Forms page for every California DMV form related to this service, linked directly to the state's current PDFs.