The short answer
Register within 20 days of becoming a California resident or getting a job here. You pay the same 2026 fees as everyone else: the $76 registration fee, the $34 CHP fee, the Vehicle License Fee (0.65% of the car's value), the Transportation Improvement Fee ($33 to $231 by value) and small county fees. For a $30,000 car that's $437 before county fees. Use tax applies only if you bought the car within the last 12 months, and you get credit for sales tax you already paid to another state.
The 20-day deadline
The DMV gives you 20 days after you become a resident or take a job in California. The DMV's out-of-state guide also says the fees must be paid within 20 days of the date they become due, and advises submitting on time even if you don't yet have everything, such as the title or smog certificate, to avoid penalties.
If you're late, a first California registration has its own penalty scale: up to one year late costs $30 plus 40% of the VLF plus a $30 CHP late fee, and the penalties rise after that. See late penalties in our California fee guide.
What you need
- Application for Title or Registration (REG 343), signed by every registered owner (and the leasing company for a leased car).
- Your out-of-state title. If a lender holds it, California issues a "Nontransferable" registration and no California title until it's surrendered.
- Your last out-of-state registration or renewal notice.
- Vehicle verification (REG 31), done by a DMV employee, a law enforcement officer or a licensed vehicle verifier.
- A smog certificate for gasoline vehicles from 1976 or newer, and diesel vehicles from 1998 or newer under 14,001 lbs.
- Commercial vehicles may also need a weight certificate.
Do you owe use tax?
CDTFA presumes a car was bought for use in California, and charges use tax, if it was bought outside California, first used outside California and brought here within 12 months of purchase, and it was bought by a California resident, needs California registration in its first 12 months, or (for a non-resident buyer) spends more than half of its first 12 months here.
- Owned more than 12 months before you brought it in: generally no use tax.
- Bought within the last 12 months: use tax at the rate where you register it, 7.25% to 11.75% in 2026. You can rebut the presumption with documents showing the car was bought for use outside California (purchase contract, out-of-state registration, insurance start date, receipts showing where it was used).
- Credit for tax paid elsewhere: sales or use tax you paid to another state is credited against California's use tax.
Worked example: a $30,000 car bought 6 months before you moved
You paid 6% sales tax in your old state ($1,800) and register in an area with the 7.25% base rate:
| Registration fee | $76.00 |
| CHP fee | $34.00 |
| Vehicle License Fee (0.65% × $30,000) | $195.00 |
| Transportation Improvement Fee ($25,000–$34,999 tier) | $132.00 |
| California use tax (7.25% × $30,000 = $2,175.00) minus $1,800.00 credit | $375.00 |
| Total before county fees and smog | $812.00 |
Had you owned the car for more than 12 months, the use tax line would generally be $0 and the total $437.00. The DMV sets the VLF value it uses; your exact amount comes when you apply.
Watch out: cars not built for California
California residents and businesses may not bring in or register a car that was under 2 years old with under 7,500 miles when they bought it, unless it was built to California emission standards or an exemption on form REG 256F applies. Check the emissions label under the hood before you buy a nearly new car out of state.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I drive on out-of-state plates in California?
Register within 20 days of becoming a resident or getting a job in California.
Do I pay California sales tax again on a car I already paid tax on?
Only if you bought it within 12 months of bringing it in, and then only the difference: CDTFA credits sales or use tax you paid to another state.
Is it cheaper to register a car I've owned for years?
Usually. No use tax is due on a car owned more than 12 months before entering California, and the TIF and VLF fall with the car's value.
Run the numbers
- CA DMV – California Driver Handbook, Section 11: Vehicle Registration Requirements (20 days)
- CA DMV – How To Register a Vehicle From Out of State (HTVR 9, rev. 3/2020)
- CA DMV – Registration Fees (fee page, last modified June 30, 2026)
- CA DMV – Registration Related Fees, late penalties (FFVR 34)
- CDTFA – Tax Guide for Purchasers of Vehicles (12-month rule, credit for tax paid to another state)
- CDTFA – City & County Sales and Use Tax Rates (effective Oct 1, 2026)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.