How Do You Get Car Registered In Ca

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If you've recently bought (or been given) a motorcar and live in California, you must first register it with the state and pay all necessary fees before y'all tin can legally drive it. When moving from out of state, you're besides responsible for registering your out-of-state car in California within 20 days of establishing residency. The registration procedure is somewhat different if you lot're registering a new vehicle that you lot bought at a dealership than if you're transferring ownership of a used machine that was already registered in California. Once registered, you're responsible for renewing your registration every year that you ain the car.^[1]

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Gather ownership documents. To register your car, you'll have to bring documents that testify to the DMV that you own it. This generally means y'all'll need to bring your title, or the beak of sale if you financed the machine and the title is beingness held by the finance company.
- If you purchased your car from a dealership, they typically take care of the registration for yous. You lot'll get a temporary registration document to utilize until the DMV sends you the official registration. Ask the dealer if they issue tags as well.
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Calculate your registration fees. The California DMV provides a fee calculator on its website that you tin apply to effigy out what the registration fees will be for your new car. If yous purchase your auto from a dealer, they typically volition add the fees to your purchase toll.^[two]
- To apply the calculator, go to https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/particular/portal/feecalculatorweb/index and click on the link for "new vehicles."
- Even if you purchased your automobile from a dealer, it tin can be worth your time to go onto the DMV website and double-check the amount of your registration fees to brand sure the dealer charged you the right corporeality.
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Complete an awarding for title or registration. If the dealer is taking care of registration for y'all, they may have you complete or sign this application before yous accept possession of the auto. You can also download the class online.
- The application requires data about you and the seller. Y'all too must provide information nearly the transaction, including how much you paid for the car.
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Visit your local DMV. If your dealer didn't take care of the initial registration of your new automobile for you, y'all'll need to take a trip to a DMV field office. When you submit your application and fees, the DMV clerk volition register your car for you.^[iii]
- To find the nearest DMV field office, get to the DMV website at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/particular/fo/offices/toc_fo. The page contains an alphabetical list of towns and cities in California. Click on your urban center to run across a list of field office locations.
- To cut downward on your expect time, the California DMV recommends that you lot make an appointment. You can schedule your appointment online or by calling 1-800-777-0133.
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Submit your awarding and fees. A DMV clerk will review your ownership documents and process your application. You should also exist prepared to show the clerk your driver'south license and proof of insurance.^[4]
- One time your application is processed, the clerk will assess your fees. You tin can pay your fees with cash, a personal check, or a credit or debit card.
- The clerk will upshot your official registration document and give you new tags to put on your motorcar. If you requested a specialty or custom plate, you will exist issued temporary plates until your social club is fulfilled and your plates are mailed to yous.

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Assemble required ownership documents. You may need to register a car that was given to you, or that you bought from some other person. Yous still have to exist able to prove that you are the rightful owner of the car. This typically ways providing either the title to the machine or a copy of your beak of auction.^[5]
- If yous have the title for the car, make sure you and the seller accept completed the odometer disclosure section. Otherwise, you'll need to go a REG 262 Form from the DMV to submit an odometer disclosure for the car. This isn't required if the car is more than 10 years old.
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Get a smog certification. If you lot buy a car from a private possessor, they are responsible for taking care of the smog certification. They must present y'all with a valid smog certificate if the automobile is more four years old, unless they renewed the registration less than 90 days earlier they sold you the motorcar.^[6]
- A smog certificate is only valid for 90 days, so make sure you get the car registered in your name earlier the certificate expires, or you'll accept to get another 1.
- You can find nearby smog stations past visiting https://www.smogcheck.ca.gov. You may want to bank check several, since prices aren't regulated and may vary among stations.
- If machine buying is being transferred betwixt family members, you may non have to become a smog certification. You must complete and submit a "Argument of Facts" asserting that the transfer is exempt. Just transfers betwixt parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, spouses or domestic partners, or between siblings are eligible for this exemption.
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Make an appointment at your local DMV. If y'all don't want a long wait at the DMV field office when y'all annals your car, you can brand an engagement on the DMV's website or by calling 1-800-777-0133.^[8]
- If you don't know where the nearest DMV field office is, you can besides find it on the DMV'southward website at https://world wide web.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/fo/offices/toc_fo.
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Submit a completed awarding and fees. The DMV has an application for title or registration that you can either download online from the DMV's website or fill out in person at the DMV field part while you're waiting for your registration appointment.
- The application requires you lot to provide data about yourself, including your total legal name, address, and commuter'southward license number. You'll also have to provide information about the sales transaction itself, such every bit the amount (if any) you lot paid for the car and the estimated value of the car.
- If yous were given the car past a family unit member, bring a argument of facts certifying the human relationship and then you lot tin claim your employ tax and smog exemptions. You can download this form at https://world wide web.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/forms/reg/reg256.
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Show your driver's license and proof of insurance. Earlier the DMV clerk will complete your registration, y'all must exist able to prove that yous are a licensed driver in California and that you lot have car insurance that meets the state minimum requirements.
- California'southward minimum requirements are liability coverage of $xv,000 for a single person'due south injury or death, $30,000 for the injury or decease of multiple people, and $5,000 for belongings impairment.

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Cheque your renewal notice. You lot should receive a renewal discover in the mail approximately 60 days earlier your automobile's registration expires. Fifty-fifty if you don't receive a notice, you're still responsible for renewing your registration.^[9]
- In that location is no grace period for renewal registration fees. Even though your tag but displays a calendar month and year, your registration expires on a specific date. That engagement is listed on your renewal notice. If you pay your fees belatedly, you lot will be assessed a penalisation.
- If information technology's getting close to the month shown on your tag, telephone call one-800-777-0133 to find out how much your renewal fees are and the exact appointment when they're due. Check the DMV'due south record information to make certain they take your correct address.
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Get a smog certificate if required. Depending on where you live, you may be required to get a biennial smog check. If you alive in a county or Goose egg code where these checks are required, you'll have to get a smog certificate every other twelvemonth when you lot renew your registration.^[10]
- If your deadline for renewal is budgeted and you haven't been able to get your smog certificate yet, or y'all demand to have repairs fabricated to your motorcar before you tin pass the inspection, you can get ahead and pay your taxes and fees to renew your registration. You'll avoid any belatedly penalties or additional fees, but you won't get your sticker until yous become your smog certificate.
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Get together information virtually your vehicle. To renew your car's registration online, you'll demand your license plate number and the last v digits of your vehicle identification number (VIN). Get this information together before you start the online renewal process.^[eleven]
- If you have your renewal detect, yous may notice the data yous demand on the discover.
- You'll besides demand to have your smog certification filed with the DMV. You typically can get the smog check staff to practise this for you lot.
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Go to the California DMV website to renew your registration online. The California DMV provides a fashion for you to rapidly and easily renew your registration on the DMV website, so you don't take to go to a DMV field office and await in line.^[12]
- Yous still have the ability to renew your registration at a field office in person if yous want to, but the California DMV recommends that you renew online if at all possible.
- To begin the renewal process, go to https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/item/online/vrir/vr_top2. Click on the "Start" button and follow the prompts.
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Confirm the DMV record for your car. Once y'all pull upward your information, yous need to brand sure the data virtually your car in the DMV record is correct. If not, you lot'll have the opportunity to right it.^[13]
- You lot should as well bank check your personal information, peculiarly if you never received a renewal notice. If you've recently moved, brand sure the DMV has your new address.
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Receive your new stickers. If yous renew your registration in person, the clerk at the DMV field office volition give you your stickers immediately. Yet, if you renew online, you lot'll take to expect to become your stickers in the mail.^[fourteen]
- Because yous take to wait for your stickers if you renew online, it's a good idea to get your renewal done well earlier the deadline so y'all'll have your new stickers before your old ones expire.
- You tin can await to receive your stickers inside v to 10 business days.

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Article Summary X

To register a new car in California, fill out a title app with the seller if you're ownership from a dealership, which volition accept intendance of the registration procedure. Alternatively, brand an appointment at your local DMV field office. Make sure to bring confirmation that you ain the car, your driver's license, and proof of insurance to your date. One time the clerk has reviewed your documents, pay the fee for your temporary plates and wait for your permanent tags to get in in the mail service. For tips on how to transfer registration to a new owner, keep reading!

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