CA Expired license plates & moving out of state (rental car, rental)

[chas90210]

My CA plates expire 5-12. I am moving out of state on 5-30 to Nevada. Will CA charge me late fees for not renewing? What will Nevada do if I have expired CA registration when I try to register car there? I'm thinking best thing is to tell CA DMV my car is non-operational on 5-12 and then go to Vegas on 5-22 in a rental car to get new plates & then drive back to CA and put them on my car. So basic question is will CA charge me late fees if I don't renew by 5-12 when they learned I moved out of state on 5-30 and will Nevada have any issue with an expired CA registration? Any ideas???

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by chas90210

My CA plates expire 5-12. I am moving out of state on 5-30 to Nevada. Will CA charge me late fees for not renewing? What will Nevada do if I have expired CA registration when I try to register car there? I'm thinking best thing is to tell CA DMV my car is non-operational on 5-12 and then go to Vegas on 5-22 in a rental car to get new plates & then drive back to CA and put them on my car. So basic question is will CA charge me late fees if I don't renew by 5-12 when they learned I moved out of state on 5-30 and will Nevada have any issue with an expired CA registration? Any ideas???

You're making this more complicated than it has to be.

First, you can't go to Vegas in a rental car to register your car there. The actual car you're registering has to pass the Nevada emissions test, and you also will need to show proof of insurance for it through a Nevada approved insurer. And, if you tell California your car is inoperational, that may cause problems when you try to register it in Nevada.

On the California side, here is what you need to do to avoid late fees on your registration:

What do I need to do if I'm moving or moved out–of–state and will be registering my vehicle in the new state of residence?

You must report a change of address to DMV within 10 days of the change. Use the Change of Address (DMV 14) form to notify the Department of a change of residence or mailing address for your vehicle, vessel, driver license, or identification card records. MARK the box labeled "check if registered outside of CA." Billing notices will not be mailed if this box is checked.

If you do receive a vehicle registration renewal notice, on the back of the stub, state the date the vehicle left California AND the name of the state where new registration was obtained, and return it in the envelope provided. Failure to do so will cause any collection efforts, up to or including, wage garnishments or bank levies, to continue. Your record will be updated with the new information when DMV receives the notice. If you are moving out of the country and are going to export your vehicle by ship or air select this link here for more information.

If you still have questions, or need to obtain a form by mail, call DMV's automated phone service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1–800–777–0133. To speak to an operator call between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, Pacific Time.

If you have any questions on either end, call the DMV office for the state. Yes, it's a pain to call the DMV, but it's better to find out what you need to do straight from the source rather than come up with complicated plans that may backfire.

Good luck with your move!

[chaz40]

I feel like I already answered this post in a different thread by a different user...

As the above poster said, you can't take a rental car to register your current car. The car you're registering needs to be present (at least in CA it does, and I'm sure it does in NV as well).

If you wait until after the registration expires to put it as paid non-operational (PNO), yes, the DMV will charge you late fees. Obviously I understand not wanting to pay the full registration other. YOu could put it as PNO prior to the expiration date and take it to Nevada as you said. You're not supposed to drive it when it's PNO, and you could get a ticket, but the likelihood of you getting a ticket by either driving it as a PNO when it's only been PNO for a couple weeks, or driving with expired registration for a couple weeks, is pretty slim, and even if you do get pulled over, a cop will probably give you a break if it's only 1 week expired.

I'd check with NV first to see what they require when registering an out of state vehicle. For California, you're required to have a VIN and vehicle inspection done at DMV, a smog check, and provide either the title or current registration. If NV is the same, and you don't have the title and provide them with a PNO registration from California, they may not accept this as "current registration." If you let it expire and don't do anything, although the chance of getting a ticket is slim, NV may not register the vehicle because now the registration is not current.

In summary, I'd contact NV see what they require first when registering a vehicle. Then determine what you should do about CA.

[chas90210]

Thank you!

[Curmudgeon]

The tags on our car expired during our move from California to Missouri, probably somewhere around New Mexico. It was probably about 10 days after settling in MO that we made it to the DMV for drivers licenses and MO license plates and registration. I pointed out to the DMV representative that our CA tags had expired and they couldn't have cared less, nor were we charged "sales tax" for registering an out-of-state vehicle. I think our new plates and registration cost something like $24.

If I was you I'd call the NV DMZ. and see what their policy is. I imagine its more user friendly than CA.

[chas90210]

Thank you!