Bill > SB76

This bill modifies the California Vehicle Code's provisions regarding vehicle registration fees and penalties, specifically addressing how unpaid registration fees and penalties are handled when a vehicle is transferred to a new owner. Currently, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) may waive registration penalties if the new vehicle purchaser was unaware of unpaid fees. The bill changes this to require the DMV to automatically waive delinquent registration fees and penalties for a new vehicle purchaser if those fees were due before the vehicle's purchase. Instead of previously being able to pursue civil action against the previous owner to collect unpaid fees, the DMV must now create a system to collect these delinquent fees from the seller when they register another vehicle or renew a license. This change aims to protect new vehicle purchasers from being held responsible for outstanding registration fees incurred by the previous owner. The new provisions are set to become operative on January 1, 2030, providing a significant lead time for the DMV to develop and implement the new fee collection system.

Budget and Finance, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB76