Article 6. Refusal Of Registration of California Vehicle Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 6.

The department shall refuse registration, or renewal or transfer of registration, upon any of the following grounds:
  (a) The application contains any false or fraudulent statement.
  (b) The required fee has not been paid.
  (c) The registration, or renewal or transfer of registration, is prohibited by the requirements of Part 5 (commencing with Section 43000) of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code.
  (d) The owner of a heavy vehicle, which is subject to the heavy vehicle use tax imposed pursuant to Section 4481 of Title 26 of the United States Code, has not presented sufficient evidence, as determined by the department, that the tax for the vehicle has been paid pursuant to that section.
  (e) Evidence of financial responsibility, that is required for a vehicle registration renewal where there is no change in registered owner, has not been provided to the department pursuant to Section 4000.37 or electronically. This subdivision does not apply to any of the following:
  (1) A vehicle for which a certification has been filed pursuant to Section 4604, until the vehicle is registered for operation upon the highway.
  (2) A vehicle owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States or any public entity that is included in Section 811.2 of the Government Code.
  (3) A vehicle registration renewal application where there is a change of registered owner.

(a) If the department receives an application for registration of a specially constructed passenger vehicle or pickup truck after it has registered 500 specially constructed vehicles during that calendar year pursuant to Section 44017.4 of the Health and Safety Code, and the vehicle has not been previously registered, the vehicle shall be assigned the same model-year as the calendar year in which the application is submitted, for purposes of determining emissions inspection requirements for the vehicle.
  (b) (1) If the department receives an application for registration of a specially constructed passenger vehicle or pickup truck that has been previously registered after it has registered 500 specially constructed vehicles during that calendar year pursuant to Section 44017.4 of the Health and Safety Code, and the application requests a model-year determination different from the model-year assigned in the previous registration, the application for registration shall be denied and the vehicle owner is subject to the emission control and inspection requirements applicable to the model-year assigned in the previous registration.
  (2) For a vehicle participating in the amnesty program in effect from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, pursuant to Section 9565, the model-year of the previous registration shall be the calendar year of the year in which the vehicle owner applied for amnesty. However, a denial of an application for registration issued pursuant to this paragraph does not preclude the vehicle owner from applying for a different model-year determination and application for registration under Section 44017.4 of the Health and Safety Code in a subsequent calendar year.
  (c) (1) The Bureau of Automotive Repair may charge the vehicle owner who applies to participate in the amnesty program a fee for each referee station inspection conducted pursuant to Section 9565. The fee shall be one hundred sixty dollars ($160) and shall be collected by the referee station performing the inspection.
  (2) A contract to perform referee services may authorize direct compensation to the referee contractor from the inspection fees collected pursuant to paragraph (1). The referee contractor shall deposit the inspection fees collected from the vehicle owner into a separate trust account that the referee contractor shall account for and manage in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards and principles. Where the department conducts the inspections pursuant to Section 9565, the inspection fees collected by the department shall be deposited into the Vehicle Inspection and Repair Fund.

Information provided by an insurer to the department pursuant to Section 11580.10 of the Insurance Code and former Section 4750.2, as added by Chapter 946 of the Statutes of 1991, shall be made available only to law enforcement agencies for law enforcement purposes.

(a) The department shall withhold the registration or the transfer of registration of any vehicle sold at retail to any applicant by any person other than a vehicle manufacturer or dealer holding a license and certificate issued pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11700) of Division 5, or an automobile dismantler holding a license and certificate issued pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 11500) of Division 5, or a lessor-retailer holding a license issued pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11600) of Division 5, and subject to the provisions of Section 11615.5, until the applicant pays to the department the use tax measured by the sales price of the vehicle as required by the Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code), together with penalty, if any, unless the State Board of Equalization finds that no use tax is due. If the applicant so desires, he may pay the use tax and penalty, if any, to the department so as to secure immediate action upon his application for registration or transfer of registration, and thereafter he may apply through the Department of Motor Vehicles to the State Board of Equalization under the provisions of the Sales and Use Tax Law for a refund of the amount so paid.
  (b) The department shall transmit to the State Board of Equalization all collections of use tax and penalty made under this section. This transmittal shall be made at least monthly, accompanied by a schedule in such form as the department and board may prescribe.
  (c) The State Board of Equalization shall reimburse the department for its costs incurred in carrying out the provisions of this section. Such reimbursement shall be effected under agreement between the agencies, approved by the Department of Finance.
  (d) In computing any use tax or penalty thereon under the provisions of this section, dollar fractions shall be disregarded in the manner specified in Section 9559 of this code. Payment of tax and penalty on this basis shall be deemed full compliance with the requirements of the Sales and Use Tax Law insofar as they are applicable to the use of vehicles to which this section relates.

The department may refuse registration or the renewal or transfer of registration of a vehicle in any of the following events:
  (a) If the department is not satisfied that the applicant is entitled thereto under this code.
  (b) If the applicant has failed to furnish the department with information required in the application or reasonable additional information required by the department.
  (c) If the department determines that the applicant has made or permitted unlawful use of any registration certificate, certificate of ownership, or license plates.
  (d) If the vehicle is mechanically unfit or unsafe to be operated or moved on the highways.
  (e) If the department determines that a manufacturer or dealer has failed during the current or previous year to comply with the provisions of this code relating to the giving of notice to the department of the transfer of a vehicle during the current or previous year.
  (f) If the department determines that a lien exists, pursuant to Section 9800, against one or more other vehicles in which the applicant has an ownership interest.
  (g) If the applicant has failed to furnish the department with an odometer disclosure statement pursuant to subsection (a) of Section 32705 of Title 49 of the United States Code.

The department shall refuse registration, or renewal or transfer of registration for any commercial motor vehicle subject to Section 4000.6, if the owner or operator of the motor vehicle at the time of the application has been cited for a violation, pertaining to that vehicle, of Division 26 (commencing with Section 39000) of the Health and Safety Code or regulations of the State Air Resources Board adopted pursuant to that division, until the violation has been cleared, as determined by the State Air Resources Board.

(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b) or (d), the department shall refuse to renew the registration of a vehicle if the registered owner or lessee has been mailed a notice of delinquent parking violation relating to standing or parking, the processing agency has filed or electronically transmitted to the department an itemization of unpaid parking penalties, including administrative fees pursuant to Section 40220, and the owner or lessee has not paid the parking penalty and administrative fee pursuant to Section 40211, unless he or she pays to the department, at the time of application for renewal, the full amount of all outstanding parking penalties and administrative fees, as shown by records of the department.
  (2) When the department receives the full amount of all outstanding parking penalties and administrative fees pursuant to paragraph (1), it shall issue a receipt showing each parking penalty and administrative fee that has been paid, the processing agency for that penalty and fee, and a description of the vehicle involved in the parking violations. The receipt shall also state that, to reduce the possibility of impoundment under Section 22651 or immobilization under Section 22651.7 of the vehicle involved in the parking violation, the registered owner or lessee may transmit to that processing agency a copy or other evidence of the receipt.
  (b) The department shall not refuse to renew the registration of a vehicle owned by a renter or lessor if the applicant provides the department with the abstract or notice of disposition of parking violation issued pursuant to subdivision (c) for clearing all outstanding parking penalties and administrative fees as shown by the records of the department.
  (c) The court or designated processing agency shall issue an abstract or notice of disposition of parking violation to the renter or lessor of a vehicle issued a notice of delinquent parking violation relating to standing or parking if the renter or lessor provides the court or processing agency with the name, address, and driver's license number of the rentee or lessee at the time of occurrence of the parking violation.
  (d) The department shall not refuse to renew the registration of a vehicle if the citation was issued prior to the registered owner taking possession of the vehicle.

(a) The department shall, before renewing the registration of any vehicle, check the driver's license record of all registered owners for conviction of traffic violations and traffic accidents.
  (b) The department shall, before renewing the registration of any vehicle, check the driver's license record of all registered owners for notices filed with the department pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 40509 and notices that the licensee has failed to pay a lawfully imposed fine, penalty, assessment, or bail within the time authorized by the court for any violation which is required to be reported pursuant to Section 1803 and shall refuse to renew the registration of the vehicle if the driver's license record of any registered owner has any such outstanding notices to appear or failures to pay a court ordered fine, unless the department has received a certificate issued by the magistrate or clerk of the court hearing the case in which the promise was given showing that the case has been adjudicated or unless the registered owner's record is cleared as provided in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 41500) of Division 17. In lieu of the certificate of adjudication, a notice from the court stating that the original records have been lost or destroyed shall permit the department to renew the registration.
  (c) Any notice received by the department pursuant to Section 40509 which has been on file five years may be removed from the department records and destroyed, in the discretion of the department.
  (d) In lieu of the certificate of adjudication or a notice from the court, the department shall with the consent of all registered owners collect the amounts which it has been notified are due pursuant to Sections 40509 and 40509.5, and authorized to be collected pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 14910) of Chapter 5 of Division 6.

The department shall include on each potential registration card issued for use at the time of renewal, or on an accompanying document, an itemization of unpaid parking penalties, including administrative fees, showing the amount thereof and the jurisdiction which issued the notice of parking violation relating thereto, which the registered owner or lessee is required to pay pursuant to Section 4760.

The department shall remit all parking penalties and administrative fees collected, after deducting the administrative fee authorized by Section 4763, for each notice of delinquent parking violation for which parking penalties and administrative fees have been collected pursuant to Section 4760, to each jurisdiction in the amounts due to each jurisdiction according to its unadjudicated notices of delinquent parking violation. Within 45 days from the time penalties are recorded by the department, the department shall inform each jurisdiction which of its notices of delinquent parking violation have been discharged.

The department shall assess a fee for the recording of the notice of delinquent parking violation, which is given to the department pursuant to Section 40220, in an amount, as determined by the department, that is sufficient to provide a total amount equal to its actual costs of administering Sections 4760, 4761, 4762, 4764, and 4765.

(a) If a vehicle is transferred or the registration is not renewed for two renewal periods and the former registered owner or lessee of the vehicle owes a parking penalty for a notice of delinquent parking violation filed with the department pursuant to Section 40220, the department shall notify each jurisdiction of that fact and is not required thereafter to attempt collection of the undeposited parking penalty and administrative fees.
  (b) This section does not apply if the transfer of a vehicle is one described in Section 6285 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

No exemption from the payment of any fee imposed by this code is an exemption from the obligation of a registered owner or lessee to pay the full amount of parking penalties and administrative fees pursuant to Section 4760.

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), the department shall refuse to renew the registration of a vehicle for which a notice of noncompliance has been transmitted to the department pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 40002.1 if no certificate of adjudication has been received by the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of that section. The department shall include on each potential registration card issued for use at the time of renewal, or on an accompanying document, an itemization of citations for which notices of noncompliance have been received by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 40002.1. The itemization shall include the citation number, citation date, and the jurisdiction that issued the underlying notice pursuant to Section 40002 and the administrative service fee for clearing the offense pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section.
  (b) Upon application for renewal of vehicle registration for a vehicle subject to subdivision (a), the department shall not refuse registration renewal pursuant to subdivision (a) if the applicant, with respect to each outstanding certificate of noncompliance, has performed both of the following:
  (1) Provides the department with a certificate of adjudication for the offense issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 40002.1.
  (2) Pays an administrative service fee, which shall be established by the department to, in the aggregate, defray its costs in administering this section.
  (c) Whenever registration of a vehicle subject to subdivision (a) is transferred or not renewed for two renewal periods, the department shall notify each court that transmitted a notice of noncompliance affecting the vehicle of the transfer of, or lack of renewal of, the registration and the department shall not thereafter refuse registration renewal pursuant to subdivision (a).

(a) If delinquent parking or toll violations have been reported to the department for a vehicle for which a transfer of ownership and registration has been requested, the department shall not transfer ownership and registration unless the transferee requesting the transfer pays all of the fines and penalties for those violations to the department, or provides an original abstract or notice of disposition from the court or designated processing agency that the fines and penalties for those violations have been cleared with the parking agency or the court.
  (b) This section only applies if the transfer requested is one described in Section 6285 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.