Another tricky car registration question

[CosmicWizard]

Get registered in Colorado BEFORE your CA registration expires, then you'll have no need to renew your CA registration. Instead of driving with CA plates in CO, you'll be driving with CO plates in California. That should work.

[WolfBoy914]

damn. why didn't I think of that. I was JUST up there and could have done that.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by HighlandsGal

I'd take sterlinggirl's advice -- and try to get a transit sticker. Otherwise, renew in CA and wait until next year to get your CO plates and registration. It is stupid to pay twice!!

Yeah but that would mean driving around Colorado with California plates for a year and who'd want do to that?

[missingcol]

Apply for registration refund from CA? I haven't got my state tax return yet after more than one month I e-filed my state tax forms.

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

For the OP, I believe that once you are officially registered in Colorado, you can apply for a refund from the state of California. Of course, with the Golden State facing insolvency, it's unlikely that you'd get it. Still, it's worth checking out.

[missingcol]

No way, I want to change to CO plate as soon as possible.

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Yeah but that would mean driving around Colorado with California plates for a year and who'd want do to that?

[Bob from down south]

Originally Posted by sunsprit

California registration does, in fact, expire on the day of the month as noted on the registration, without any "grace" period. IF you don't renew on or before the day of expiration, 10% penalties are in effect the next day.

Colorado requires that you register your vehicle within 30 days of moving to the state and obtaining a job here.

Colorado requires you to register your car 30 days after becoming a resident. You do not become a legal resident of Colorado until you have been in the state for 90 consecutive days. So you have a total of 120 days from initial arrival. CO state DMV link below.

Colorado DMV: New Resident Info

Honestly, with an APR 09 tag on the plate, the only way it gets run is if you get stopped for something else. The expected value of the cost if you pay the CA fees is 100% of the CA fees. The expected cost of waiting to get tags as soon as you hit CO is the probability of getting stopped times the fine for not registering. Honestly, how often do you get stopped when driving conservatively?

Also, CO will not issue temp tags unless the vehicle is already in the state.

[missingcol]

Thanks. I think I need to renewal my car in CA, and then I will register my car to CO after a couple monthes later when I become a CO resident. This should be the best legal solution.

Originally Posted by Bob from down south

Colorado requires you to register your car 30 days after becoming a resident. You do not become a legal resident of Colorado until you have been in the state for 90 consecutive days. So you have a total of 120 days from initial arrival. CO state DMV link below.

Colorado DMV: New Resident Info

Honestly, with an APR 09 tag on the plate, the only way it gets run is if you get stopped for something else. The expected value of the cost if you pay the CA fees is 100% of the CA fees. The expected cost of waiting to get tags as soon as you hit CO is the probability of getting stopped times the fine for not registering. Honestly, how often do you get stopped when driving conservatively?

Also, CO will not issue temp tags unless the vehicle is already in the state.

[dubthang]

Will Colorado police care if you are running expired Cal plates? 13 days of driving without a reg. seems like a worthwhile risk if you can run expired plates in Colorado.

But I'm not sure how things work there. In New England, it is fairly common to see expired out-of-state plates. I had an ex-gf that lived in NH with Maine plates that were 3 years past. I currently have an expired NH inspection sticker on my Maine plated truck. As long as I drive sanely, the cops don't seem to care.

[CMartel2]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

it just cheats one's law-abiding neighbors, who have to ... live with fewer services.

I'd personally consider this a service in and of itself, but that's a whole other issue...

[steel7]

Originally Posted by dubthang

Will Colorado police care if you are running expired Cal plates? 13 days of driving without a reg. seems like a worthwhile risk if you can run expired plates in Colorado.

But I'm not sure how things work there. In New England, it is fairly common to see expired out-of-state plates. I had an ex-gf that lived in NH with Maine plates that were 3 years past. I currently have an expired NH inspection sticker on my Maine plated truck. As long as I drive sanely, the cops don't seem to care.

I dont see how anyone can get away with driving on expired out of state plates.I drove on colo plates in ca for 4 yrs but i did pay my yearly fee.my car was registered in my bros name & i just mailed him the money for the tags.I NEVER got stopped or snitched on.Even if i got reported all i had to say was its my brothers car & he had to fly back to colo for a family emergency.