Before I start on my blog, my heart goes out to all those affected by COVID-19 and I hope one day when things get back to a new normal, we can learn to appreciate more of the luxuries and privileges we have in life.
I had written and edited this piece a few times but the worldwide pandemic has completely changed my mindset. I had written about how much I dreaded going to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) but I can’t believe I am saying that I now miss going to the DMV!
Over the past few months, I have been a frequent customer of the DMV. After overcoming numerous obstacles and paying a lot of taxes to the government, I wanted to share my experience with you, so you can avoid some of the misfortunes and mistakes I made in registering my out-of-state vehicle. Throughout this blog, I will outline my process and include tips and tricks to easily register an out-of-state vehicle in California.
Step 1: Get car insurance for your vehicle
After a rough roller coaster ride of finding a vehicle, I scored an amazing deal on a 1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 cabriolet. At this point, I had tons of questions running through my mind about where to even start with registering my vehicle in CA. First and foremost, I made sure my vehicle was properly insured. You can never be too cautious from unforeseen liabilities and accidents. Also, if you get pulled over by the police you will need to provide proof of insurance.
Step 2: Prepare documents and schedule an appointment for the DMV
Before you schedule an appointment, you will need to have your title, forms, and supporting documents prepared. Reg 343 Application For Title or Registration is the form that you will need to register your car. Fill out the form in advance to save time during your trip to the DMV. You will need to provide the signed title for your new vehicle. Also, bring any supporting documents you might need such as a bill of sale or sales ad in case you are asked any questions.
When I bought my Porsche, it came from the east coast. It took 2 weeks to ship the vehicle and then another few weeks to get the title signed and in my hand. It’s best to start the DMV registration process after you receive the title. Most people get frustrated with the waiting time to get the title because sometimes the vehicle has a lien on it and the bank has to process it for weeks before the title can be sent to the owner. Once you get your gold ticket aka your title, a big weight will be taken off your shoulders.
Now that we have our documents situated, we can move forward with scheduling your first DMV appointment. You will need to make at least two trips to the DMV to complete the registration process. I recommend that you schedule an appointment on the DMV website versus walking-in to save yourself hours of dreadful waiting. If you aren’t able to get an appointment, try to go early when the doors open in the morning to minimize your wait time. Some locations even open on Saturdays.
Step 3: Go to the DMV to Submit Form Reg 343, signed title, and pay the registration fees
Your appointment is here! Head on over to submit your documents. Following the guidelines above will help you have a smooth visit.
In the past, I have experienced one to three hours of wait time during peak hours. The most success I have had in reducing my wait times is going right when the doors open. If your lucky, you can be in and out within an hour. Keep in mind that when you go to the DMV for your first visit, you cannot bring your new vehicle because it isn’t registered yet.
When you submit the documents to the DMV, this is also the time you pay the government taxes, fees, and registration costs. Depending on how expensive your vehicle is will determine how much sales taxes you will pay. This part is kind of bittersweet, you pay an arm and a leg, but your new vehicle is finally in your name.
Step 4: Request moving permits and/or red temporary driving permit from the DMV
After all the fees have been paid, you will need to ask for vehicle moving permits. Each request, the DMV will give you 2-3 moving permits which specify the exact date and reason you are moving your vehicle. These are one-time permits and not for driving the car around to do errands. They should be used for driving and/or towing the vehicle to the smog shop, repair shop, DMV, and/or CHP.
I have requested permits for my cars twice now, one time for my non-running vehicle and one for a running vehicle. My non-running vehicle, which needed multiple repairs was given a red temporary permit. My running vehicle was given three one-time permits to smog and in case I fail shop I can take it to a shop for repairs. Even to tow a vehicle in CA requires a moving permit. If you call AAA or a towing company, they will ask or you need to tell them you have a moving permit to move the vehicle. AAA will not tow your vehicle without a permit even if you are a premium member because they are bound by law and they should follow the rules. Since you only get a few permits, you need to use them wisely.
Step 5: Use your permit and smog your vehicle
Now that you have permits to drive, you can smog and fix any issues that need to be immediately addressed. Making sure critical components are all maintained would be good to do at this point to ensure a safe trip to the DMV. Often when I get a new car, I change all the fluids and check that all the basic services have been completed. If you cant get your vehicle operational, then you can still tow it to the DMV.
Step 6: Schedule 2nd appointment and drive/tow your car to the DMV for inspection
Schedule your second appointment by following the same steps we previously recommended. This appointment is extremely important because it is when the vehicle identification number (VIN) inspection is conducted. Once you check in to the DMV, an employee will review your documents from the previous trip and review your completed smog documents.
The DMV inspector will be looking for a VIN that is pinned or engraved into the dash or engine bay. I was told by the inspector that VINs on stickers, such as the door jambs don't count because they could have been changed versus being etched or pinned during manufacturing. The inspector who checked my car also looked around my vehicle to see if any parts were changed out. Part of this inspection is to make sure your vehicle doesn't have stolen parts on it when it comes to CA.
They will review any VINs they find and document them in the inspection. If anything seems off or suspicious, they will fail you and refer you to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). This is where I messed up and I didn’t get to know my car good enough prior to my appointment. I have had lots of experience with 993 and 964 Porsches, but I guess in this instance I was wrong when I couldn’t answer a question about my 964 chassis number.
This was one of my stressful setbacks throughout this process. It was like taking a college final and failing epically. Also, on all the vehicles I have worked on, VINs have been etched in a metal plate on the dash. Lo and behold, the 964 Porsche has the metal VIN tucked and hidden on the driverside a-pillar. During my inspection, I was googling on my phone and frantically looking for the VIN. I pretty much just dropped the ball on my inspection. Not only that, the inspector also refused to look at my door jamb VIN. Then to make things worse, he goes through my frunk (front trunk) and finds my Rest of the World (ROW) chassis number.
Once he saw my ROW chassis number he got confused with the VIN on my title (For people interested, the ROW chassis number is a serial number similar to the VIN assigned to the vehicle during manufacturing before it is imported to the US). Next, I got into a debate with the inspector who wasn’t well versed with Porsches, and he ends up sending me to the CHP. Frustration and emotions were definitely at a high, so be really prepared and know some history about your vehicle. The inspector will give you DMV form Reg 31 Verification of Vehicle for the CHP inspection if you fail.
If you fail miserably as I did, move on to step 7. If you passed, lucky you! You will receive your new CA license plates and registration stickers. In a perfect world, that is the fastest way to register an out-of-state vehicle but read on if you always run into obstacles like me.
Step 7: Find and schedule an appointment to your county’s CHP Office
I put a lot of emphasis on making sure the DMV inspection goes well because… SURPRISE! CHP appointments take 2-4 weeks to schedule depending on how busy the office is. There are a few things to know when scheduling a vehicle inspection (also known as VIN verification) appointment.
You MUST schedule your vehicle inspection in the county your vehicle is registered in. For example, I live 10 minutes away from another county's CHP office, but my county's CHP office is 45 minutes away. Make sure you schedule your appointment at the appropriate office because if you get turned away when you show up, you may have to wait weeks for another appointment. I honestly couldn’t believe how booked the CHP office could be. So, call right away if you need to go to the CHP and take the earliest available appointment. The longer you take to complete this, the more money you are spending on a giant 4-wheel paperweight. You will be paying for insurance and registration for a vehicle you cannot drive.
When you go to your CHP appointment, it takes about 1-2 hours and you will need to use one of your moving permits. When I checked in for my appointment, I sat and waited for an hour before an officer finally came to take my keys. Yes, they take your keys and may drive your vehicle around depending on how detailed they need to inspect your vehicle. My inspection was surprisingly quick about 25 mins. When you go to your inspection appointment make sure you bring all your paperwork and supporting documents, such as a bill of sale and the DMV forms. When the officer is done with the inspection, they will sign off on your Reg 31 form that the DMV gave you.
Step 8: Schedule a DMV appointment to submit your VIN verification document and pick up your new license plates
This is the home stretch where you can smell the hot dogs and popcorn. Now that all the prerequisites are complete, you can return to the DMV for a final time. You will be issued a new California license plate by the DMV employee, as well as current registration stickers. If you want custom plates, do that process separate from this registration process, so you don’t complicate things and have to wait longer.
Finally, after weeks of persistent work and follow-up, you can now mount your new plates and enjoy your vehicle. One thing I didn't address in this blog is that I had to address a few mechanical issues in between my DMV process. I tried to explain the process without the confusion of additional issues such as fixing the engine or failing smog. During this process, my fuel pump went out and I spent a couple of weeks of getting that fixed, so ultimately, I had a long process of getting my vehicle running. I still have lots of work I need to address to get the vehicle to the level of quality I will be happy with but for now, I hope my experience has helped some of you considering purchasing a vehicle from out-of-state.
To anyone going through this process or considering purchasing an out-of-state vehicle and bringing it to California, just do one step at a time and this process can be very manageable. I feel the pros outweighed the cons due to me finding this original 38k mile 964 Porsche.
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Printable California DMV forms are below:
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