Quick facts TL;DR · 5 bullets
✓ New California residents have 20 days to register an out-of-state vehicle (Vehicle Code §6700); penalties begin on day 21.
✓ Residency is intent-based — taking a job, enrolling children in school, registering to vote, or claiming a homeowner's exemption starts the clock (Vehicle Code §12505).
✓ The vehicle needs a VIN verification (REG 31) and — critically — a smog check: the "newer vehicle" smog exemption does not apply to a nonresident vehicle.
✓ Registration is done in person — the VIN check and document review can't be finished online.
✓ Use tax may be owed at registration, but a vehicle owned more than 12 months before you established residency is generally exempt.
Deadline 20 days Vehicle Code §6700
Residency Intent-based Vehicle Code §12505
VIN check REG 31 required
Smog Required — no newer-vehicle exemption
Where In person only
Driver license 10 days (separate deadline)
Bringing a vehicle from another state — whether you moved to California or bought a car elsewhere and drove it home — is its own registration path, with a hard deadline and two requirements a local purchase doesn’t have: a VIN verification and a smog check. This guide covers the out-of-state and new-resident case specifically; for a dealer, private-party, or gift purchase, see the new-registration hub.
The boundary this page keeps: it’s about registering the vehicle. Changing who owns it — signing the title, a lien — is title & ownership transfer.
When the 20-day clock starts
The deadline is 20 days from the day you establish California residency or take a job here (Vehicle Code §6700). Miss it and late penalties apply from day 21.
What trips people up is when residency begins, because it’s intent-based, not a fixed move-in date (Vehicle Code §12505). Any of these establish California residency:
- Taking a job in California, or being present for more than a temporary purpose
- Enrolling your children in a California school
- Registering to vote in California
- Claiming a homeowner’s property-tax exemption
- Renting or leasing a home as your residence
Full-time students who keep their residency in another state are generally not treated as California residents for registration. The 20-day vehicle deadline also runs alongside a shorter one: new residents have 10 days to get a California driver license. The two are separate — don’t let the vehicle deadline mask the license one.
Documents you'll need
1
What to bring
- An Application for Title or Registration (REG 343)
- The out-of-state title (or, if a lienholder holds it, the current out-of-state registration)
- The current out-of-state registration card
- A smog certificate (see the smog catch below)
- Proof of California insurance
- A completed VIN verification (REG 31)
- Your out-of-state license plates, to surrender at registration
Heads up.For a vehicle less than 10 model years old bought from a seller who wasn't the titled owner, a REG 262 or a REG 135 Bill of Sale is also needed to document the purchase price and odometer.
Cost
Registration fee (base)
Includes the $3 alternative-fuel/technology fee
California Highway Patrol (CHP) fee
Vehicle license fee (VLF)
Based on the vehicle's current value; reassessed each year
VIN verification (REG 31)
About $5 if done at a DMV field office
Use tax
Collected at registration at your local rate — see the exemption below
Registration totals depend on the vehicle's value (the VLF is 0.65% of it), so use the fee schedule or the DMV's fee calculator for a figure — this guide doesn't estimate a total. Use tax is set by the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), not the DMV, and the rate depends on your address.
How to apply — step by step
The out-of-state path adds a VIN check and a smog test to a standard registration — and it's always in person.
1
Confirm your residency date
The 20-day clock starts the day you establish residency or take a job in California (Vehicle Code §6700). Residency is intent-based — see below for what counts.
2
Get a VIN verification (REG 31)
An authorized verifier physically inspects the vehicle and completes a REG 31. It's free at a CHP office or through AAA (members), and about $5 at a DMV field office. If the vehicle is still in another state, an out-of-state peace officer can complete it.
3
Get a smog certificate
Have the vehicle smog-tested at a licensed station. The newer-vehicle exemption does not apply to an out-of-state vehicle — see the catch below and smog exemptions.
4
Gather the documents
The REG 343, the out-of-state title and registration, the smog certificate, proof of California insurance, and the completed REG 31 — the full list is above.
5
Apply in person and pay
Bring everything to a DMV office, surrender your out-of-state plates, and pay the registration fees plus any use tax. This step can't be done online because of the VIN check and document review.
Special cases
The newer-vehicle smog exemption does NOT apply
This is the catch that surprises people. For a resident renewing registration, a vehicle 4 model years old or newer is exempt from smog. That exemption does not apply to a nonresident vehicle being registered for the first time in California. The out-of-state threshold is by model year: a gasoline vehicle from 1976 or newer, or a diesel from 1998 or newer under 14,001 lbs GVWR, needs a smog check. Motorcycles, electric vehicles, 1975-and-older gasoline vehicles, and pre-1998 diesels are exempt. So a two-year-old car that a resident could renew without smog still needs one when a new resident registers it.
The direct-import bar (very new, low-mileage vehicles)
A vehicle less than two model years old with under 7,500 miles generally can't be registered in California unless it's certified to California emission standards — or a REG 256F exemption applies. A vehicle built for another market can be blocked from registration entirely, so verify certification before buying one to bring in.
Use tax and the 12-month rule
Use tax is owed at registration unless you owned and used the vehicle for more than 12 months before establishing California residency, or you can show tax already paid to another state (a credit may apply). The rate depends on your city and county, so the DMV collects it at your local rate — this guide doesn't state a rate. See the CDTFA use-tax rules.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to register my car after moving to California?
20 days from establishing residency or taking a job in California (Vehicle Code §6700). Registering after that brings late penalties, which begin on day 21. This is separate from the 10-day deadline to get a California driver license.
Does my out-of-state car need a smog check to register?
Usually yes. The exemption that lets residents skip smog on newer vehicles does not apply to a nonresident vehicle. A gasoline vehicle from 1976 or newer, or a diesel from 1998 or newer under 14,001 lbs, needs a smog check before first registration in California. Motorcycles and electric vehicles are exempt. See smog exemptions.
What makes me a California resident for vehicle registration?
Residency is intent-based (Vehicle Code §12505). Taking a job, enrolling your children in school, registering to vote, or claiming a homeowner's property-tax exemption in California all establish it. Full-time students who keep their out-of-state residency are generally not treated as residents for this purpose.
Do I need a VIN verification, and what does it cost?
Yes — an out-of-state vehicle needs a VIN verification on a REG 31. It's free at a CHP office or through AAA for members, and about $5 at a DMV field office. If the car is still out of state, an out-of-state peace officer can complete the form.
Do I owe use tax on a car I brought from another state?
It depends. A vehicle you owned and used for more than 12 months before becoming a California resident is generally exempt, and tax paid to another state may credit against what's owed. Otherwise use tax is collected at registration at your local rate. The CDTFA sets the rules; this page doesn't state a rate.
Can I register my out-of-state vehicle online?
No. The VIN verification and document review have to happen in person, so an out-of-state or new-resident registration is completed at a DMV office, not online.
I just moved — do I also need a California driver license?
Yes, and sooner: new residents have 10 days to get a California driver license, versus 20 days for the vehicle (Vehicle Code §12505). If you're only updating your address on an existing California record, that's a change of address instead.
Related guides
Other guides readers of this page also use.
Smog check exemptions Why the newer-vehicle rule doesn't apply here Register a salvage or revived-salvage vehicle If the out-of-state car carries a salvage brand Change of address Updating an existing California record instead New registration — all paths Dealer, private-party, gift, and this one
About this guide
Published by
DMVCA· an independent California DMV information publisher
Fact-checking
Fact-checked against primary sources — the California Vehicle Code, DMV publications, and government sources — and cited on the page.
Update cadence
Reviewed quarterly and after any federal or state policy change.
Sources. California DMV — Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures (VIRP) manual · California DMV — New registration · California Vehicle Code §6700 (nonresident vehicles, 20 days) · California Vehicle Code §12505 (residency) · CDTFA — Use tax
Last verified July 16, 2026 · reviewed quarterly and after any policy change.