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Vehicle
Registration:
Providing proof of
insurance to register my vehicle.
Evidence of valid
liability insurance must be provided when renewing your vehicle
registration. Acceptable proof is a current identification card, issued to
you by your insurance company. An alternative to meet this requirement is
that you may post a bond as proof of insurance. Please contact your local
DMV office for information regarding this option.
Disabled person
placards and plates.
You may be eligible
for disabled person license plates and/or a parking placard if you are
permanently disabled. Temporary parking placards valid for up to 6 months
are available to individuals with temporary disabilities. A doctor's
certification is required for persons whose mobility is impaired due to:
 | Cardiovascular (heart or circulatory) disease.
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| Pulmonary (lung) disease.
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| A diagnosed disease or disorder which significantly limits the use
of lower extremities.
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| Specific visual problems including low-vision or partial-sight.
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| Loss, or the loss of the use of, one or both lower extremities or of
both hands. A doctor's certification is not required if there is a
loss of a lower extremity or both hands, and the person appears
in person at the DMV office.
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Permanent parking placards expire every odd-numbered year on
June 30th. There is no fee to renew and a doctor's
certification is not required. A renewal placard and ID card will
be mailed to placard owners prior to June 30th of the expiration year
unless the placard owner is reported as deceased in the Bureau of Vital
Statistics death records.
To apply for a permanent or temporary placard:
| Complete an Application for Disabled Person Parking Placard or
Plates (REG 195). The doctor's statement certifying your disability
must be completed on the form.
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| Include a check or money order for $6 if requesting a temporary
parking placard. There is no fee for a permanent placard or plates.
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| Mail the application to the address on the form.
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Disabled person privileges and parking spaces are often
abused. Much of the abuse results from a poor understanding of placard
requirements and privileges. The only legal use of a placard is by
the person to whom it is issued. They do not have to own or drive the
vehicle to use the placard.
It is illegal to:
| Lend your placard to another person.
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| Use another person's placard.
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| Forge a doctor's signature.
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| Provide false information to obtain a placard.
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| Alter a placard or placard identification card.
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| Posess or display a counterfeit placard.
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Remember....
| Placard abuse or misuse can result in the cancellation and
revocation of the placard and loss of the privileges it provides.
Placard abuse is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than
$250, not more than $1000, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not
more than 6 months, or by both fine and imprisonment.
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| California laws require the surrender of the placard to DMV within
60 days of the death of a placard holder.
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Paying registration
fees without having the smog inspection:
If your vehicle's
registration requires a smog certification, be certain to pay all
applicable renewal fees on or before the current expiration date, even if
you have not obtained the smog certification.
Late registration fees
are subject to penalties. If you paid your renewal fees prior to acquiring
the smog certification, and you have not received your registration card
or sticker, you should call your local DMV or 1-800-777-0133 between the
hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. They will check your vehicle record and inform
you of the status.
Penalties for new
vehicles or vehicles never before registered in California:
On late applications
for original registration with a "fee due date" or "date of
first operation" of January 1, 2003, or later, penalties will be
calculated as follows:
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If
payment is late:
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The
penalty will be the sum of:
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1 year
or less
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$30
Registration Fee Penalty
40% of the Vehicle License Fee due for that year
40% of the Weight Fee due for that year, if any
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More
than 1 year-2 years
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$50 Registration
Fee Penalty
80% of the Vehicle License Fee due for that year
80% of the Weight Fee due for that year, if any
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More
than 2 years
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$100 Registration
Fee Penalty
160% of the Vehicle License Fee due for that year
160% of the Weight Fee due for that year, if any
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Replacing plates and
stickers.
If you are the
registered owner, you must replace any lost, stolen, or mutilated plate(s)
for your California registered vehicle.
To obtain replacements
in person, you must:
| Visit a DMV field office. Make an appointment for faster service.
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| Bring your California driver license or ID card.
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| Surrender the remaining plate(s).
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| Complete an Application for Plates, Stickers, Documents (REG 156).
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| Pay the required fee:
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 | $15
to replace regular plates and the year sticker.
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| $15
to replace a year sticker only. (The month sticker is free; mention
if you need one.)
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| $15
for a duplicate registration card only.
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| The
fees for replacement Special Interest License Plates, Environmental
License Plates, or Veteran Organization decals can be found on the
back of the Special Interest License Plate Application (REG 17).
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| If
both your personalized plates were lost or stolen, you will not be
able to obtain duplicates with the same configuration. You will need
to choose a new personalized configuration if you wish to continue
with personalized plates. The fees for the plates will depend upon
the type of plate you wish to order and can be found on the back of
the Special Interest License Plate Application (REG 17).
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| $8
to replace a California Clean Air Vehicle Decal.
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Important: If your
current address is different from the address on DMV’s records, you must
also provide:
| proof of ownership. (A copy of your title or registration card.)
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| a police report, if your plate(s) were stolen.
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| a vehicle verification on DMV Form REG 343, completed by the
California Highway Patrol, if replacement plates were previously
issued.
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If you are the registered owner and you wish to obtain
replacements by mail, you must:
| Complete an Application for Plates, Stickers, Documents (REG 156).
Be sure to include your California driver license or ID card number.
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| Mail in the remaining plate(s).
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| Pay the required fee:
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| $15
to replace regular plates and the year sticker.
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| $15
to replace a year sticker only. (The month sticker is free; mention
if you need one.)
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| $15
for a duplicate registration card only.
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| The
fees for replacement Special Interest License Plates, Environmental
License Plates, or Veteran Organization decals can be found on the
back of the Special Interest License Plate Application (REG 17).
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| If
both your personalized plates were lost or stolen, you will not be
able to obtain duplicates with the same configuration. You will need
to choose a new personalized configuration if you wish to continue
with personalized plates. The fees for the plates will depend upon
the type of plate you wish to order and can be found on the back of
the Special Interest License Plate Application (REG 17).
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| $8
to replace a California Clean Air Vehicle Decal.
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Mail to:
Department of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 942869
Sacramento, CA 94269-0001
Important:
If your current address is different from the address on DMV’s records,
you must appear in person and complete the application. Read
"To obtain replacements in person" above to properly complete
the application.
If you are not the registered owner of record , you may
submit the application and all the requirements listed above if the
address of the registered owner of record has not changed. The
license plates will be mailed to the registered owner of record. If the
registered owner’s current address is different from the address on
DMV’s records, the registered owner must appear in person and
complete the application. Read "To obtain replacements in
person" above to properly complete the application.
If you just purchased or acquired this vehicle and you need to
obtain license plates along with transferring the vehicle into your name,
read "To obtain replacements in person" above. DMV considers you
the new registered owner of record.
How
to find the vehicle license fee part of your annual vehicle
registration fee which may be deducted on your income tax.
Your annual vehicle
registration payment is comprised of various fees that apply to your
vehicle. Your annual renewal notice itemizes these fees. The vehicle
license fee part of your payment may be a deduction on your income
tax. It is important to note that only the vehicle license
fee part of your annual vehicle registration payment can be
used.
The following is a
list of the various fees that may be included in your annual vehicle
registration payment:
| Registration Fee
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| Vehicle License Fee (This is the fee that may be an income tax deduction)
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| Weight Fee
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| Special Plate Fee
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| County/District Fees
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| Owner Responsibility Fee
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If you do not have your renewal notice, call DMV at
1-800-777-0133 to get the vehicle license fee part of your
annual vehicle registration payment.
Please have your license plate number ready. For information
regarding tax deductions, please contact your tax consultant.
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