Ok, so I am starting school, and bringing my car from WA to here. Do you know if I have to register as a permanent resident? Also, I guess I have to get my car smog checked and all that crap. I looked over the CA DMV site and I couldn't find anything to specific to my situation, maybe one of you will know, or I'll just wait and call up the 800 # when I get there. Man, CA is not very relaxed about their cars....

 

California is a pain in the butt with smog's. My suggestion if you have family in WA and plan on going back is to leave your reg there in WA. It's getting tougher to do but still is possible depending on how long you will be here.

egg

 

So you're saying to never contact the DMV in CA at all? Keep my out of state plates, and my out of state license? I guess I'd kind of be a visitor while going to school, I'm not really sure, would a non CA car have problems getting smogged?

 

Non cal cars can be smogged, But 9 times outa 10 the do an ECU update and it drops some power. I purchased a used Dodge truck from Arizona and had to take it to the dealer and since i was a cal resident they detuned or SMOGGED my truck. I lost huge power. I would say yes keep your outa state plates and license. You could always apply for CA DL and keep your WA too, they dont know you have a car. But if you get pulled over make sure to use your WA DL with WA plates.

Any others that can help out here.

Egg

 

Oh ya. If you have any modded parts IE: TB exhaust or any motor work it may also cost you some money to go back to stock or CAT back and so on.

Egg

 

Ok, so I can't get fined for not reregistering in CA, as long as my WA stuff is all legit?

 

As long as you stick with "I am visiting family and friends here in california" and you have somewhere to send all documents to IE: Tickets, Registration in WA. You should be good to go.

 

It depends on how long you plan on staying in CA. The one nice thing about CA is that after a year you become a resident and can get in state tuition, unlike some other states. So if you are just here for grad school (2years) and plan on leaving then I wouldn’t change the registration. However, if you plan on staying in CA after school or even for just 4 years of school then it makes it worth it to register here in CA.

The only time you really need to worry about your out of state registration is if you have been pulled over or are regularly followed by a cop. They will enter your plate in a database and if it comes up with showing you have been in CA within a given amount of time (based on a pervious entry of your plate), they will nail you.

A nice way around not registering your car in CA yet still getting residency is to go to the DMV and get an ID card. As long as CA and WA DMVs are not linked to each other then you have no problem, as far as CA knows you don’t have a car.

 

NO you can get fined, there is a certain amount of days you can be in CA without registering your car. If the cop can prove you have been here past that time then you will be fined.

Saying your visiting is fine and dandy unless you get pulled over more then once and they are close enough together to establish you live here.

 

Thaks for clarifying Stars. I been getting around smogs to long now to remember all the details...Love the weather hate the smog laws...

 

i believe that if you are going to school and your not trying to claim residence in california you can keep your out of state plates/registration

i say leave it where you are. heck i still have arizona registration/license/plates and i haven't lived there in over a year.

the key is, don't get pulled over

 

"the key is, don't get pulled over"

For sure, cause if I do, my parents would for sure know, since it would go to their address. Well, I just won't worry about it unless I get pulled over, then I'll have 20 days. My car is originally from CA so I guess it must have all the required stuff?!

 

They don't even need to pull you over. CHP has been cracking down on out of state vehicles...so called "cheaters". I drove my car down from Oregon and received a letter to my Oregon address stating that my REX needs to be register in California because the CHP had noted that I've been driving around down here...I have never been pulled over. Also, someone can also report you via the CHP website. They give you a chance to explain your situation, but for me, it was easier to just register, smog my car and get my CA plates.

 

http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/cheaters.html

CHEATAZ!!!!