Quick facts TL;DR · 4 bullets
✓ California gives you 10 days to update the address on your vehicle registration after you move (Vehicle Code §4159).
✓ Your registration address is a separate record from your license — updating one does not update the other, so change both.
✓ It's free. Do it online through MyDMV, or file a DMV 14 by mail or at an office.
✓ The online system needs a California driver's license or ID; if you don't have one, use the DMV 14 form instead.
Deadline 10 days after you move
Cost Free
Separate from license? Yes — change both
No CA DL/ID? Use DMV 14 by mail
Two records, two updates
Moved? The address on your vehicle registration has its own 10-day deadline under Vehicle Code §4159 — and it’s a separate record from your driver’s license, so updating one doesn’t touch the other. Change both.
How to change it
The update is free. Most people do it online through MyDMV; if you don’t hold a California driver’s license or ID, the online system isn’t open to you, so file a DMV 14 (Notice of Change of Address) by mail or at an office.
This page is the registration-side entry point. The full step-by-step — eligibility, doing your license and registration together in one session, processing time, and what happens to your card — lives on the canonical guide:
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to change my vehicle registration address?
Vehicle Code §4159 requires you to notify the DMV within 10 days of moving or getting a new mailing address. It's a separate obligation from the 10-day rule for your driver's license (§14600).
Does changing my license address update my registration too?
No — they're separate records. The DMV doesn't sync your address across documents, so update your registration as well as your license. The full how-to (and how to do both in one MyDMV session) is on change of address.
Can I change my registration address if I don't have a California license?
Yes — but not through the online system, which requires a California DL/ID. File a DMV 14 (Notice of Change of Address) by mail or at a DMV office instead.
Related guides
Other guides readers of this page also use.
Change of address — full guide The step-by-step for both license and registration. Vehicle registration renewal Sort the address first if you're also renewing. DMV forms DMV 14 — the mail-in change-of-address form.
About this guide
Published by
DMVCA· an independent California DMV information publisher
Fact-checking
Fact-checked against primary sources — the California Vehicle Code, DMV publications, and government sources — and cited on the page.
Update cadence
Reviewed quarterly and after any federal or state policy change.
Sources. California Vehicle Code §4159 (registration address) · California DMV — Updating information on your registration · California DMV — Online Change of Address (COA) system
Last verified June 29, 2026 · reviewed quarterly and after any policy change.