Section 4459 Of Article 4. Evidences Of Registration From California Vehicle Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 4.

. If any certificate of ownership is stolen, lost, mutilated or illegible, the legal owner or, if none, then the owner of the vehicle for which the same was issued as shown by the records of the department shall immediately make application for and may, upon the applicant furnishing information satisfactory to the department, obtain a duplicate.