New to San Diego Here's How to Change your Address at the DMV
If you’ve just moved to California, or simply moved to a different city or house, it’s important to register your new address with the California DMV. Doing this will update all your vehicle-related information (ID Card, Driver’s license, title & registration) and will help you prevent any issues with the DMV in the future.
As with many other services offered by the DMV -title transfers, vehicle registration- you can do it in-person, online, using the services of a registered DMV services provider, or even by mail, and in this article, we’ll cover the basics of the process.
The Basics
• You must notify California’s DMV of your change of address within 10 days of moving to your new house.
• The process is free of charge and can be done without having to get new documents showcasing your new address.
• The change of address will be immediate, but will only show on your driver’s license, ID & registration when you renew them, so it’s important to renew these sooner rather than later.
• While you wait to renovate your license and plates, you’ll receive a Change of Address Certificate card, which you’ll have to carry alongside your ID and license until you renew them.
Changing Your Address In Person
Though time-consuming, this is usually one of the most straightforward ways of changing your address. To do so, you must:
- Visit your local DMV office and present the DMV 14, also known as “Change of Address,” which you can get online or at the DMV offices.
- The Change of Address form can also be requested by phone, but it will take about 5 days for you to get the form, which you’ll then have to take to the DMV.
- Once this process is completed, you’ll receive a Change of Address Certificate card, which you’ll have to carry alongside your ID and license until you renew them.
By Mail
Registering by mail is a pretty similar process to registering in person. You’ll need to send a completed “Change of Address” form to the address provided by your local DMV, then you’ll need to wait for your address to be changed.
Like with in-person registration, your address change won’t reflect on your papers until you renew them, so in the meantime, make sure to carry a paper with your new address, signature, and date you sent the Change of Address, which you need to carry around until you renew your documents.
DMV Services Provider
Using a DMV Services Provider, like Payless Registration, is pretty similar to changing it in person, except you won’t need to go to the DMV to do so.
Instead, you can do the whole process from the comfort of a private office, where a DMV-certified expert will help you find and fill the forms as they guide you through the entire process.
Online
This can only be done if you’re already a registered resident of California. If you’re not, you’ll have to use the other options.
To be able to change your address online, you’ll need:
- Social security number
- California’s driver’s license or ID card
- California address
If you have these, you can then register for California’s DMV online service, after which you can start the online address change.
To do this, you’ll need to provide:
- Old address
- New address
- Vehicle registration information
This process will take roughly 72 hours, but like with everything else, you’ll need to renew your registration to see the physical change of address.
