Reporting Vehicle Status (Registered vs. Non-Operational)

Registration or Non-Operation?

Once each year, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) mails you a registration renewal notice for each of your currently registered vehicles (every two years for Off-Highway Vehicles [OHV]). You must decide whether to renew the registration or file for non-operational status.

What’s the Difference?

California law requires vehicles to be currently registered if they are driven, towed, stored, parked on public roads or highways or parked in an off-street public parking facility at any time during the registration period.

Non-operational means that the vehicle will not be driven, towed, stored, or parked on public roads or highways for the entire registration year.

Annual Registration

Each year, on or before your vehicle’s registration expiration date (every two years for OHV), you must pay full registration renewal fees. This indicates to the department your intention to operate the vehicle at some time during the upcoming registration period. If you’ve moved and did not notify the department, you might not receive a vehicle registration renewal notice. It is your responsibility to declare the status of your vehicle(s) to the department by paying appropriate fees on time.

Filing for Non-Operational Status

If you decide to place a non-operational status on your vehicle, you must do so on or before your vehicle’s registration expiration date (Off-Highway Vehicles must pay the PNO fee on or before the OHV's biennial registration expiration date or the non-operational status option is forfeited. Full registration fees and penalties would be due.) The renewal notice has a box designated for you to check that indicates you want the non-operational status marked on your vehicle’s record. The Planned Non-Operation (PNO) fee must be sent to DMV with the bottom portion of the renewal notice on which you have checked the Planned Non-Operation box.

If you do not have a renewal notice you may complete a Certificate of Planned Non-operation (REG 102) and mail it along with a check or money order to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Registration Operations
PO Box 942869
Sacramento, CA 94269-0001

Once a non-operational status is placed on a vehicle’s record, it remains until you decide to operate the vehicle and pay full registration renewal fees. You do not have to respond to the Non-operated Vehicle Notice that you will receive. However, if you have personalized plates on your vehicle, you must pay an annual retention fee to retain your priority to that plate configuration. If the DMV does not receive the retention fee, your priority to the plate configuration will be forfeited and it will be made available to someone else.

May I Pay Early?

The department will accept registration renewal fees or the PNO fee up to 75 days prior to the vehicle’s registration expiration date.

What Happens if I Pay Late?

Paying either the full registration renewal fees or the PNO fee after the vehicle’s registration expiration date causes penalties to become due. There is no grace period.

If you are registering the vehicle, penalties will be due in addition to the full registration renewal fees.

If you don’t have all the required documentation—smog certification for example, you should pay your fees on or before the vehicle’s registration expiration date. The department will issue you a receipt showing what is needed to complete your application for registration. This receipt does not authorize operation of the vehicle, but avoids penalty fees.

If you want the non-operational status, you may still apply for it up to 90 days after the vehicle’s registration expiration date. When payment is made after the expiration date, however, penalties based on the full registration renewal amount will be due in addition to the PNO fee.

What if I Decide to Operate my Non-Operational Status Vehicle?

If your vehicle has a valid non-operational status on file with the DMV and you decide to operate it, full registration renewal fees (and full or prorated weight fees, if appropriate) become due on the date of first operation. These fees must be paid prior to operating the vehicle or penalties will be assessed.

NOTE: When a non-operational status is set on the vehicle record, the registration expiration date is left unchanged.

Are any Vehicles Exempt from Reporting Operational Status?

Yes. Owners of historical vehicles, horseless carriages, and vehicles that are part of a collection and are not operated are not required to register or file for the non-operational status. (These vehicles are defined in Vehicle Code §§5004, 5004.5, and 5051.)

Other exempted vehicles include:

• Mopeds
• Vehicles with registrations which expire while in dealer or lessor/retailer inventory
• Vehicles with registrations which expire while being held for lien sale by an authorized towing company or parking facility
• Vehicles which are part of an apportioned or permanent fleet
• Special Equipment (SE) as defined in Vehicle Code §§245, 565, 570, and 575
• Unrecovered stolen vehicles
• Title Only vehicles that are currently located and registered in a state other than California

———BUYER BEWARE!———

If you purchase a vehicle, you will be responsible for past due fees and penalties when you transfer the title into your name, unless:

• Registration is current.
• A non-operational status is on file with the DMV. Fees must be paid before operation to avoid penalties.
• The vehicle was otherwise exempt from these reporting requirements.

Statutory Authority

Revenue and Taxation Code §§10855 and 10856. Vehicle Code §§4452, 4604, 4604.5, 5105, 5106, 9269, 9553, 9554, 9706, 9710, 9862, 38121, and 38246.