How to register a car in Cali without a permanent residence?

December 29, 2014 11:24 AM

Returning a leased car out of state, prior to the move. Will be in a short term rental for 1 month while I search for an apartment. Will need a car during that month and want to buy one ASAP when I get there. more details inside.

I'll be in the final 30-day stretch in lease where I can return the car without penalty. It is not a car I would feel safe in driving across country so want to avoid that & avoid costs to ship a car I'm going to return soon after.

Having difficulty finding an apartment by the time we need to be there, so plan on doing a short-term rental for the first month while we look for an apartment. In the interim, need a car to get to work & to find a place. I'd like to avoid paying for a car rental for a month.

How could I register a new car & get car insurance for the interim month while I'm staying at an airbnb or a hotel?

Thanks for ANY information!

posted by kmr to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

I brought my car out to California and when I registered it here I was living in a one-month sublet. I used that address and that's what went on my title because that's where I was living. I don't remember having any problems, I definitely didn't have any bills in my name at that address (or a written lease) and my license had a previous (California) street address on it. I think I also had a mailbox at a non-USPS place (so the address looked like a street address) at the time, but I'm not sure if I needed that address for anything. I might have had the documents mailed to me there.
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:31 AM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh, and I just updated my address with the DMV when I moved. Not that difficult.
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:32 AM on December 29, 2014

The California DMV is so antiquated and backed up that you could register you car to Mr S Claus, N Pole Lane, TotallyRealPlaceLand, CA and no one would bat an eye.

Seriously, don't worry about it. They check nothing.

Insurance is another matter, can you keep your current insurance agent for a while?
posted by fshgrl at 12:13 PM on December 29, 2014

My guests from Europe bought a car yesterday and insured and registered it today very easily with AAA, for a 3 month road trip. You need the insurance to do the registration. Insurance was done on the phone with AAA then they went to the AAA office for the reg. Very painless.
posted by anadem at 8:16 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

As long as you are paying registration fees, they are happy.

P.S. It ain't "Cali"
posted by lathrop at 10:38 AM on December 30, 2014