The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) does not offer a grace period for paying your annual vehicle registration fees. Be sure to pay your renewal fees on or before the expiration date shown on your current registration card, or DMV will charge penalties. Even though your license plates display only the month and year, your registration expires on a specific day. Be sure to check the registration card for the actual expiration date.
If you do not receive a billing notice approximately 60 days before your vehicle’s registration expires, please call us at 1-800-777-0133 to find out what your fees are.
The longer you delay payment, the greater the penalty amount will be. Penalty fees are assessed in addition to any other fees due.
Penalties are determined by adding a percentage of the vehicle license fee, plus a registration late fee, plus a California Highway Patrol (CHP) late fee.
| If payment is late: | Percentage of vehicle license fee and weight fee | Registration late fee | CHP late fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – 10 days* | – 10% of the vehicle license fee due for that year. – 10% of the weight fee due for that year (if any). | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| 11 – 30 days* | – 20% of the vehicle license fee due for that year. – 20% of the weight fee due for that year (if any). | $15.00 | $15.00 |
| 31 days – one year* | – 60% of the vehicle license fee due for that year. – 60% of the weight fee due for that year (if any). | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| More than one year – two years | – 80% of the vehicle license fee due for that year. – 80% of the weight fee due for that year (if any). | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| More than two years | – 160% of the vehicle license fee due for that year. – 160% of the weight fee due for that year (if any). | $100.00 | $100.00 |