car registration, license/license plate, insurance, EZ Pass??? (San Diego: car insurance, home)

[treevernal]

Hello everyone,

So thanks to many on here, I have successfully made it to San Diego! Things are going very well but I still need to get the particulars with my car squared away. Now because I'm kinda dumb (ok, not really, just confused) can someone please tell me the correct sequence on doing these things:

registering your vehicle
updating your license/license plate to a California one
updating your insurance
getting on California's version of EZ Pass

Do I register my vehicle here in CA before I update my drivers' license to a CA one, or vice versa?

My car insurance term period ends May 2nd, so I'd like to get my registration/license updated before then so that I can then have my insurance based off of CA rates at the beginning of a new term period. Do I have enough time to do all of this?

Also, does California have a version of EZ Pass like we have in the northeast??

Thanks for all your help guys. I've checked out the DMV website for California but was just confused about the sequence of action.

Dan

[mrmanz]

where are you originally from dude? i just moved from NJ and im in SD.. how you liking it so far

[treevernal]

Hey man, originally from the suburbs of Philly. I'm loving it so far, how about you?

[cruitr]

Join AAA. They can handle everything you need for your car. No long lines and no gov't employees with crappy attitudes. Here's there website: www.aaa.com redirect

[moved]

What is an EZ pass? I don't think they have them here in SD.

[moved]

Originally Posted by cruitr

Join AAA. They can handle everything you need for your car. No long lines and no gov't employees with crappy attitudes. Here's there website: www.aaa.com redirect

And you can join immediately by doing it online. You'll get a temporary membership immediately, which you can print out, and your plastic one will arrive in about a week. You can download and print all the DMV forms to take to AAA, but you still have to go to DMV to transfer your license. If you make an appointment at a DMV office, you can do it all at one time.

[treevernal]

I actually am a AAA member. I didn't know they could do all that for you; that's fantastic. I'll give them a call tomorrow.

EZ Pass is an automated way to pay for tolls. You stick a transponder inside your windshield and the tollbooth scans it as you go through and it withdraws money from your account. I'm sure California has some version of this; most states do.

Thanks for the help.

Dan

[comingfromcarlsbad]

https://www.thetollroads.com/home/index.htm (broken link)

for automated toll pay transponder
And I second AAA for registration-if you have the "premier" membership you go to the front of the line too
When you go to the DMV make an appointment online first, unless you want to spend hours..on hold making the appointment or waiting in line

[moved]

You can make a DMV appointment online at your choice of locations. I highly recommend it. But since you have to get a new license, you might as well do it all at the same time at DMV. AAA can't help you with your license.

I renew my registration online every year. The only time I have to go to DMV is when I have to get another license.

[mricu]

Having just moved myself I recommend and give you the following advice in the following order:

1) Get your insurance squared away, but do it right away (before 20 days) because you will need proof of insurance before resgistering your vehicle which, by California law, you need to register within 20 days.

2) Get an appointment for the DMV closest to you. With an appointment you may wait an hour, without an appointment, it may take you an entire day or longer. Tell them you want to register, get plates for your out of state vehicle and obtain a California drivers licence. Allocate at least 4 hours for all this on your appointment date.

3) After setting up an appointment with the DMV, get a smog test done. Call one of the smog test centers and tell them you have an out of state car needing an exam and ask them what you need to bring in terms of paper work (if any).

4) Study for the written driver's test (I don't think you will need to get a behind the wheel test if your out of state, but out of country driver's will need to do both written and behind the wheel test).

5) Go to the DMV on your appointment date with: proof of insurance, passed smog test and ownership/title and registration papers for your car from your previous state (if out of country, have your import papers for your vehicle as well). You will be able to register and get new plates for your car at the same time.

If your from out of country, you will be able to request a title for your vehicle at this time as well.

6) While at the DMV, you'll write your written test.

7) Go home and wait for all the paper work to come through. Until then, you'll be issued a red sqaure paper that you need to display on your rear window. This red paper will allow you to drive your vehicle with your california plates until your paperwork comes through. The paper let's police officers know that your in the process of registering your car and will not hassle your to produce that paper work.