How much does a car cost in San Diego for licensing and insurance? (sales, car registration)

[yorky132]

Just wondering how much a car costs annually (or monthly) in San Diego to keep it licensed and insured (no financing, bought outright). I assume car insurance and vehicle licensing/registration is all you need (apart from gas)?

Thanks!

[oddstray]

Depends on the age and make of the vehicle, and the level of insurance you want to hold. You could probably contact any of the insurance companies and get quotes.

[yorky132]

Just looking for a ballpark. And not just insurance, but registration. I assume you have to pay this to California DMV? Not sure how things work here...

[ShelbyGirl1]

Registration is comparatively expensive. Depends on the vehicle...value, weight, age, type. Can be $100, can be $1000. So a ballpark isn't possible .

[yorky132]

Let's say a small car for around $10,000 like a 2012 Toyota Yaris.

[yorky132]

I found a calculator for determining registration on the DMV site (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculator...VehicleForm.do) but I'm a bit confused. You have to know the VIN or license plate number already for a used car. But if you are just trying to find out a ballpark, and haven't bought anything, you won't know that. For a new car, you can get a figure (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculator...VehicleForm.do), but they add sales tax. I assume there is also a yearly figure you pay to renew registration? Would that be just the registration fee minus any sales tax given on the new car page, which would not be very much (about $200 for the example car I input) or are there additional fees you pay on top of that?

[moved]

Originally Posted by ShelbyGirl1

Registration is comparatively expensive. Depends on the vehicle...value, weight, age, type. Can be $100, can be $1000. So a ballpark isn't possible .

This.

[ShelbyGirl1]

Originally Posted by yorky132

I found a calculator for determining registration on the DMV site (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculator...VehicleForm.do) but I'm a bit confused. You have to know the VIN or license plate number already for a used car. But if you are just trying to find out a ballpark, and haven't bought anything, you won't know that. For a new car, you can get a figure (https://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculator...VehicleForm.do), but they add sales tax. I assume there is also a yearly figure you pay to renew registration? Would that be just the registration fee minus any sales tax given on the new car page, which would not be very much (about $200 for the example car I input) or are there additional fees you pay on top of that?

Yes, you will pay your registration fee every year. You will only pay the tax once...when bought new in the state, or when you bring a car into the state.
California Car Registration Guide - Renewals, Changing States, New Vehicle Purchases, Non Operational at DMV.org: The DMV Made Simple

[DanG05200]

If California is like Maryland, you pay some standard fees for reqistration and tags. Plus you have to pay sales taxes on the original cost of your vehicle equal to Maryalnd's 6% sales tax base. For example: You bought the car in another state for $20,000 and the sales tax was 4%. At purchase you paid $800 in sales tax. Had you purchased it in Maryland, you wouls have paid $1200. To register it in MD, you would have to make up the difference of $400 plus standard registration fees.

Looking at the California Motor Vehicle Registration fee calculator, it's similar.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculator...esidentForm.do

DanG

[yorky132]

I did find something online after searching. It looks like you do pay an annual fee to the government, which includes a rego fee, district fee and VLF (vehicle license fee), the latter of which is 0.65% of the sales price of the vehicle, and acts as a type of property tax.

Doesn't seem overly onerous, I guess because it doesn't include compulsory third party insurance, as in other countries. Car insurance would be a much bigger annual expense, and something I still need to investigate. Overall though I think I am going to try to avoid becoming a two car family as long as possible and try to do more cycling to keep costs down (with the added bonus of fitness).