How To Register A 49 State Vehicle In California

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You may have recently moved to California from another state. Or, y'all may already live in California, but you bought a car in another state. In either example, you lot'll need to follow California's process for registering an out-of-state car. There are a few additional steps to registering an out-of-country car that don't apply to cars bought in the state of California.^[i]

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Check the car'south emissions label. You machine will accept an emissions label under the hood. If it's certified in California, information technology will include a statement that it conforms to California land regulations. If it doesn't include that statement, yous may not be able to register the car in California.^[2]
- If you're a California resident and yous're looking at buying a car out of country, you lot might want to check this before you purchase the car. If you're unable to annals your motorcar in California, yous may not be able to become your coin back.
- Yous don't need to worry about California'southward emissions laws if your car was built before 1976.^[3]
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Evaluate exemptions if your machine isn't California certified. If your motorcar doesn't conform to California state regulations, it's considered a "49-land car." California police provides a few exemptions that will permit you to register a 49-state car. Yous will demand to evidence the DMV proof that your car falls into i of these exemptions.^[iv]
- If you lot got the car as part of a divorce, inheritance, or legal settlement, you'll exist able to register the motorcar.
- If your California-registered vehicle was stolen or wrecked out of state, and you bought a 49-state auto to replace it, you tin annals it.
- California as well grants exemptions for emergency vehicles, or a motorcar yous purchased while yous were stationed on active military machine duty.
- Cars built earlier 1976 likewise are bailiwick to an exemption.^[5]
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Get the last issued out-of-land championship or registration. To bear witness that you own the vehicle, yous must nowadays the title or registration from the state the automobile came from. You'll need to become the title unless the motorcar is financed.^[6]
- Visit the California DMV website at www.dmv.ca.gov to find a list of out-of-state DMV offices where you can request a copy of the championship or registration.
- If the out-of-state championship has been lost, stolen, or destroyed, you typically volition demand to request a duplicate from the state that issued the championship before you lot can register your car and get a California championship.
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Complete the odometer disclosure. Your championship will have an odometer disclosure department that must be completed by the seller and best-selling past you lot as the buyer of the motorcar. This disclosure isn't mandatory if the motorcar is more than x years old, or is a brand new car.^[seven]
- If you're planning on registering and using the car equally a commercial vehicle, you also typically won't need to complete the odometer disclosure.
- If you don't take the title (such as if your car is financed and the lien holder has the title), you must fill out a REG 262 form. You can't download this form online considering information technology is printed on security paper. Phone call the California DMV at one-800-777-0133 to have a form mailed to you.^[8]
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Make a copy of your bill of auction. If you recently purchased the motorcar from out of country and are registering it in California as a new owner, you will need to present a copy of the bill of sale to establish the chain of ownership.^[9]
- If you didn't get a document specifically titled "Bill of Sale," a finance agreement or other purchase agreement will suffice.
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Calculate your registration fees. The California DMV has a fee calculator bachelor online that you can use to determine how much you'll have to pay to register your out-of-state car.^[ten]
- Go to https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/item/portal/feecalculatorweb/index and click on the "nonresident vehicles" link.
- You will accept to provide information about the blazon of vehicle and model twelvemonth. You'll besides enter the date you purchased the vehicle and the date you first drove it in California.
- If you paid any use or sales tax in the other state, enter this data as well. You lot'll get a credit for it towards your California taxes.
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Certify your car at a California smog station. About cars must accept a smog certification earlier they tin be registered in California. The only cars that don't require smog certification are diesel-powered cars of model year 1998 or newer.^[11]
- To find the smog station nearest you, visit https://world wide web.smogcheck.ca.gov and click the "Discover a Station" push.
- Smog check prices aren't regulated, so yous may want to store around at several stations to detect the best toll.^[12]
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Verify the car's weight if you're registering the car every bit a commercial vehicle. If your out-of-state car is for personal use, you won't need a weighmaster'southward document. However, you will demand one if you program to register the car equally a commercial vehicle and use it for business organization purposes.^[13]
- You can find public scales by visiting the website of the California Department of Food and Agronomics at https://apps1.cdfa.ca.gov/publicscales/.
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Visit your local California DMV office. When you're set up to register your out-of-state automobile in California for the first time, you lot'll have to bulldoze the car to the nearest DMV field function and submit an awarding along with all the required documents.^[14]
- To find a field office well-nigh yous, visit the DMV'due south website at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/dmv/offices.
- To shorten your look fourth dimension, you tin can make an appointment online or past calling 1-800-777-0133. Field offices are not open up on weekends or holidays.
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Complete the application for title or registration. The application for championship or registration asks for data about you and the machine you want to register in California. Y'all also must provide data nearly the buy of the machine.^[15]
- You lot can download the awarding from the California DMV's website and fill up it out ahead of time. You can also get a re-create of the application at the DMV and make full it out while yous await.
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Have your car verified at the DMV. Yous must take your out-of-state auto to your local DMV to verify the car'south vehicle identification number (VIN). This must exist done past an authorized DMV employee, who will also carry a visual inspection of the car.^[16]
- The California DMV recommends that you make an date so you don't take to wait every bit long. If you take all of your required paperwork, you can register your car at the same time you get the verification.
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Submit your application forth with certifications and proof of ownership. When you've finished filling out your awarding, you'll need to give information technology to the DMV clerk along with the title or registration from the other state, your bill of sale, smog certification, and whatsoever other required documents.^[17]
- The clerk will verify your documents and give your originals back to you lot.
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Bear witness your driver's license and proof of insurance. Before the DMV volition process your registration, you must bear witness that y'all have car insurance that meets the state minimum requirements.^[18]
- For private passenger vehicles, you must accept at least $15,000 coverage for the injury or death of one person, $xxx,000 coverage for the injury or decease of more than one person, and $5,000 coverage for damage to property.^[19]
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Pay the required fees. Once the clerk has processed your application, they'll calculate the corporeality of fees you lot owe to register the car. If y'all've already calculated your fees online, you lot'll have an idea of how much this is going to be. Nonetheless, if your calculation differs from the clerk's calculation, the clerk'southward calculation is the one that you'll accept to pay.^[twenty]
- DMV field offices accept cash, personal checks, and credit or debit cards.
- A portion of these fees may be tax deductible. Contact a California tax advisor or consultant for more data.
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Turn over your out-of-country license plates if required. In most cases, you'll have to give the out-of-state license plates to the DMV to become your new California plates. There are exemptions, such as if the plates are expired.^[21]
- If the other state requires y'all to ship the plates dorsum to them, it'south your responsibility to plow the plates back in – the California DMV won't do this for you.
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Put your new plates on your automobile. Once your registration is complete, the clerk will effect your registration certificate and give you new plates to put on your car. If you ordered specialty or custom plates, you lot'll get a temporary plate to use until yous get your plates in the mail.^[22]

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Commodity Summary 10

To register your out-of-country car in California, beginning by locating your current title or registration and pecker of auction to testify that y'all own your machine. Next, drive the car to your nearest smog station to make sure it passes California's emission regulations. If you don't know where your nearest smog station is, you lot can locate it at smogcheck.ca.gov. Once you lot've done that, drive to your local DMV function in California. Remember to bring all of your paperwork with y'all, including your driver'due south license and proof of insurance. After that, get an application form for title or registration at the DMV and fill in the details. When y'all've finished the paperwork, pay the required fees. Then, plough over your out-of-state license plates if required, and switch them for your new California plates. For more than tips, including how to check if your 49-state car is exempt from California regulations, read on!

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