# How to Transfer a Mobile Home Title in California: Step-by-Step Guide

> Step-by-step California mobile home title transfer: HCD forms line by line, fees, the 20-day deadline, park approval, trusts, gifts and lost titles. Free PDF.

Source: https://ridleylawoffices.com/mobile-home-title-transfer-california/

By Eric Ridley, attorney, Ridley Law. Updated October 2026.

**Short answer:** In California, most mobile homes and manufactured homes don’t have a deed. They have a title from the state Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and the county recorder and the DMV can’t change it. To move the title you mail HCD a packet: the signed Certificate of Title, the registration card, the Multi-Purpose Transfer Form (HCD RT 476.6G), one tax document that depends on the letter your decal starts with, and the fees. HCD wants the packet postmarked within 20 days of a sale. This guide walks through every kind of transfer, form by form, with filled-in examples.

**20 days**

Time to get the packet to HCD after a sale before penalties start (HCD RT 804, Rev. 03/24)

**$35**

HCD’s base transfer fee, before per-section and other fees (HCD fee schedule)

**L or A**

The first letter of the decal tells you which tax system the home is in and which checklist you follow

**15 business days**

Time a park has to approve or reject a buyer once it has the buyer’s full application (Civ. Code, § 798.74)

**Free PDF:** [download this whole guide, with the checklists, the form-by-form tables and the fee chart](https://ridleylawoffices.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/Ridley_Law_Mobile_Home_Title_Transfer_Guide.pdf). No email required. Share it freely.

*This page is checked against HCD’s instruction sheets (HCD RT 804 through 804.11, Rev. 03/24), HCD’s forms and fee schedule as posted in October 2026, and the statutes linked below. It is general information, not legal advice for your situation.*

## What goes wrong when the title doesn’t move

Money changing hands doesn’t make the buyer the owner. Under [Health & Saf. Code, § 18101](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18101), no transfer of title is effective until the seller has signed and delivered the Certificate of Title and handed over the registration card. Until HCD’s record changes, the state still shows the old owner.

**Example (made up):** Dana pays Maria $40,000 for a double-wide in a Ventura County park. Maria signs a handwritten receipt and moves to Arizona. Nobody sends anything to HCD. A year later Dana wants to sell. HCD’s record still says Maria owns the home, the park has no rental agreement with Dana, and the county tax bills have been going to Maria’s old address. Dana now has to find Maria, get her signature on the title, and pay late penalties before she can sell anything.

If Maria can’t be found at all, HCD has a fallback that uses a surety bond in place of her signature. It’s covered under when a seller or co-owner can’t be found, and it’s more work than sending the packet at the time of the sale.

## Start with the home and its paperwork

Before you download a form, look at the home, its title and its registration card. What you find there picks the checklist.

### 1. Is the home personal property or real estate

A home sitting on piers in a park, on a rented space, is personal property with an HCD title. A home that was installed on a permanent foundation with a building permit and a recorded document, under [Health & Saf. Code, § 18551](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18551), became part of the land. At that point the owner surrenders the HCD title, HCD cancels the registration, and the home transfers by deed at the county recorder like any other house. If you aren’t sure which one you have, call HCD at (800) 952-8356 with the serial number and ask whether the registration is active or cancelled.

### 2. What letter does the decal start with

The decal is the sticker HCD issued for the home. The number is also printed on the registration card and the title. HCD’s instruction sheets sort every home into one of three groups.

| What the home has | Tax system | What that adds to your packet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HCD decal starting with **L** | Local property tax (LPT). The county assessor values the home and the county tax collector bills it. | An original **Tax Clearance Certificate** from the county tax collector. A tax bill doesn’t count. |
| HCD decal starting with **A** | Yearly registration renewal with HCD, also called in-lieu taxation (ILT). | On a sale, **Form HCD RT 476.4** and use tax. No tax clearance certificate. Renewal fees if the registration expires within 60 days. |
| DMV license plate or decal, with a DMV pink slip | Yearly registration renewal (vehicle license fee). These are older homes HCD hasn’t retitled yet. | Everything in the A row, plus **Form HCD RT 480.5**, Application for Registration, with the home’s length, width and insignia numbers. |

As a rule, homes first sold new on or after July 1, 1980 are on local property tax, and older homes stay on yearly renewal unless the owner asked to switch ([Rev. & Tax. Code, § 5801](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC&sectionNum=5801)).

### 3. Who is on the title right now

The title and the registration card also show who has to sign.

- **Registered owner.** The person or people who own the home. Every registered owner printed on the title signs to release it.
- **Legal owner.** HCD’s name for a lender. If there’s a loan, the lender is listed as legal owner and holds the title until the loan is paid.
- **Co-owner term.** Letters such as JTRS or TENCOM that say how two or more owners hold the home. They control whose signature is needed and what happens when one owner dies.
- **TOD beneficiary.** A person named to receive the home when the owner dies.

## Find your HCD instruction sheet

HCD publishes a two-page instruction sheet for each common transfer. Each one lists the exact documents and fees for that situation. Find your row, then your column, and open the sheet. Print it, because HCD asks you to return the sheet with your packet.

| What you’re doing | L decal (local property tax) | A decal (yearly renewal) | DMV pink slip |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Selling to or buying from a private party | [HCD RT 804](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.1](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-1.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.2](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-2.pdf) |
| Family transfer, gift, or adding or removing a name | [HCD RT 804.3](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-3.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.4](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-4.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.5](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-5.pdf) |
| Putting the home in a trust | [HCD RT 804.6](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-6.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.7](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-7.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.8](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-8.pdf) |
| Removing a co-owner who died | [HCD RT 804.9](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-9.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.10](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-10.pdf) | [HCD RT 804.11](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-804-11.pdf) |

All twelve sheets, with Spanish versions, are on HCD’s [Buy, Sell, or No-Sale Transfer page](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/transfer). The sheets carry the date Rev. 03/24. If HCD has posted a newer one, follow the newer one.

## The packet every transfer needs

Whatever kind of transfer you’re doing, the core of the packet is the same four items. The paths further down add to this list.

1. The original Certificate of Title, signedEvery owner printed on the title signs it off. The new owners fill in the “New Owner Information” area and sign. If the title is lost, send Form HCD RT 480.4 in its place with a $25 fee.
2. The last registration cardSend the original card last issued to the registered owner. If it’s lost, send Form HCD RT 481.2 with a $25 fee.
3. Form HCD RT 476.6G, the Multi-Purpose Transfer FormThe new owners fill in the sections that apply and sign the front. HCD lists this form on every transfer.
4. The tax document for your decal, and a checkL decal: the original Tax Clearance Certificate. A decal or DMV pink slip, on a sale: Form HCD RT 476.4 and the use tax. Make the check or money order payable to HCD and write the decal number on it.

### Every form, with a link

HCD posts these forms only as PDF downloads. Each link below opens the PDF on HCD’s site.

| Form | What it does | Who signs | Download |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HCD RT 476.6G (Rev. 08/20) | Multi-Purpose Transfer Form. Safety statements, co-owner term, tax exemption reasons and trust name. | New owners, or trustees | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-476-6g.pdf) |
| HCD RT 480.4 (Rev. 06/25) | Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title. Replaces a lost, stolen or damaged title and can carry the transfer itself. | Owner of record, then old and new owners | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-480-4.pdf) |
| HCD RT 481.2 (Rev. 06/25) | Application for Duplicate Registration Card. | Registered owner | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-481-2.pdf) |
| HCD RT 475.1 (Rev. 06/16) | Bill of Sale. HCD’s forms page says it’s needed when the seller’s signature isn’t on the original title. | Seller | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-475-1.pdf) |
| HCD RT 476.4 (Rev. 08/20) | Certification of Retail Value and Purchase Price. Used to figure use tax on A decal and pink slip sales. | Buyer | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-476-4.pdf) |
| HCD RT 480.5 (Rev. 02/16) | Application for Registration. Required for homes still on a DMV pink slip. | Each new owner or trustee | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-480-5.pdf) |
| HCD RT 483.1 (Rev. 06/17) | Designation of Co-Owner Term, if the co-owner section of the 476.6G was left blank. | All co-owners | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-483-1.pdf) |
| HCD 488.4 (Rev. 12/14) | Transfer on Death Beneficiary. Adds, removes or changes a beneficiary, and lets the beneficiary claim the home after a death. | Registered owner, or the beneficiary after a death | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-488-4.pdf) |
| HCD RT 475.2 (Rev. 07/16) | Certificate for Transfer Without Probate, for heirs after 40 days. | Every heir or beneficiary | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-475-2.pdf) |
| HCD RT 475.3 (Rev. 07/16) | Lien Satisfied. The lender’s release when it hasn’t signed the title. | Lender, original ink signature | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-475-3.pdf) |
| HCD RT 476.6 (Rev. 07/16) | Statement of Facts. A blank sworn statement for anything the other forms don’t cover. | Whoever is explaining | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-476-6.pdf) |
| HCD RT 476.6I (Rev. 07/16) | Statement of Facts – Bond. Used with a surety bond when an owner’s signature can’t be had because the owner can’t be located. | Whoever is applying | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-476-6i.pdf) |
| HCD RT 491.1 (Rev. 04/20) | Information – Title Search Request. Shows the current status of HCD’s record for a home. | Whoever is asking | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-491-1.pdf) |
| HCD 484.7 (Rev. 11/14) | Statement to Encumber. Adds a lender to the title. | Registered owner | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-484-7.pdf) |
| HCD RT 495.0 (Rev. 03/16) | Request for Voluntary Transfer to Local Property Taxation. Moves an A decal home to the county tax roll. HCD’s form says the move is final. | Registered owner and any lender | [PDF](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-495-0.pdf) |

The full list, including Spanish versions, is on HCD’s [Registration and Titling Forms page](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/registration-and-titling/forms).

## Signing the Certificate of Title

The title is the one document in the packet you can’t download and print again. HCD’s sheets set the rules for signing it.

- **Every owner printed on the title signs it off.** If the title shows two owners, both sign, unless the co-owner term says otherwise (see TENCOM OR below).
- **The new owners complete the “New Owner Information” area** and sign where the title tells them to.
- **A lender printed on the title also signs** to release its interest, or sends Form HCD RT 475.3.
- **If the buyer is taking over the seller’s loan,** the lender writes on the title that it is keeping its interest ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18100.5](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18100.5)).

**Don’t practice on the original.** Print names exactly as they should appear on the new title, use ink, and don’t cross anything out. A title that’s mutilated or can’t be read has to be surrendered and replaced with Form HCD RT 480.4, which costs $25 and adds a step.

## Form HCD RT 476.6G, section by section

The form says to complete only the sections that apply and to sign the bottom of the front side. That one signature certifies everything on both sides. The examples in the right-hand column are made up.

| Section on the form | What to do | Example entry |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Unit Description** (Side 1, top) | Copy the Decal (License) No. and the Serial No. from the registration card. A double-wide has two serial numbers. List both. | Decal: LBG4521. Serial: CAV110AZ12345A and CAV110AZ12345B. |
| **Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Certification** | Check YES if the home has a working smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. If it doesn’t, install them before you sign. | YES |
| **Park Purchase Fee Exemption** | Two questions: do you own the home, and do you own the land it sits on? Two YES answers exempt you from the $5 per section park purchase fee. In a rental park the second answer is NO. | YES and NO (home is on a rented park space) |
| **Designation of Co-Owner Term** | Skip it for one owner. Two or more new owners check exactly one box. | JTRS |
| **Executed on / at, signatures, phone, email** | Date, city and state where you sign. Every new owner signs. Add a phone number and email so HCD can reach you about a problem. | October 14, 2026, at Oxnard, California |
| **Declaration of Installation of Water Heater Seismic Bracing** (Side 2) | Check YES if every gas water heater is braced, anchored or strapped. There’s a separate box for an electric water heater installed to the maker’s instructions. | YES |
| **Reason for Use Tax and/or Mobilehome Recovery Fund Fee Exemption** | Only for transfers that aren’t ordinary sales. Check the box that fits: a gift, a transfer from a listed family member, a name being added or deleted, an inheritance, a court order, or a transfer to your own revocable trust. | “The above-described unit was a gift.” |
| **Designation of Trust** | Only when a trust will own the home. Enter the date of the trust, then print the trust’s name the way it should read on the title. Every trustee signs and adds a mailing address. | Dated March 3, 2019. “The Lopez Family Trust.” |

### Picking the co-owner term

This box decides what happens to the home when one owner dies. The definitions below come from the form itself and [Health & Saf. Code, § 18080](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18080).

| Box | Meaning | To sell the whole home | When one owner dies |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **JTRS** | Joint tenants with right of survivorship | Every joint tenant signs | The share passes to the surviving joint tenant |
| **TENCOM AND** | Tenants in common, names joined by “and” | Every owner signs. One owner can transfer only their own share alone. | No survivorship right. The share is part of that owner’s estate. |
| **TENCOM OR** | Tenants in common, names joined by “or” | Any one owner can sign away the whole home | No survivorship right. The share is part of that owner’s estate. |
| **COMPRO** | Community property, for spouses | Both spouses sign | No survivorship right on the form or in the statute |
| **COMPRORS** | Community property with right of survivorship, for spouses | Both spouses sign | The share passes to the surviving spouse without administration |

**TENCOM OR gives each owner the whole home.** Either person can sell the entire home without the other’s signature. Check it only if you mean that.

## Selling to a buyer when the home stays in a park

A sale in a park has two tracks running at once. One is the title, which goes through HCD. The other is the space, which goes through the park under the Mobilehome Residency Law. A buyer who gets the title and misses the park step owns a home with no right to keep it where it is.

1. The buyer checks HCD’s record before payingForm [HCD RT 491.1](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-491-1.pdf), Information – Title Search Request, asks HCD for the current status of its record on the home. An informal search is $25. A formal search is $35 and adds notices of any change to the record for 120 days. Compare what comes back with what the seller told you about who owns the home and whether there’s a loan.
2. Tell the park, in writing, before the sale closesThe seller or the seller’s agent has to give the park notice of the sale before it closes. Within 15 days the park has to give both sides, in writing, the standards it uses to approve a buyer, including any minimum credit score, and a list of every document it will ask for ([Civ. Code, § 798.74](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.74)).
3. The buyer applies to the parkThe park can turn a buyer down for only three reasons: prior tenancies that show the buyer won’t follow park rules, not enough money to pay the rent and charges, or fraud or hiding facts on the application. A senior park can also enforce its age rules ([Civ. Code, § 798.76](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.76)). The park can’t ask for personal income tax returns. Once it has everything it asked for, it has 15 business days to say yes or no in writing. If it says nothing, the buyer is treated as approved.
4. Give the buyer the disclosure statementThe seller fills out the Manufactured Home and Mobilehome Transfer Disclosure Statement set out in [Civ. Code, § 1102.6d](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1102.6d). In a sale with no dealer or broker, the buyer gets it when the first purchase document is signed ([Civ. Code, § 1102.3a](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=1102.3a)). A buyer who gets it late has three days to cancel if it was handed over, or five if it was mailed.
5. The buyer signs a rental agreement with the parkThe sale agreement has to include a copy of the signed rental agreement, or a statement signed by the park and the buyer that they’ve agreed on its terms. A buyer who doesn’t sign a rental agreement has no rights of tenancy ([Civ. Code, § 798.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.75)).
6. Get the tax documentL decal: ask the county tax collector for a Tax Clearance Certificate with the buyer shown as the applicant. A or pink slip: the buyer fills out Form HCD RT 476.4 and figures the use tax.
7. Sign the title and closeThe seller signs the title off and hands over the registration card. The buyer fills in the new owner area and signs. A bill of sale is a good record for both sides even when the title is properly signed.
8. Mail the packet within 20 daysThe packet has to be postmarked or received by HCD within 20 calendar days of the sale date to avoid penalties.

**What the park can’t do.** It can’t charge the seller a transfer or selling fee unless the seller asked for a service in writing ([Civ. Code, § 798.72](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.72)). It can’t list or show the home without the owner’s written permission ([Civ. Code, § 798.71](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.71)). And during the seller’s rental agreement it can require a sold home to be moved out only in the cases listed in [Civ. Code, § 798.73](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.73), which turn on the home’s age, size and condition.

### Form HCD RT 475.1, Bill of Sale, line by line

| Section | What to write | Example entry (made up) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Section I, Description of Unit | Check “Manufactured Home/Mobilehome.” Enter the decal number, trade name and serial numbers from the registration card. | Decal LBG4521. Trade name: Golden West. |
| Section II, Statement of Facts | The price in words and numbers, the buyer’s name and phone number, and the date of sale. | Forty thousand dollars ($40,000) to Dana Reyes on the 9th day of October, 2026. |
| Section III, Seller’s Certification | Each seller signs under penalty of perjury that they own the home, have the right to sell it, and that it’s free of liens except any lender named in Section IV. Add the date, city and state, phone number and address. | Maria Lopez, signed at Oxnard, California. |
| Section IV, Lienholder’s Information | Name and address of a lender whose loan is still unpaid. Leave it blank if there’s none. The form says this space is not for a new loan the buyer is taking out. | Blank |

### Form HCD RT 476.4, use tax on A decal and pink slip sales

Use tax is California’s version of sales tax on a private sale. HCD’s sheets say it’s due on these sales unless the buyer shows an exemption. The form has the buyer do the math.

| Section | What to write |
| --- | --- |
| Section I, Buyer Identification | Buyer’s name, mailing address, and the address where the home sits. |
| Section II, Description | Manufacturer, trade name, model, date of manufacture, decal and serial numbers, and the width and length in feet. Leave out the hitch and the roof overhang. |
| Section III, line 1 | The purchase date. |
| Section III, line 2 | The actual sales price. The form counts the total contract price, including things sold with the home such as an awning, skirting, a carport or furniture. |
| Section III, line 3 | The retail value from Kelley Blue Book, the NADA guide, or a Retail Value Statement from HCD. To get HCD’s number, fill in Section VI and send the form to RVAdmin@hcd.ca.gov. |
| Section III, lines 4 and 5 | Multiply the lower of line 2 or line 3 by the use tax rate for the county where the home sits, and round to the nearest dollar. Rates are at [cdtfa.ca.gov](https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov). Check the box that says which figure you used. |
| Section IV, Certification | Date, city, state and the buyers’ signatures. |

**Example (made up):** The price is $40,000 and the book value is $46,000, so the tax is figured on $40,000. If the rate where the home sits were 7.75 percent, the use tax would be $3,100. Look up the real rate for your address before you write the check.

### If a dealer or an escrow company is involved

A licensed dealer who sells a home has to put the buyer’s money into an escrow account, not into the dealer’s own account ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18035](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18035)). In an escrow sale, the escrow officer usually gathers the signatures, requests the tax clearance and sends the packet to HCD. Two private people can choose to use escrow as well. Once HCD gets a notice that escrow has opened, it freezes the title record for up to 120 days so nobody else can change it while the sale is pending ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18100.5](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18100.5)).

## Giving the home to family, or adding or taking off a name

HCD treats a gift, a transfer between family members, and adding or deleting a name as one group. The packet is the core four items, and the instruction sheet is 804.3, 804.4 or 804.5 depending on your decal. HCD counts any change, addition or deletion of an owner as a transfer of title ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18075.5](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18075.5)), so adding your daughter is a full transfer with a full fee.

1. Everyone now on the title signs it offThen list everyone who will be on the new title in the New Owner Information area. If you’re adding a person, you appear on both sides: you sign as a current owner and you’re listed again as a new owner.
2. On Form 476.6G, check the exemption reasonOn Side 2, check the gift box or the family box, or write the relationship on the “ADDED / DELETED” line. This is what tells HCD no use tax is due. A sale between brothers or sisters is taxed unless both are minors.
3. Pick a co-owner termTwo or more owners need one. Use the table above.
4. L decal homes still need the Tax Clearance CertificateThe new owners are shown as the applicant. A decal homes don’t need one for a family transfer.

**Think before you add a child.** Putting a child on the title is a gift of part of the home today. On an L decal home it can also count as a change in ownership for property tax, because the reassessment rules for real estate apply to these homes too ([Rev. & Tax. Code, § 5814](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC&sectionNum=5814)). The [parent-child exclusion](https://ridleylawoffices.com/prop-19-parent-child-exclusion-california/) has conditions. If all you want is for the home to pass to your child at your death, a transfer on death beneficiary or a living trust does that without giving anything away now.

## Putting the home in your living trust

A deed can’t put an HCD-titled home into a trust, and listing the home on a schedule at the back of the trust doesn’t change the title. The trust has to be named on the HCD title itself. California allows that directly: the home is registered in the name of the trust, and after that the trustee is the one who signs to sell or borrow against it ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18080.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18080.1)).

1. Open the right sheet804.6 for an L decal, 804.7 for an A decal, 804.8 for a DMV pink slip.
2. Sign the title off as the current ownerThen write the name of the trust in the New Owner Information area and sign as trustee.
3. Complete the Designation of Trust on Form 476.6GEnter the date of the trust and print its name the way you want it on the title. Every trustee signs. On the same side, check the revocable trust box in the exemption section if your trust fits the description printed next to it.
4. L decal: get the Tax Clearance Certificate in the trust’s nameThe sheet says the name of the trust should be shown as the applicant.
5. Pink slip homes: add Form HCD RT 480.5Each trustee signs it, and it needs the home’s length, width and insignia numbers.
6. Pay and mail$35 transfer fee. L decal homes add $23 per section and, in a rental park, $5 per section.

**How a trustee signs.** HCD’s sheet gives these as acceptable: “Smith Family Trust by John Smith Trustee” or “John Smith Trustee for the Smith Family Trust.” A successor trustee signs “Smith Family Trust by Tom Jones Successor Trustee.”

A transfer into your own revocable trust isn’t a change in ownership for property tax, so an L decal home keeps its assessed value ([Rev. & Tax. Code, § 62](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC&sectionNum=62), subd. (d)). Tell the park as well, since your rental agreement is in your own name. Putting the title in the trust is one piece of [funding a trust](https://ridleylawoffices.com/how-do-i-fund-a-trust/), and it’s an easy piece to miss for a mobile home. To check the rest of what you own, see [is my living trust funded](https://ridleylawoffices.com/is-my-living-trust-funded-california/).

## Naming a transfer on death beneficiary

This is the simplest way to keep one home out of probate. You stay the only owner, the beneficiary has no rights while you’re alive, and you don’t need their signature for anything ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18080.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18080.2)). The limits are strict: the title can have only one owner and only one beneficiary. A married couple who both hold title can’t use it. It’s also a different tool from a [transfer on death deed](https://ridleylawoffices.com/transfer-on-death-deed-california/), which is recorded with the county and works only on real estate.

| Form HCD 488.4 | What to write | Example entry (made up) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Section I, Description of Unit | Check the first box for a manufactured home or mobilehome. Enter the decal number, trade name and serial numbers. | Decal LBG4521 |
| Section II, Addition of Beneficiary | Use this when no beneficiary is on the title now. Print the beneficiary’s last name, first name and middle initial. | Lopez, Elena R. |
| Section III, Deletion of Beneficiary | Use this to remove a beneficiary without naming a new one. | Blank |
| Section IV, Change of Beneficiary | Use this to replace the current beneficiary with a new one. | Blank |
| Section V, Certification | The registered owner dates and signs under penalty of perjury. | Maria Lopez, October 14, 2026, Oxnard, California |
| Section VI, Request to Transfer on Death | Leave blank. The beneficiary fills this in after the owner dies. | Blank |

Mail the form with the original title, or Form 480.4 if the title is lost, and the $25 fee. HCD issues a new title that shows your name, then “transfer on death to” or “TOD,” then the beneficiary’s name.

**A will doesn’t change the title.** The beneficiary on the title can be changed in only two ways: selling the home, or filing a new application with HCD. A will doesn’t undo it, and neither does any other document ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18102.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18102.2)). If your will and your title name different people, the title wins.

## When an owner has died

Which packet you need depends on what the title said on the day the owner died. The [guide to transferring a mobile home after a death](https://ridleylawoffices.com/mobile-home-transfer-after-death-california/) covers each path in full, and the [checklist for the weeks after a death](https://ridleylawoffices.com/what-to-do-when-someone-dies-california/) covers everything else that comes due. If a house or land came with the estate too, the [guides to inheriting property in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/inherited-property-guides/) cover those.

| What the title showed | Who can transfer it | Key document |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A TOD beneficiary | The beneficiary, with no probate and no waiting period in the statute | Form HCD 488.4, Section VI, plus the title and a copy of the death certificate. $25. |
| A co-owner who is still living | The surviving owner | Sheet 804.9, 804.10 or 804.11. The title, a copy of a certified death certificate, Form 476.6G, and proof of authority to sign for the person who died. |
| One owner, no beneficiary, and nothing else that needs probate | The heirs, or the people named in the will, once 40 days have passed | Form HCD RT 475.2, signed by every heir or beneficiary. There’s no dollar limit on the home’s value ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18102](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18102)), which makes it different from the [small estate affidavit](https://ridleylawoffices.com/small-estate-affidavit-california-2026/). |
| A trust | The [successor trustee](https://ridleylawoffices.com/successor-trustee-california/) | The title signed by the successor trustee, and Form 476.6G. |
| One owner, and other property that needs probate | The executor or administrator, in [probate](https://ridleylawoffices.com/probate/) | A copy of certified Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. |

For a surviving co-owner, HCD’s sheet asks for the signature in this form: the name of the person who died, then “by,” then the signature of the person with authority. The proof of authority is one of three things: Form 475.2 signed by the heirs, Letters Testamentary, or Letters of Administration. If the title says JTRS or COMPRORS, call HCD before you assemble the packet and ask what it wants from a survivor, because the sheet doesn’t treat those titles separately.

### Form HCD RT 475.2, line by line

| Section | What to write |
| --- | --- |
| Section I, Description of Unit | Check the first box. Enter the decal number, trade name and serial numbers. |
| Section II, Decedent Information | The name of the person who died, the date of death, and the place of death. |
| Section III, Heir or Beneficiary Certification | Date, city and state. Every heir or beneficiary signs, prints their name and gives an address. |

**Read Section II before you sign it.** By signing, you swear to all of this: the person left no other property that needs probate, no probate has been opened in California, the home wasn’t left by will to someone else, nobody has a better right to it than you, 40 days have passed, and no creditor of the person who died is still unpaid. If any one of those isn’t true, this form is the wrong tool. A person who takes the home this way is also personally answerable for the decedent’s debts up to the limits in [Prob. Code, § 13109](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB&sectionNum=13109) through 13113.

An heir, a joint tenant or an executor who ends up with a home in a park has the right to sell it in place, as long as the rent, utilities and upkeep that have come due since the death are paid through the date of sale ([Civ. Code, § 798.78](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.78)). Keep paying the space rent while you sort out the title.

## After a divorce or other court order

HCD doesn’t publish an instruction sheet for this one. The statute says that when title passes other than by a voluntary transfer, the new owner applies with the last title and registration card if they’re available, plus whatever documents HCD requires to prove the transfer ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18100.5](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18100.5), subd. (d)). In practice that means the core packet, a certified copy of the judgment or order that awards the home, and Form 476.6G with the box checked for a transfer “pursuant to a court order.” If your former spouse will sign the title, the packet is an ordinary family transfer. If they won’t, call HCD at (800) 952-8356 before you mail anything and ask exactly what it needs with the court order.

## When the title or registration card is lost

A lost title doesn’t stop a transfer. Form HCD RT 480.4 replaces the title and has room for the transfer on the same form, so one packet does both.

| Form HCD RT 480.4 | What to write |
| --- | --- |
| Side 1, top block | The home’s description from the registration card: manufacturer, trade name, decal number, serial numbers, label or insignia numbers, length and width. Leave the “Department Use Only” boxes and the column of codes on the right edge blank. |
| Side 1, Registered Owner(s) and addresses | The current owners’ names exactly as they appear on HCD’s record, the mailing address, and the address where the home sits. If there’s a lender, enter it as Legal Owner. |
| Side 1, Application for Transfer by New Owners | Only if ownership is changing. The new owners’ names, a co-owner term if there are two or more, mailing address, the home’s location, and any new lender. |
| Side 2, Section I, Certification of Missing Title | Required every time. Check what happened to the title: lost, stolen, illegible, mutilated, or not received from HCD. Sign, date and print your name. |
| Side 2, Section II, Release of Ownership | Lines 1A to 1C: each current registered owner signs and dates to release the home. Line 2A: a lender releasing its lien signs here. |
| Side 2, Section III | For dealers only. Leave blank in a private transfer. |
| Side 2, Section IV, New Registered Owner Signature(s) | Each new owner signs. If the transfer is a sale, enter the purchase price and purchase date. |

The fee is $25, on top of the transfer fees. A lost registration card is the same idea with Form HCD RT 481.2 and another $25. If the home is on more than one pink slip, HCD’s sheets say only one duplicate is required.

## When a seller or co-owner can’t be found

Sometimes the person whose signature you need has moved away and left no way to reach them. HCD’s forms page says a surety bond can be used for signatures that can’t be obtained because an owner can’t be located. A surety bond is a paid guarantee from a bonding company that covers HCD and later buyers if the missing owner turns up with a valid claim.

The form that goes with the bond is [HCD RT 476.6I](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-rt-476-6i.pdf), Statement of Facts – Bond. Every answer on it is given under penalty of perjury.

| Line on Form HCD RT 476.6I | What to write |
| --- | --- |
| Unit type, decal, trade name, serial numbers | Copy these from the registration card, or from a title search if you don’t have the card. |
| 1. Effort made to contact the last owners of record | Every step you took to reach them, with dates, and why the title isn’t available. Letters returned by the post office, phone numbers that no longer work, and what relatives or the park told you all belong here. |
| 2. How, when, and from whom the unit was acquired | The date, the person you got the home from, and what you paid or how you came to have it. Attach the bill of sale or receipt if you have one. |
| 3. Current value of the unit | What the home is worth today. |
| Certification | Date, city and state, signatures, printed names and address, under penalty of perjury. |

HCD’s posted materials don’t give the bond amount or list what else it wants in the packet. Call (800) 952-8356 and get that in writing before you buy a bond.

**A bond is for an owner who can’t be found.** An owner who can be found and refuses to sign is a dispute. That ends with an agreement or a court order, and the court order then goes to HCD with the packet.

## When a lender is on the title

While a loan is open, the lender is the legal owner and keeps the title. Nothing transfers cleanly until the lender signs off or agrees to stay on.

- **Loan paid off:** the lender signs the back of the title to release it. If the lender doesn’t have the title, it completes Form HCD RT 475.3, Lien Satisfied, with an original ink signature. HCD won’t take a photocopy. The fee to remove a lender is $25.
- **Lender won’t respond:** send a written demand. A lender that doesn’t release a paid-off lien within 20 days of the demand, without good reason, is liable for the owner’s actual damages ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18100.5](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18100.5), subd. (c)).
- **Lender no longer exists:** HCD points owners to the FDIC’s [lien release help for failed banks](https://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/lien/).
- **Buyer is borrowing:** the buyer’s lender is added as the new legal owner with [Form HCD 484.7](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/hcd-484-7.pdf), Statement to Encumber. That adds $25.

## What it costs and when it’s late

The amounts below are from HCD’s fee schedule and the 804 instruction sheets as posted in October 2026.

| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Transfer fee | $35 | Every transfer |
| Mobilehome Recovery Fund fee | $10 | Each sale |
| Registration fee | $23 per section | L decal homes, on a transfer |
| Park purchase fee | $5 per section | L decal homes, unless the owner also owns the land |
| Add, change or delete a lender | $25 | When a lender comes on or off the title |
| Duplicate title | $25 | When Form 480.4 is used |
| Duplicate registration card | $25 | When Form 481.2 is used |
| Title search | $25 informal, $35 formal | When a buyer or heir asks HCD for the status of its record |
| Transfer on death beneficiary | $25 | Adding, changing or removing a beneficiary, or transferring to one |
| Use tax | Varies by county | Sales of A decal and pink slip homes, unless exempt |
| Renewal fees | Varies | A decal and pink slip homes, if the registration expires within 60 days or is overdue |
| Transfer fee penalty | $25 | A sale packet postmarked more than 20 days after the sale |
| Registration fee penalty | $3 per section | L decal sale packet postmarked more than 20 days after the sale |

A single-wide is one section. A double-wide is two. A triple-wide is three.

**Example (made up):** Dana buys a double-wide with an L decal in a rental park. Transfer fee $35, recovery fund fee $10, registration $46 for two sections, park purchase fee $10 for two sections. Her check to HCD is $101. If the packet were postmarked on day 25, she would add the $25 transfer penalty and $6 in registration penalties, for $132.

On an L decal home there’s one more piece of paper after the transfer. The new owner files a change in ownership statement with the county assessor, within 90 days of the transfer, or within 150 days of the date of death when the home passed because someone died ([Rev. & Tax. Code, § 480](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC&sectionNum=480)). The assessor uses it to decide whether the home gets a new assessed value.

## Sending the packet to HCD

Before you seal the envelope, copy every page, front and back. Then check the packet against your instruction sheet one more time.

- The printed instruction sheet for your transfer
- Original title, signed by every owner and any lender, or Form 480.4
- Original registration card, or Form 481.2
- Form 476.6G, signed on the front by every new owner or trustee
- L decal: the original Tax Clearance Certificate
- A decal or pink slip sale: Form 476.4
- Pink slip: Form 480.5
- After a death: a copy of the certified death certificate and the proof of authority
- Check or money order payable to HCD, with the decal number written on it

**Mail to:** HCD, Registration and Titling, P.O. Box 277820, Sacramento, CA 95827-7820.
 **Questions:** (800) 952-8356 or ContactRT@hcd.ca.gov. Spanish-speaking callers can ask for an interpreter at the same number.
 **In person:** HCD lists offices in Sacramento, Riverside, El Cajon and San Luis Obispo, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Addresses are on HCD’s [district office page](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/district-and-mobile-offices). Call first to confirm the office can take your transfer.
 **Online:** registration renewals and some applications run through HCD’s [Codes and Standards Online Services](https://cahcd.my.site.com/s/).

If something is missing, HCD sends the application back with instructions. Fix what it asks for and return everything together. When the transfer goes through, HCD mails the new title to the lender if there is one, or to the registered owner if there isn’t, and mails the registered owner a new registration card ([Health & Saf. Code, § 18100.5](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=18100.5)).

## The mistakes that send packets back

- **Going to the wrong office.** The county recorder records deeds and the DMV titles vehicles, including [a car after a death](https://ridleylawoffices.com/transfer-a-car-title-after-death-california/). For a home on an HCD title, both will send you away.
- **Sending a tax bill.** HCD needs the Tax Clearance Certificate itself, in original form, with the new owner as the applicant.
- **A missing signature.** One co-owner signed, or the lender didn’t.
- **No co-owner term.** Two buyers, and nobody checked a box.
- **Photocopies of signed forms.** HCD requires an original ink signature on the lender’s release.
- **Skipping the park.** The title transferred and nobody signed a rental agreement.
- **Relying on the trust or the will.** The trust lists the home, or the will leaves it to someone, and the HCD title was never changed. After a death, fixing that can take a [court petition](https://ridleylawoffices.com/heggstad-petition-california/).

## Where a lawyer fits

A sale or a gift between two people who agree is paperwork you can do yourself with this page and HCD’s sheets. My practice is limited to estate planning, trust administration and probate, so I come in at three points: when you’re setting up a living trust and the mobile home has to be titled in it, when an owner has died and the family isn’t sure which path applies, and when a trust or will says one thing and the HCD title says another. If that’s where you are, [get in touch](https://ridleylawoffices.com/contact-us/) and bring the registration card.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do I record a deed to transfer a mobile home in California?

No, unless the home was installed on a permanent foundation and converted to real property under Health & Saf. Code, § 18551. Every other mobile home and manufactured home has a Certificate of Title from HCD, and the transfer is done by mailing HCD the signed title and forms.

### How much does it cost to transfer a mobile home title in California?

HCD’s transfer fee is $35. A sale adds a $10 recovery fund fee. Homes on local property tax add $23 per section and, in a rental park, $5 per section, so a double-wide sale comes to $101. Homes on yearly renewal pay use tax on a sale instead.

### How long do I have to transfer the title after a sale?

HCD’s instruction sheets say the packet has to be postmarked or received within 20 calendar days of the sale date to avoid penalties. The statute also sets 20 days for notifying HCD of a transfer.

### What if the seller lost the mobile home title?

Use Form HCD RT 480.4, Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title. It costs $25, and the old and new owners can sign the transfer on the back of the same form, so you don’t have to wait for a replacement title first.

### Can I sell my mobile home without the park’s approval?

You can sell the home, but if it’s staying in the park, the park has the right to approve the buyer. The buyer needs a signed rental agreement, and a buyer without one has no rights of tenancy under Civ. Code, § 798.75.

### Do I owe tax when I buy a used mobile home from a private seller?

If the home has an A decal or a DMV pink slip, HCD collects use tax on the lower of the price or the book value, unless an exemption such as a gift or a family transfer applies. HCD’s sheets for L decal homes don’t list use tax. Those homes pay county property tax, and the buyer brings a Tax Clearance Certificate.

### How do I put a mobile home in a living trust?

Sign the HCD title over to the trust, complete the Designation of Trust section of Form HCD RT 476.6G, and mail both with the registration card, a Tax Clearance Certificate if the decal starts with L, and the fees. HCD’s sheets 804.6, 804.7 and 804.8 list the packet for each title type.

### Can I name a beneficiary on a mobile home title?

Yes, with Form HCD 488.4 and a $25 fee, if the title has one owner and you name one beneficiary. The beneficiary gets the home at your death without probate and has no rights in it before then.

### Does the DMV handle mobile home titles in California?

No. Some older homes still carry a DMV pink slip, but the transfer goes to HCD, which issues an HCD title in its place.

**Free PDF:** [download this whole guide, with the checklists, the form-by-form tables and the fee chart](https://ridleylawoffices.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/Ridley_Law_Mobile_Home_Title_Transfer_Guide.pdf). No email required. Share it freely.

This page is general information about California law and HCD procedure, not legal or tax advice for your situation. HCD changes its forms and fees from time to time. Check the revision date on each form against the one listed here, and follow HCD’s current version if it’s newer. The people and numbers in the examples are made up.

Sources

- HCD, Buy, Sell, or No-Sale Transfer Instructions (sheets HCD RT 804 through 804.11, Rev. 03/24), accessed October 2026: [hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/transfer](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/transfer)
- HCD, Registration and Titling Forms, accessed October 2026: [hcd.ca.gov forms page](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/manufactured-and-mobilehomes/registration-and-titling/forms)
- HCD forms as downloaded October 11, 2026, each at the revision date shown in the forms table above.
- HCD, Program Fees (effective October 1, 2009), accessed October 2026: [hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/fees](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/fees)
- HCD, Obtaining a Lien Release, accessed October 2026: [hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/lien-release](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/lien-release)
- HCD, District Offices, accessed October 2026: [hcd.ca.gov district offices](https://www.hcd.ca.gov/mmh/registration-titling/district-and-mobile-offices)
- Cal. Health & Saf. Code §§ 18035, 18075.5, 18080, 18080.1, 18080.2, 18092.7, 18100.5, 18101, 18102, 18102.2, 18551: [leginfo.legislature.ca.gov](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayexpandedbranch.xhtml?tocCode=HSC&division=13.&title=&part=2.&chapter=8.&article=)
- Cal. Civ. Code §§ 798.71, 798.72, 798.73, 798.74, 798.75, 798.76, 798.78 (Mobilehome Residency Law), 1102.3a, 1102.6d: [leginfo.legislature.ca.gov](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV&sectionNum=798.74)
- Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §§ 62, 480, 5801, 5814, 5832: [leginfo.legislature.ca.gov](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC&sectionNum=5801)
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 6401, 6402, 13109 to 13113: [leginfo.legislature.ca.gov](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB&sectionNum=13109)
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, sales and use tax rates: [cdtfa.ca.gov](https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov)
- State Board of Equalization, county tax collector contacts: [boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/countycontacts.htm](https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/countycontacts.htm)