Projects California- Complete Vehicle Definition

Ive seen valid ***les,with plates,and no car.......

 

On the other side of that coin; when I lived in LA there was a lady who worked at the Inglewood DMV who was pleasant, hot rod friendly and extremely knowledgeable in everything DMV. Everyone I knew would go to that office and wait just to deal with her. She helped me straighten out my tangled registration issues many times with a smile and interest in my project. We have some good folks at our local Jackson and San Andreas offices too but I haven’t been there lately.

 

I lived in CA in the early 90’s and had a 32 sedan I was overhauling. It had been registered as a 32 but the vin was the engine number. Body was off the frame and while cleaning it I found one of the original numbers in front of the rear kick up. I called DMV and they said it had to go to the Highway patrol for verification. Someone told me the sheriff could also do it. I called and a deputy was at the house 10 minutes later and verified it. The first DMV office I went to said it had to be Highway Patrol. Went to a different one and all was good. Moved to WA state and things started all over.

 

Just went through this, last week. Used a private VIN verifier, car not near complete. Went to DMV, walked out w/plate&stickers. Was dreading it, relieved.

 

whatcha doin' in my file cabinet....

 

Sadly the best way to deal with a problem like this not to have one (buy a ***led car). California has taken a lot of authorization away from VIN verifiers in the last few years. It sounds like you just bought the car without a ***le and are trying to get a ***le in your name, there is a larger process in place now to get a ***le that involves getting a bond (if it meets the criteria), the CHP and DMV.

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehic...***stances/vehicles-no-longer-in-dmv-records/

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handb...ications/motor-vehicle-ownership-surety-bond/

 

Does not work that way anymore, you need a CHP officer that is trained in VIN verification, you cannot just walk up to one and get it done; need an appointment and usually will be a few weeks or more before you get in, then you need to take your junk to them...ask me how I know.

 

I think the 'sleepy town DMV' is the main problem here. The first thing I would do is trailer it up to the main Sacramento DMV office. Go in with a pleasant at***ude and explain to the verifier what they're about to see so he/she isn't hit with a big surprise when they walk outside. If that doesn't work, then I would definitely go with a private registration service. As stated, $400 is chump change in the grand scheme of things and will easily be forgotten in the end!

Here's a good reg service. I used Donna Leek to handle the paperwork on my '54 field car. No paperwork whatsoever except for a bill of sale and the car hadn't been registered in decades. $275 fee plus $125 to DMV got me a new pink slip in my name, registration, non-op, new license plates (if I want them), or I can use my originals and the car is ***led as a 1954 Ford thereby avoiding the smog nazis. All this was handled over the phone and via email. All she needed was a picture of my VIN# and a copy of the bill of sale. Sadly, Donna retired due to health reasons but her son Ken now runs the business. May want to give him a call.
https://www.peninsularegistrationservices.com/

 

Use AAA dmv or find a registration service that can help. peninsula registration service rings a bell.
Or Move onto the next dmv.


Also step into their shoes. If you saw that in the cl***ifieds would you consider it a complete car? Or parts put together? Just a thought some people see thing differently. Also there point in reasoning with people that have made up their mind.

 

Its amazing the treasure a guy can ac***ulate if he keeps his eyes,and ears open......

 

When I needed to have the number verified on my '34, I trailered it to the DMV. Lady said she wouldn't do a verification on a trailered car. Too dangerous. Took it next door and had CHP officer verify it. Took the paper back to DMV and lady looks at it and says "who is this guy?"Her supervisor helped her out by explaining he is the CHP PIO next door.

 

I've never understood the "non op" some states have. Here, as long as it's not driven on the highway, you don't pay anything. If you have a current valid tag, they do want you to turn it in to take it out of the system, but 99% of people never do, I know I haven't ever. When the tag expires, If it's not being used, no tax or fees are due, only when you get ready to use it do they start new from the date you put it back in service. Looks to me like a "non op" is just a way to tax a personal possession, you pay a tax just because you own something whether you use it or not. Just a difference in the way they get your money I guess.

I agree, the bigger the state, the more people and vehicles, does make for the possibility of more fraud and crime. Just seems like it could be easier to go through the system, instead of the system acting like everybody is trying to screw the system over. Nothing wrong with a few checks and balances, but the state employees should know how to do their jobs and not be so dismissive. Just my thoughts....

 

Hello,

You might try calling DMV headquarters in Sacramento and asking them what to do. Call when they first open, if the phone is busy.

 

In Calif if you dont file a non-op on a unused car when you decide to put it back on the road you have to pay for the years past,or they wont sell you this years tags.

 

Maybe take the motor out and put a pile of batteries in it’s place! They love electric cars in California!

 

That's what I was talking about. If it's non-op, that means it's not on the road, so you shouldn't have to pay taxes for something you're not using IMHO. You're paying for the right to own something even if all you do is look at it? I guess it's sorta like real estate taxes, you pay them even if the building isn't in use. just a strange different way of thinking than what we have here on vehicles.

 

I have fought the DMV for years. I have produced the current vehicle code where Relevant. They don't care. It's not a fight you can win if it involves monetery loss to the state. I just pay to have it done by Ken leek, and pay the price, which is not unreasonable.

 

As I understand the subject:

You don't pay an annual fee for having a car that is registered in CA on non-op. If it's not registered, then there's nothing. If you don't put a registered car on non-op and don't pay the registration fee, registration and late fees are going to pile up. When you take a registered car off of non-op, you pay for the entire year's registration fee- they don't pro-rate it. A non-op car is not supposed to touch public roads.

 

Correct. There is an initial non-op fee to cover the cost of maintaining the equipment that holds the record in non-op status. California no longer has records go out of the system over time.

You pay that fee either way. With non-op you avoid the registration charge for something not being used.

 

California has the largest DMV system in the US. The system has over 40,000,000 active records in the database (Alabama has 2,280,000)

There are 180 field offices, and about 30 additional operations sites of various types, staffed by nearly 10,000 employees, across this 163,696 square-mile state.

Not even taking into account the cost of salaries and building support, the costs to operate the fully modern data center and the support network, as well as the subnetworks at each facility, and all of the interconnections are enormous. The electricity costs for operation and HVAC are staggering, for any data center.

In short, none of this is free. It all adds up, and it has to be paid for somehow. That cost is not distributed across the taxpayers of the state. It is spread across the owners and operators of motor vehicles, as it should be.

The non-op fee is small, and a small price to pay, as you do not need to keep insurance on that vehicle when it is in non-op status.

 

So cutting to the chase, Ca. makes you guys pay for the privilege of NOT OPERATING a vehicle as well as OPERATING a vehicle. Seems a bit one sided. You guys get charged a non-op fee on the shoes in your closet when you're out walking? How about for that extra pillow when you're sleeping?

 

Did you read my post thoroughly? This is a records maintenance fee. If your state keeps your records in the system without charging you anything, then that fee is still being paid, just by you, AND every other taxpayer in your state. That does not seem fair to me. I am sure that there are plenty of taxpayers in your state who do not own cars.

They get to pay for you, too.

The Planned Non-Operation fee is a whopping $23, if you pay on-time, and online, it is a hefty $21.

Would you choose this to be the hill where you make your stand?

 

Personally liked it a lot better when you didn't license the car if you didn't intend to drive it. When you decided to start driving it, you just filled out a certificate of non operation stating it had not been on public roads for the time it was unlicensed. 1 minute to fill out the form and zero cost. Seemed to work well.

 

$21, or $1.75/mo.

You should never have a vehicle in your possession, in any state that ***les, without a ***le in your name. Without one, or registration as a subs***ute, you cannot prove within the requirements of the law that you actually own the vehicle.

The idea that possession is 9/10 of the law is 16th century English law. In US law the person that has custodial possession is ***umed to be the owner, unless proven otherwise. If you don't have paper, and someone else does, THEY own the vehicle, in the eyes of the law.

 

I seem to recall you could license a pickup with commercial plates for a month at a time as well.

 

I believe it was by quarter not a month but regardless its a thing of the past.

 

Why shouldn't they pay? I'm paying for their kids schools. And I can guarantee that's more than 23 bucks....

 

Education benefits all of society such that it completely pays for itself within 3-years of completion, and continues to generate benefits to all of society going forward.

Your car most certainly does not.

A bunch of people paid for you. Now you get to pay. Your choice is simple: education or incarceration. The latter costs society, and benefits nobody.

 

California sounds horrible.

 

Yup. $21. year horrible.

I hate being able to drive my hot rod and ride my motorcycles year-round.

The beer is bad, the food is awful, the vistas are horrendous.

Stay away.