Q & A / Out of State Vehicle Registration
Find the answers you need to get your California Vehicle Registration faster.
Traveling and Need to Renew Registration that Requires Smog Check
My parents are currently traveling cross country, with tags that have now expired. I already renewed their registration online and paid the DMV fees, however they also require a smog check. I found that we need to fill out a REG 5103 form, ...
Motorhome Needs CA Smog Check Exemption
Last year we applied for a temporary smog exemption using the form REG 5103 at a DMV office. We were told that we can only have the exemption for 2 years! We currently have the vehicle stored in Crowley, Texas. We are actually Australian Ci ...
Bringing My Vehicle Back To California and Registering It
My car was smog checked and registered in California back in 2021. I moved out of state for 2 years and now I'm back. What do I need to do to get it registered here again? All registrations and smog inspections were previously done in CA. T ...
Paid DMV Online But I Need to Submit REG 5103 and Have Tags Mailed to Me
I paid the DMV Registration fee online on the DMV website and got a letter 3 weeks later saying I need a smog check. My car is out of state temporarily so I need a smog exemption. Because of this, do I still have the option of submitting th ...
Renew Vehicle Operated by My Daughter Out of State With No Smog Test
My daughter operates a vehicle in Colorado because she is a student there. The vehicle is registered to me in California because that is where my daughter had lived, and where the car was purchased. The registration needs to be renewed righ ...
In Illinois and Need to Renew my California Registration
Hi. I need to renew my CA registration but have been stymied by a smog check requirement. I have filled out the DMV's REG 5103, though my preference is to not wait another month for my registration tags by mailing the document in. Can you h ...
Do I Have to Register My Car In CA If I'm Here Temporarily?
I'm living in California while I attending college. I plan on moving back home once school is over. I'm also going back and forth during the holidays. Do I have to register my car in California or should I continue registering in my home St ...
Out-of-State Title Transfer in California
We will buying a vehicle which is currently insured and registered out of California until the end of the year. It was at one time registered in California, but not currently. The owner (seller) and purchaser live out of the country. The pu ...
California Registration for Car Located in Oregon
I am currently working in Oregon and have my car here with me. I intend to live and work here for another year or two before moving back to California, but my car is currently registered in California. I have a smog check required by next m ...
Moving to California with My 2020 Subaru Outback
I'll be moving to California soon for work. I'm not sure how long I'll be in California. If it is under a year do I still have to register my Subaru in CA? My current tags don't expire until the end of the year and I'd hate to waste money i ...
California Resident Purchasing Car in New York
I have lived in New York since 2010 but have decided to move back to California at the end of the month. I was thinking about driving across the country -- purchasing the car in NY but getting it registered for CA in order to prevent regist ...
How To Register an Out of State Vehicle in California
Dear NeedTags, my daughter has a car that's actually titled in my business name. I'd like to get it transferred into her name during the registration process and then I'd like to register it in California. She just moved into an apartment i ...
How Do I Register My 2020 Chevy Truck in California
I'll be moving to California soon and want to bring my truck along. I was wondering how much registering my vehicle in California is going to cost and what fees are involved. If it makes more sense, I think I might sell it here before movin ...
I Want to Buy a 2021 Buick from a Dealer in Texas
I want to buy a used Buick Encore from a dealer in Texas. It has been registered with Texas DMV and is now being sold by a dealership in Texas. The Vehicle Emission Control information states the following: U.S EPA class / stds: LDV/Tier 2 ...
