California
Vehicle Resource Center
California is well-known and loved for its movie industry, its stunning natural beauty, its Napa Valley Wineries, and it's Silicon Valley tech industry, but it's also known for being a tough state to own vehicles in. As a native Californian, there's a lot to know when it comes to purchasing, maintaining, and selling vehicles. Here are the essential laws, best practices, and the most important resources you'll need as a California vehicle owner, and make your time with vehicles more positive.
Ownership and Maintenance
Maintaining a vehicle in California requires regular registration renewals, inspections, meeting the necessary insurance minimums, and more. It is essential to know these maintenance specifics so you also save money as a vehicle owner over time.
Every vehicle licensed in California must go through safety and smog inspections each year. Only official DOT service stations can administer these inspections. Any licensed service station will display a sign making it clear they are an official DOT service station.
During a safety check, all the following systems are examined closely:
Most modern California vehicles must also pass a Smog Check. A smog test verifies a specific vehicle isn't emitting too many pollutants. These specialized tests are also conducted at official DOT service stations.
The following vehicle types do not need smog tests, according to the California DMV:
California vehicle owners must be capable of paying for the damages they inflict if they get into an accident. California is not a no-fault state, which means that fault will be determined for accidents, and drivers who cause accidents are at risk of being sued.
To protect yourself and to follow the laws, you must meet one of the following insurance requirements.
California Liability Insurance Limits:
Cash Deposit with DMV:
Maintain a savings account with $35,000 available for covering accident costs.
Self-Insurance Certificate:
Individuals who own more than 25 vehicles can obtain a self-insurance certificate from the DMV. They must prove they are financially capable of paying for any accident costs they may incur.
Surety Bond:
Work with a surety bond company to obtain a bond worth $35,000 to cover any accident costs.
Risks and Penalties for Uninsured Driving
Any driver who's caught driving without insurance could receive a fine between $100 and $200 for the first infraction and $200 to $500 for additional infractions within three years.
Drivers involved in an accident without insurance face the same fines and potential civil litigation. Plus, they must pay all the costs associated with the accident if they're deemed at fault.
California vehicles must have their registration renewed once a year. We will cover more specifics about the renewal process in the registration section found within the Buying and Selling section.
Understanding a vehicle's history is vital before purchasing it and also for the vehicle's future maintenance. That's why it's helpful to rely on the GoodCar VIN lookup tool or the GoodCar Plate lookup tool to learn about previous vehicle owners, potential accidents, recalls, and more.
There are several vehicle types that require special title brands. Owners with vehicles that fit these descriptions must inform the California DMV so the vehicle title can be updated with the proper brand. This is to inform future potential buyers about the unique status of the vehicle.
Buying & Selling
To buy or sell a vehicle in California, interested parties must manage vehicle registration and title and pay any associated taxes and fees. Each of these tasks is a part of the process, and all deserve even consideration.
A California vehicle registration links the vehicle to an owner and the state and makes it clear the vehicle is legal to drive in California. Each vehicle's registration must be renewed annually, and the registration must be transferred from one owner to the next during a sale. All these rules must be followed to maintain the vehicle's eligibility to drive on public roads and to avoid any California state fees.
Registering a New Vehicle
When purchasing a vehicle from a California dealership, the dealership will likely handle some of the registration tasks. For new vehicles, it's essential to file REG 343. This form is to apply for a title or registration.
Along with the basic forms, it may also be necessary to have some or all of the following documents:
With all the necessary forms available you only have to pay taxes and fees to successfully register the vehicle.
Transferring Registration During a Purchase
Whenever a vehicle transfers from one owner to another, the registration must be transferred as well. The transfer process is slightly different for dealership purchases versus private purchases, but most of the process is the same.
Dealership Purchase
Any used vehicle purchased from a dealership must be registered using the existing California Certificate of Title.
Lost titles can be replaced using REG 227, an application to replace or transfer a title.
Private Purchase
When buying a vehicle from a private party, California residents have 10 days to transfer the title into their ownership. Sellers must report any vehicle sale within 5 days of making the sale.
To transfer vehicle ownership, visit a DMV field office location or mail in the required documents to the California DMV. All of the following are required to complete the process.
Each year, every vehicle registered in California requires a registration renewal. This renewal comes with several different fees, as detailed below.
File a Vehicle for Non-Operation
For any vehicles that drivers aren't planning to use for the year, a non-operation form can be filed for a significantly lower annual fee. It's important to note that the vehicle must not be used if a non-operation form is filed. If it is used, it must first be registered for the year, including paying any fees to change to a standard registration.
When buying a vehicle, it's important to have the title transferred into your name. The title is what determines the owner of a vehicle. For some vehicle owners, it's possible to go through the full title transfer process online.
For everyone else, you must visit a nearby DMV office and present all of the following documents before paying the transfer fee.
Replace or Transfer a Title
If you're attempting to transfer a title from one individual to another, or you're trying to replace a lost title, you can do so using form REG 227.
Whether you're renewing or transferring a registration or paying a vehicle license fee, it's important to be able to estimate how much you're expected to pay. With help from this California registration and license fees calculator, you can estimate the fees you'll have to pay.
When you understand how to effectively manage vehicle registrations, titles, and all the taxes and fees associated with them, you can more capably buy and sell vehicles in California.
When buying a new or used vehicle, it's important to keep up with all the legal requirements, but it's also essential to know as much as possible about the vehicle. That's where GoodCar's VIN and plate lookup tools can help offer value. Any buyer looking at vehicles should perform a full lookup to check for title brands, accidents, recalls, vehicle specifications, and more.
Laws and Regulations
California vehicles are subject to many different laws. Here are the details of the most common and important laws so you can protect yourself with help from GoodCar.
A California driver's license is required to legally drive in the state as a Californian. Anyone planning to live within the state must go through the following steps to attain a legal California driving license.
First Time Getting a Driver's License
New drivers attempting to attain a California driver's license for the first time must get an instruction permit, spend time driving, and finally pass the driving test to claim a valid California driver's license.
Anyone under 18 but older than 15.5 must go through additional steps before they can qualify for a driving test. Instead, younger drivers must obtain a provisional instruction permit to work toward qualifying to take the driving test and claim a provisional driver's license.
Out-of-State Driver Obtaining a California License
License holders from a different state attempting to transfer to become California license holders have a straightforward process to go through.
Begin by reviewing the California Driver's Handbook to learn all the information that will be on the knowledge tests. Now, visit the DMV and go through the steps outlined below to obtain your license.
California vehicles are protected by lemon laws if the vehicle is relatively new, it suffers from serious problems, and the manufacturer does not adequately repair those problems during four or more service visits.
Qualifying as a Lemon:
A vehicle qualifies as a lemon if the following conditions are met:
If a vehicle is deemed a lemon, the manufacturer must buy it back or replace it with another. Any vehicle repurchased as a lemon must be labeled as a lemon before it can be resold.
New car seat laws are being released all the time, which is why it's so important to know the current laws and what they mean for any children who ride in your vehicle. According to California State Laws, children must be restrained based on the following requirements.
All adults and children are required to wear seat belts no matter where they are sitting in a vehicle according to California state law. Seat belt laws are secondary for children under the age of 16, which means adults in the vehicle can be ticketed if the child isn't restrained properly. Seat belt laws become primary for anyone 16 years or older, meaning that someone over 16 can be ticketed themselves if not properly buckled.
Seat belt fines begin at $162 for adults over 16 and begin at $490 for children under 16 who aren't properly restrained.
Getting caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can lead to either a misdemeanor charge for first, second, and sometimes third offenses or a felony charge that comes with much more significant penalties.
To be charged with a DUI, a police officer must prove the driver is under the influence of drugs or has a BAC (blood alcohol level) of .08% or higher. The BAC threshold for minors is just .01%, which means that drinking any alcohol at all and driving can result in a DUI charge for a minor.
DUI misdemeanor charges typically come with $390 to $1,000 fines, up to 6 months of jail time, and up to a 6-month license suspension. Felony DUI charges come with much stiffer fines, up to 3 years of prison time, and long-term license suspensions. For more specifics, turn to the DUI guidelines provided by the California DMV.
Useful Things to Know
EV Charging Station Locations:
Anyone who drives an electric vehicle should be familiar with where EV charging stations are in California. The US Department of Energy provides this updated map of EV charging points that's simple and effective to navigate.
California Accident Trend Charts:
California regularly ranks among the top states in accidents per year, averaging around 250,000. It also averages approximately 10% of all fatal crashes in the United States. To see the full picture, check California Car crash statistics on GoodCar. You can also see the type and location of crashes throughout California State using these statistics from California Transportation.
California DMV Locations:
For all licensing, registration, title, and plate tasks, see the local California DMV for help. Here is a search tool for the directory of local California DMV offices for quick reference.
Get the Latest California Vehicle Information with GoodCar
California vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN Check and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.