Sticker shock

October 13, 2011 12:15 PM

Just had our car registered with the DMV and got the 2012 tags. Also took it into the mechanic. His advice was to get another car, because this one is about shot. I haven't put the stickers on the car yet. Should I save them for the new car we'll be getting in less than two months? Will this save me money? Or is it non-transferrable to the new vehicle?
posted by Spyder's Game to travel & transportation (10 answers total)

Where are you?
posted by box at 12:17 PM on October 13, 2011

What state or country are you in?
posted by Floydd at 12:18 PM on October 13, 2011

Or, rather, what state or country is the car registered in?
posted by box at 12:18 PM on October 13, 2011

Call the DMV. They should easily answer this question.
posted by anastasiav at 12:24 PM on October 13, 2011 [4 favorites]

I'm in Southern California.
posted by Spyder's Game at 12:43 PM on October 13, 2011

I don't know anywhere that registration is transferable like that. Also, in many places when you get pulled over with an unregistered vehicle you get your vehicle impounded. I think there was just a story about DC where they were actually jailing drivers of unregistered vehicles, although I think they were at least six months out of registration or something for that nastiness. I recommend you put the tags on.
posted by caddis at 1:07 PM on October 13, 2011

The registration paperwork in California has the make and model of the car on it. You cannot transfer the tags or the plates. They remain with the car when it is sold or transferred to another owner. If you get pulled over with missing or incorrect registration paperwork the fine is quite large, so I wouldn't risk it.

You might be able to call the DMV and change your registration type to non-operation and get some money back.
posted by twblalock at 1:08 PM on October 13, 2011

The exception in CA is personalized plates. Personalized or disabled plates belong to the owner, random plates belongs to the car.
posted by hwyengr at 1:19 PM on October 13, 2011

What are you planning to do with the current car? In California you can get registration refunded if you (and thus the car) move out of state between paying the new registration and the old registration expiring. You specifically can't get this refund for selling the car. I'm unsure about whether you can or not if the car is junked, so your best bet is to call up the dmv and ask.
posted by brainmouse at 1:20 PM on October 13, 2011

brainmouse, when my SoCal car got totaled last month my insurance company reimbursed me for the balance on the registration. That may be a company policy and not state law, Spyder's Game—call up the DMV and ask.
posted by infinitewindow at 6:58 PM on October 13, 2011