DMV Recreational Vehicle / Park Trailer Registration & Title (REG 343)

How to Register a Tiny Home or Park Model With the California DMV REG 343 If you want to put a movable tiny house in your Los Angeles backyard and have the...

Written by 1-800-ADU-Pros

Last updated: July 16, 2026•8 min read

DMV Recreational Vehicle / Park Trailer Registration & Title (REG 343)

How to Register a Tiny Home or Park Model With the California DMV (REG 343)

If you want to put a movable tiny house in your Los Angeles backyard and have the City treat it as a legal ADU, there is one step people consistently miss: the unit has to be registered with the California DMV as a vehicle. Not permitted as a building. Registered as an RV or park trailer, with a VIN, a title, and license plates.

Here is what that actually means and how to do it.

Why the DMV is involved at all

LA's Movable Tiny House ordinance (No. 186,481) lets a tiny home on wheels count as an accessory dwelling unit, but only if it is "licensed and registered with the California DMV." The logic is simple: by registering it as a vehicle, the law classifies your tiny home as a recreational vehicle or park trailer rather than an uncertified structure. That classification is what unlocks the ministerial (must-approve-if-you-qualify) ADU path at LADBS.

State law backs this up. Under Health and Safety Code 18010, a "recreational vehicle" includes a travel trailer, camping trailer, or park trailer under 320 square feet of living area and 400 square feet gross, built on a single chassis. A "park trailer" (H&SC 18009.3) is 400 square feet or less, carries an ANSI label, and is titled and registered by the DMV.

The one check that decides everything: your data plate

Before you do anything, find the unit's certification plate.

ANSI or NFPA label = DMV

If your unit has an ANSI 119.5 (park model) or NFPA 1192 (RV) label, it is a vehicle. You register it with the DMV. This is the label LA's ordinance specifically requires.

HUD label = not the DMV

If it has a federal HUD data plate, it is a manufactured home. That goes to the Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD), not the DMV, and it cannot use the movable-tiny-house-as-vehicle path.

Get this wrong and you will waste weeks in the wrong agency.

The form you actually file: REG 343

The core document is Form REG 343, the Application for Title or Registration. It captures the VIN, make, year, body type, and every owner's legal name and address. Fill it out in blue or black ink, no correction fluid, and check the VIN character by character. A single wrong digit gets the whole application rejected.

What to bring

Form REG 343, completed
Proof of origin: the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO/MSO) for a new unit, or the endorsed prior title for a used one
Your ANSI/NFPA label evidence (so the DMV routes it as an RV/park trailer)
A VIN verification (Form REG 31) if the unit is from out of state, home-built, or specially constructed
For a home-built unit: a Statement of Construction (REG 5036), and often a CHP inspection
Bill of sale showing purchase price (for use tax)

Step by step

Confirm the classification from the data plate (ANSI/NFPA = DMV).
Gather your ownership documents and bill of sale.
Schedule a VIN verification (REG 31) if the unit is out-of-state or home-built. CHP handles specially constructed units.
Complete REG 343 (and REG 5036 if home-built).
Bring the full packet to a DMV appointment.
Pay your fees and use tax; collect your title, registration card, and plates.
Hand the registration proof to LADBS with your ADU application.

Fees and timeline

There is no flat fee. You will pay a registration fee, the value-based Vehicle License Fee, county fees, and California use tax (roughly 7.25 to 10.25 percent of the purchase price). A mobile VIN verifier, if you use one, runs $30 to $100+. Use the DMV's Registration Fee Calculator for your exact number.

If your paperwork is complete, you typically walk out with plates and a registration card the same day; the printed title arrives in about 4 to 8 weeks. Note that park trailers are excluded from the Permanent Trailer Identification program, so they renew annually rather than getting a one-time PTI plate.

The trap to avoid

DMV registration is the start, not the finish. It only makes your tiny home a recognized vehicle. You still need the LADBS ADU permit, which adds its own rules: rear-yard placement, non-combustible skirting hiding the wheels, no slide-outs, and full water, sewer, and electrical hookups. Treat the DMV step as the entry ticket, then go earn the building permit.

Reference card

Official number: REG 343 (Application for Title or Registration). Related forms: REG 31 (Verification of Vehicle), REG 5036 (Statement of Construction), REG 256 (Statement of Facts). Park trailers governed by H&SC 18009.3; recreational vehicles by H&SC 18010; DMV procedures at VIRP sections 6.050 and 6.055.
Issuing body: California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Vehicle Registration. Note: a unit bearing a federal HUD data plate is titled instead by the CA Dept. of Housing & Community Development (HCD) as a manufactured home, not by the DMV.
What it is: It is the DMV's title-and-registration action that legally classifies a movable tiny home (MTH), tiny house on wheels (THOW), or park model as a vehicle (a recreational vehicle or park trailer) rather than a building. You apply on Form REG 343, Application for Title or Registration. The DMV records the unit's VIN, then issues a California Certificate of Title, a registration card, and license plates. Under H&SC 18010, a "recreational vehicle" includes a motorhome, travel trailer, truck camper, camping trailer, or park trailer that has less than 320 sq ft of living area, 400 sq ft or less of gross area, is built on a single chassis, and is towable or self-propelled. A "park trailer" (H&SC 18009.3) is 400 sq ft or less, single-chassis, designed for recreational or seasonal habitation, carries an ANSI label, and is titled and registered by the DMV. This DMV registration is the legal hook for the City of LA's Movable Tiny House ADU path under Ordinance 186,481, which requires the unit be licensed and registered with the California DMV as a vehicle.
Who needs it: Applies if you are pursuing LA's Movable Tiny House ADU path (Ordinance 186,481), which requires the unit be DMV-registered as a vehicle AND third-party certified to ANSI 119.5 (park model) or NFPA 1192 (RV). Also applies to anyone titling a new, out-of-state, or specially/home-constructed RV or park trailer in California for the first time. You can SKIP the DMV path if your unit carries a federal HUD data plate (it is a manufactured home, titled by HCD), or if you are building a fixed, foundation-based ADU under the standard building-permit path (no VIN, no DMV). A bare uncertified THOW with no ANSI/NFPA label cannot be used for the LA MTH-as-ADU path even after registration, because the City separately requires the certification label.
Fees: No single flat fee. Expect: a registration fee plus the California Vehicle License Fee (a percentage of the unit's value), county/district fees, and California use tax (roughly 7.25 to 10.25 percent of the purchase price depending on your address) due at the time of registration. VIN verification (REG 31) is free when done by DMV/CHP but mobile licensed verifiers charge a service fee (commonly $30 to $100+). Park trailers/trailer coaches renew annually (they are not in the cheaper one-time PTI program). Exact amounts are value-based; use the DMV Vehicle Registration Fee Calculator for your specific unit.
Timeline: If your paperwork is complete, plates and a registration card are typically issued at the DMV appointment, with the printed Certificate of Title mailed within roughly 4 to 8 weeks. Add lead time if you need a VIN verification (REG 31) appointment or a CHP inspection for a home-built unit, which can add several weeks. Renewal for park trailers/trailer coaches is annual.

Requirements

Form REG 343 (Application for Title or Registration), completed in blue or black ink with no correction fluid; VIN entered character-by-character (a single wrong digit gets the form rejected)
Proof of ownership/origin: for a factory unit, the Manufacturer's Certificate/Statement of Origin (MCO/MSO); for a used unit, the prior California Certificate of Title or out-of-state title properly endorsed
Evidence the unit is a park trailer or RV (not a manufactured home): an ANSI label (park trailer / ANSI 119.5) or NFPA 1192 (RV) data plate, NOT a federal HUD data plate
VIN verification on Form REG 31 for out-of-state, specially constructed, or home-built units (done by DMV, CHP, or a licensed verifier)
For a home-built / specially constructed unit: Statement of Construction (REG 5036) and, where required, a CHP inspection (REG 124) plus brake/light/weight evidence
Bill of sale / purchase price for use-tax calculation, plus a Statement of Facts (REG 256) if any item needs explanation
Owner identity: full legal name (Last, First, Middle), driver license number, and California physical address for every registered owner
Payment of registration fees and California use/sales tax

How to file

1. Confirm the classification first. Look at the unit's data plate. ANSI 119.5 / NFPA 1192 label = DMV (RV/park trailer). HUD label = HCD manufactured-home path instead. This single check determines everything downstream.
1. Gather ownership documents: MCO/MSO for a new unit, or the endorsed prior title for a used one, plus the bill of sale showing purchase price.
1. Get a VIN verification (REG 31) if the unit is from out of state, home-built, or specially constructed. Book it with the DMV, a licensed verifier, or CHP. CHP is required for specially constructed and revived-salvage units.
1. Complete Form REG 343. Double-check the VIN, owner names, address, and vehicle-type box. For a home-built unit, also complete the Statement of Construction (REG 5036).
1. Make a DMV appointment (RVs and park trailers generally cannot be done fully online for an original title) and bring the full packet plus the unit's plate/label evidence.
1. Pay registration fees and use tax. The DMV issues the Certificate of Title, registration card, and plates. Park trailers and trailer coaches are excluded from the Permanent Trailer Identification (PTI) program, so they get annual registration, not a one-time PTI plate.
1. Keep the registration card and title. The City of LA will ask for proof of DMV registration when you submit the Movable Tiny House ADU application to LADBS.

Common pitfalls

Confusing the HUD plate with the ANSI/NFPA plate. A HUD data plate means HCD, not DMV, and disqualifies the unit from the MTH-as-vehicle ADU path entirely.
Assuming any tiny-house-on-wheels qualifies. LA's Ordinance 186,481 requires BOTH DMV registration AND a third-party ANSI 119.5 or NFPA 1192 certification label. A bare home-built THOW with no label cannot use the path even if registered.
Buying a used unit without the MCO/MSO or a clean endorsed title, which stalls the original title application.
Fumbling the VIN. One wrong character on REG 343 gets the form bounced; out-of-state and home-built units also need a REG 31 verification many owners forget to schedule.
Expecting a one-time PTI plate. Park trailers and trailer coaches are excluded from PTI and must be re-registered annually.
Forgetting use tax. California use/sales tax is collected at registration and surprises buyers who paid out of state.
Treating DMV registration as the finish line. It is only the vehicle-classification step; the City of LA ADU permit (skirting, rear-yard placement, no slide-outs, utility hookups) is a separate LADBS process.

Sources

Explore more:Permits & Feasibility

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