Amended in Assembly March 10, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 2, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1752

Introduced by Assembly Member Melendez

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gallagher, Harper, Olsen, Steinorth, and Wagner)

(Coauthor: Senator Nielsen)

February 2, 2016

An act to amend Section 9250 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1752, as amended, Melendez. Vehicles: registration fees.

Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to charge a registration fee on every vehicle or trailer coach, as specified. Existing law also authorizes the imposition of certain additional fees and surcharges, including, among others, an additional fee, as specified, on all motor vehicles to fund local programs relating to vehicle theft crimes.

This bill would require the DMV to clearly identify the registration fee as the base registration fee on any application for renewal of registration, and to aggregate any additional fees or surcharges added to the base registration fee as a separate and distinct line item on those applications. The bill would require the DMV to post on its Internet Web site a clear description of each additional fee or surcharge added to the base registration fee, including the statutory authority for that fee or surcharge. The bill would also require the DMV to provide with each application for renewal of registration the Internet Web site address where this information can be accessed.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 9250 of the Vehicle Code is amended to
read:

9250.  

(a) A registration fee of thirty-one dollars ($31) shall
be paid to the department for the registration of every vehicle or
trailer coach of a type subject to registration under this code, except
those vehicles that are expressly exempted under this code from
the payment of registration fees. This subdivision applies to all of
the following:

(1) The initial or original registration, on or after January 1,
2004, but before July 1, 2011, of any vehicle not previously
registered in this state.

(2) The renewal of registration of any vehicle for which the
registration period expires on or after January 1, 2004, but before
July 1, 2011, regardless of whether a renewal application was
mailed to the registered owner prior to January 1, 2004.

(b) A registration fee of forty-three dollars ($43) shall be paid
to the department for the registration of each vehicle or trailer
coach of a type subject to registration under this code, except those
vehicles that are expressly exempted under this code from the
payment of registration fees. This subdivision applies to all of the
following:

(1) The initial or original registration, on or after July 1, 2011,
of any vehicle not previously registered in this state.

(2) The renewal of registration of any vehicle for which the
registration period expires on or after July 1, 2011, regardless of
whether a renewal application was mailed to the registered owner
prior to July 1, 2011.

(c) The registration fee imposed under this section applies to
all vehicles described in Section 5004, whether or not special
identification plates are issued to that vehicle.

(d) Trailer coaches are subject to the registration fee provided
in subdivision (a) or (b) for each unit of the trailer coach.

(e) The amounts collected pursuant to the increase in the
registration fee as specified in subdivision (b) shall be used only
for costs incurred in connection with the regulation of vehicles,
including administrative costs for vehicle registration.

(f) (1) The department shall clearly identify the registration fee
required by begin delete this section end delete begin insert subdivision (b) end insert as the “base registration
fee” on any application for renewal of registration.

(2) The department shall aggregate any additional fees or
surcharges as a separate and distinct line item on the application
for renewal of registration.

(3)  The department shall post on its Internet Web site a clear
description of each additional fee or surcharge added to the base
registration fee, including the purpose for each fee or surcharge
and the statutory authority for that fee or surcharge. The department
shall provide with each application for renewal of registration the
Internet Web site address where this information can be accessed.