If your California plates were stolen, file a police report first — then submit DMV form REG 156 (Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents). Stolen plates normally get a new plate number so the old number cannot keep circulating under your name. Lost or damaged plates also use REG 156, with slightly different paperwork. Driving with a missing plate violates Vehicle Code §5200 and is an easy stop. A licensed private registration service can process replacement plates and a new sticker the same visit — bring photo ID and your registration card or plate number.
What the REG 156 looks like. Download the current version from the DMV. dmv.ca.gov
2.CVC §5200 requires front and rear plates properly displayed; keep your DMV/service receipt in the car while replacements are in process.
Plates stolen off your car — or one simply gone after a bumper repair? Here's the fast path: if they were stolen, report it to your local police department first, then bring your ID and registration card (or just the plate number) to a licensed private registration service, where replacement plates and a new sticker are processed the same visit. No appointment. Our offices in Stockton, San Jose, and San Rafael handle it daily. Se habla español.
If your plates were stolen, make a report with your local police department before anything else. This is basic self-protection, not bureaucracy: stolen plates get bolted onto other cars to dodge tolls, run from gas stations, or worse. If your old plate number shows up on a toll camera or at a crime scene, that police report is your proof the plates weren't on your vehicle. Save the report number — it's useful for the replacement paperwork and for your insurance file.
A stolen plate isn't just a missing piece of metal — it's your name driving around on someone else's car.
Why This Can't Wait: Two Plates Are the Law
California requires most vehicles to display both a front and a rear plate under Vehicle Code §5200, mounted and visible per §5201. A car rolling around with a missing plate is one of the easiest stops an officer can make — and once you're stopped, everything else gets looked at: insurance, registration status, license. If any of those has a wrinkle, a $0 problem just became an expensive afternoon. Replace missing plates promptly, even if "it's just the front one."
Where to Replace Them the Same Visit
You don't need to burn half a day at the government office. California authorizes licensed private businesses to process registration transactions, and replacement plates with a new sticker are a routine one. At our offices — across our three California offices we processed 3,301 registration transactions in 2025 and 1,773 in the first seven months of 2026 — the replacement application is prepared, signed, and submitted in one sitting, and we tell you the exact state fee before processing anything.
What to bring:
Photo ID — the registered owner signs the replacement application
Your registration card — or just your license plate number if the card is missing too
The police report number, if the plates were stolen
Payment — state replacement fees are set by California and are the same anywhere
DMV REG 156: Replacement Steps (Lost vs Stolen)
California's replacement application is REG 156 — Application for Replacement Plates, Stickers, Documents. You can start at a DMV field office or, for many routine replacements, at a licensed private registration service that processes the same state forms.
Identify the situation. Stolen → police report number ready. Lost or damaged → be ready to declare which plate(s) and how it happened.
Gather ID and vehicle info. Photo ID for the registered owner (who must sign), plus the registration card or plate number / VIN if the card is gone.
Complete REG 156. Mark the correct reason (stolen, lost, mutilated). For stolen plates, California generally assigns a new plate number.
Pay the state replacement fee. Fees are set by California and are the same at DMV or an authorized private partner; a private office may add a disclosed service fee.
Display temporary proof if needed. Keep the receipt/work order until the new plates and sticker are on the vehicle. Replace a missing registration sticker the same visit when it applies — see Replace a Lost or Stolen Registration Sticker.
Stolen vs. Lost: The Paperwork Differs Slightly
It matters which one happened, so tell us straight:
Stolen plates — the application documents the theft, and California generally issues a new plate number. That's a feature, not a hassle: it disconnects your car from whatever the thief does with the old plates.
Lost or damaged plates — a plate that fell off, got mangled in a fender-bender, or vanished during a move uses a slightly different declaration on the application, and the record is handled differently.
Either way it's one visit. We prepare the correct form, you sign, and you leave with the paperwork done and your new sticker — with 4,500+ active customers since 2013, this is bread-and-butter work for us.
Plates missing right now? Don't keep driving on it. Come in with your ID and plate number — we'll have the replacement processed before your parking meter runs out.
Stolen Plates Are Often the First Sign of a Bigger Claim
If the plates were stolen off the car, file the police report — and then check whether anything else on the vehicle was hit. Comprehensive coverage is the part of an auto policy that responds to theft and vandalism, and plenty of drivers carrying liability-only discover that gap on exactly this day.
Si le robaron las placas, haga el reporte policial — y revise si también dañaron el carro. La cobertura comprensiva es la que responde por robo y vandalismo; muchos con sólo cobertura de responsabilidad se enteran ese mismo día.
Call 209-670-1556 — Stockton · San Jose · San Rafael — plus remote service across California
My license plates were stolen in California. What do I do first?
Report the theft to your local police department — stolen plates end up on other vehicles, and the report protects you if your old number appears on toll cameras or in a crime. Then bring your ID and registration card (or just the plate number) to a licensed registration service for same-visit replacement plates and a new sticker.
What do I need to bring to replace lost or stolen plates?
A photo ID and your registration card — or just the plate number if the card is gone too. The registered owner signs the replacement application. Mention whether the plates were stolen or lost; the paperwork differs slightly and we prepare the right form.
Can I drive with only one plate in California?
Most vehicles must display front and rear plates under Vehicle Code §5200. A missing plate is an easy reason for a stop, and the stop opens the door to checking everything else. Replace it promptly.
Do I get the same plate number or a new one?
Stolen plates generally mean a new plate number — which protects you. Lost or damaged single-plate situations are documented differently. We'll tell you which path applies to your case before we process it.
En Español
¿Te robaron o perdiste las placas de tu carro? Preparamos esta misma guía en español — el reporte a la policía, qué llevar y cómo sacar placas nuevas con su sticker en una sola visita.
Stockton: 956 W. Robinhood Dr (Mon–Fri 10–6) · San Jose: 25 N. 14th St (Mon–Fri 10–6, Sat 10–3) · San Rafael: 9 Vivian St (Mon–Fri 10–6, Sat 10–3). Replacement plates, stickers, and insurance under one roof. Se habla español.
Reviewed by Santo Militello, California-licensed Property & Casualty agent (CA License #1737723) and owner of Via Rapida Services — CA Insurance License #6003045. Our licensed team brings more than 70 years of combined insurance experience. State replacement-plate fees are set by California and are the same at any provider; a small service fee applies per transaction. Last reviewed 2026-09-24.
