Thought you might find this interesting, also looking for input: Past due DMV fees, in California at least, can be substantial and often play into deal negotiations, as they just did for me when I knocked half of the $700 fees due (that includes current year and 2 past years, as far back as they go) off the purchase price of a heap I just bought. A little DMV vehicle code reading revealed the following, which sounds like it's possible to waive some or all of the back fees on a transfer of ownership. If it's so I don't know why it's not more common knowledge. Can anyone confirm? Also a bit more on wholesale auctions etc. on the quoted web page here: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/reg_hdbk/ch3/ch3_16 3.075 Waiver of Fees and/or Penalties (CVC §9562) The conditions under which fees and/or penalties may be waived are specific as explained in this section. Transfer Applications Penalties (only) may be waived upon payment of the registration fees due when the department determines that the penalties accrued prior to the date the transferee (including a dealer) purchased the vehicle and the transferee was not aware that the fees for the current or prior registration years were unpaid and due. (CVC §9562a) Registration fees and penalties may be waived only when the department determines that the registration fees became due prior to the transferee's (including a dealer) purchase date and the transferee was not aware that the fees were unpaid and due. The license plate assigned to the vehicle must display a valid year sticker issued by the department that matches the year for which the transferee is requesting a waiver of fees and penalties. (CVC §9562c) A Statement of Facts (REG 256) stating that the transferee was not aware the fees were unpaid and due, and giving the sticker number on the license plate, must be submitted with the application. Other Applications Penalties (only)-May be waived upon payment of the registration fees due when the department determines that the penalties accrued through no fault or intent of the owner. (CVC §9562b) Registration fees and penalties-May be waived only when the department determines the registration fees became due prior to the applicant's purchase/ transfer date and the license plate assigned to the vehicle displays a current validation sticker which matches the year for which fees are in question. The transfer fee and any other fees due must be paid. If a current validation sticker is not displayed on the license plate, all registration fees duemust be paid and only the penalties may be waived. A Statement of Facts (REG 256) stating the sticker number on the license plate and that the applicant/dealer was not aware of any unpaid fees and penalties must be submitted with the application.
Your link doesn't work. I thought the fees could be waived in California for historical vehicles but I look forward to hearing from someone that knows the real story. Charlie Stephens
Oops, link fixed, sorry. Here it is again. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/reg_hdbk/ch3/ch3_16
I have spent all day fighting with the DMV here in South Carolina trying to help my friend get lost titles...I hate walking in the door,they do everything in the world to make it difficult. Any trip to the DMV is a lesson in futility. HRP
Yes it works got 1400.00 dollars worth of fees cut in half on a motorhome purchase. Had to fill out a statement of facts. Just had to word it correctly, and not blam the seller directly, but say you were told was on non-op. They will tell you it is still your liability, that's when you show them the codes in their own regulations. Also the manager of your local office has to sign off, not the clerk at the counter. Good luck....
Going to my local DMV is like going to the Vice Principles office for something I did wrong. Not a nice bunch of people to deal with most of the time.
I bought a VW Bug about 20 years ago to resell and the tags were up by a couple of years. there is (was?) a law where car collectors could bypass all the back fees on cars a certain age or older. of course the fat bitch behind the counter knew nothing about this, and was telling me about how long she had been a DMV employee and all this so I stopped her mid sentence and told her to get a manager, and even they had never heard of it and looked it up in a big giant book. after they found the rules the lady still tried to mess with me and told me this doesn't count for just any car, (it was a 1958 Bug) and you have to be a car collector, so I rattled off all the old cars I had at the time. so many stupid bitchy people work at the DMV. I believe there was a post here a while back that gave the rule number so they could look it up easier, since people at the DMV only seem to know the basics....
That's why I have AAA, for my 'lost' titles. The problem brought up by the OP is a DMV thing and actually they have been getting better in my neck of the woods, especially when one of the clerks is a car person.
Oh yeah, forgot about that. Here is something a friend wrote up awhile ago: I may have to do a lien sale to, to complicate matters... >> Check out these sections on the DMV web site: 4604; 4604.2; 5004 and >> 5051. >> >> The short version: vehicles 25 years old or older and owned for hobby >> purposes of historical preservation and/or public display are exempt from >> PNO requirements and by way of that exempt from all back registration and >> penalties. If you are transferring a vehicle that meets these >> requirements >> you only have to pay the current year's registration fees. >> >> Nobody at your local DMV office will know about this exemption until you >> educate them. I always print out the above sections from the DMV web site >> and highlight the relevant paragraphs to make it easy. Also bring a very >> patient attitude as many DMV clerks must go through all three stages of >> the >> Hegelian dialectic before they will extinguish the back reg & penalties >> and >> things can get a little ugly during the antithesis stage. It also seems >> to >> piss them off that you know more about the Vehicle Code and DMV procedure >> than they do, but stay cool and continue to press your case calmly. They >> may >> try to tell you that this only applies if you have Historic Vehicle >> plates >> or it only applies to "parade vehicles", but this is not the case. ANY >> collector vehicle 25 years old or older is exempt. Usually a 20 minute >> call >> to the head office in Sacto is required before your transaction can be >> resolved, but I've done it many times and it is legit. >> >> Good luck, let us know how it goes. >> >> Regards-HW Here are links to the CVC sections mentioned. Takes some reading to understand, print them out and read while waiting at the DMV https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5051.htm https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc5004.htm https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc4604_2.htm https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d03/vc4604.htm
Believe it or not, I've dealt with some pretty cool people at the DMV. Some of them have "guided" me through paperwork in order to save a lot of money on back-fees. Rarely do I walk out of the DMV unhappy. And yes, I do live in California.
When I last registered my '34 it was exempt from the non-op requirement because it fell into this catagory. (d) "Street rod vehicle" is a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, manufactured in, or prior to, 1948 that is individually modified in its body style or design, including through the use of nonoriginal or reproduction components, and may include additional modifications to other components, including, but not limited to, the engine, drivetrain, suspension, and brakes in a manner that does not adversely affect its safe performance as a motor vehicle or render it unlawful for highway use. Amended Sec. 6, Ch. 574, Stats. 2006. Effective January 1, 2007.
There is a registration service in Santa Maria called 'Sandy's'. You can Google her business, she is very helpful. I registered a vehicle with back fees at one time in Calif (at DMV office) and they waived the fees as it was a collector car. Tried it again with another vehicle and they acted like there was no such program - so I registered it out of state. The Lompoc office is very user friendly for such registrations.
funny.....going to try and get plates for my truck after about 20 yrs of not being registered.....that I've owned for about 35 yrs......
Statement of facts, I got screwed on my second car in the early 90's and I haven't paid penalties or back registration again.
There are certainly enough dismal DMV stories to go around and I am sure most are true, I've experienced enough of my own to know that. There are however some good people at some DMV sites who are helpful. When I lost my USMC son in Afghanistan the folks at the DMV in Kingston NY could not have been nicer, they treat me with a smile and respect when I go there today. Semper Fi
I have heard of AAA processing stuff beyond the norm, also in SoCal I believe. My local AAA however always balks at anything beyond simple title transfers. Went in a month ago for a one day moving permit, they said I had to be the title holder to get one, which is BS. Went to the DMV and got one without hassle*. I'm going to check with the consultants listed above, maybe I'll stop by AAA. . * But not without the wait. The guy at the check in window that hands out the numbers asks what I need and the paperwork, looks it up, says yes no problem, hands me a number. I say can't you just fill it in while you have it up on your screen? No, here's your number, B37. Looking up at the screen, they are on B22 or so. All the other letters are moving, the As, the Cs, but not the Bs. I think they give the B numbers out to people that question them. 45 minutes later B37 comes up and I hustle up the one B window. The clerk pulls out the paper, fills in the date and license number, done, under 30 seconds. I ask why the number guy couldn't have just done that, she rolls here eyes and agrees.
All you have to do is fill out a statement of facts with "I am a collector and this is a collector vehicle exempt from back fees as defined in VC 4604" i just did this last week for a 1983 goldwing motorcycle.
Great info! This one is saved in my favorites column! I'll be going in next week to transfer title on the '54. I need a VIN verification, new title and there's a couple of years of back fees and penalties that I'm sure will be an issue!
Please come back and let us know how this works out for you. Im in exactly the same situation with one of my vehicles. I'm assuming the waiving of back fees for collector vehicles is only for a vehicle being transferred?
Could we bump this discussion for current times? I ran into some problems when I tried this yesterday. Lady kinda knew what I was trying to get done and was blocking me on it. The links above for the code don't work anymore. Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
this still works in current times. Go to a different DMV person. Know the facts, only give information that they need, their opinions don't matter.
Again: statement of facts form: "I am a collector and this is a collector vehicle exempt from back fees as defined in VC 4604 paragraph B." do it before our governor figures it out. Also, I think DMV employees are in the witness protection program or something. Never known anyone who works there, dont know anyone who knows someone who works there, never heard of them hiring either. Just my opinion.
You need to experience a trip to the DMV in Kalifornia…...Most people would just as well put a pistol in their mouth than go there.
There was a girl at a place where I had a part time job at. She was a good looker and a good welder but just could not make it to work on time. The upper management fired her and off she went. A few weeks later I get a call from the motor vehicle department asking me for a reference for the girl. I gave her a "walk on water" review and that would of been the end of the story. About a year later, I am standing in line almost closing time, trying to get a 50 year old truck that has not been registered for the last 20 years registered. Well the bell was about to ring sending most of us home telling us to come back another day. As I am getting ready to break line and head out when I hear my name being called. Same girl new job, and I walk out with new plates in less than 10 minutes. In summary does clerks at the desk do have a little HP.
In Kalifornia I think DMV clerks need to know how to say NO is 17 different languages. I think they get bonuses every time they send someone out the door due to some trivial error (like 2 colors of ink on a form). If a DMV clerk had another brain, it would be lonely.
Bureaucrats tend to have to put up with a lot of BS, therefore, they believe it is only fair, and necessary, to make your life miserable as possible as well, if only for a moment, insofar as possible within their limited purview. This is the hallmark of low-frequency people. It is a hobby with some, a vocation with others. Politics is of course its highest expression. If you hadn't noticed. Keep in mind for many government jobs, short of actually killing someone, they cannot be fired, practically speaking. The rolls are filled with the unemployable who make six figure incomes, and are completely nonfunctional. This nation needs an enema.
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