I just wanted to come in here and introduce myself. I just moved to Cali from Orlando Florida. I was searching the CA DMV site for obtaining a license and things for purchasing a car here(on the lookout for a clean low-mileage S5 TII or clean FD..pipe dream) and basically I got confused, it seems so complex. In Florida it was so simple, buy a car and title it, no emissions or safety inspection or anything like that. What I am confused on is, I tried to calculate licensing fees for a car on the site and it came out to like 600 bucks, without sales tax(if Cali has sales tax) ! Also I need to take a driver's test here? Hmm, can someone shed some light for me?

--Mitch

 

Yea, there's no light to shed. CA is run by *****, and registering a car here costs a lot of money, and so does keeping it emissions compliant. Also, they will fine you if they think you were driving your out of state car here for more than 10 days and then try to register it.

 

if at all possible, register your car in florida. it will save a LOT of headaches. otherwise you have to smog it every two years here, get busted for breaking emissions laws, lots of bad things. just find someone you know still living in florida, use their po box or somthing to register your car to. also, get your license there as well. when you get pulled over, you can say you are just visiting.

 

+1 for what cool as crap said, if you do that you will save much much, more money

 

Hmm I don't think he is switching registration form florida to california... Looks like he needs to get a CA drivers liscense. If you have your florida liscense.. you just pay a fee, take a written test, and get a new picture taken..

As for buying a car.. pretty simple.. The seller HAS TO (per Califonia law) smog the car. All you need to register it is, title, and smog slip.. then you bend over a bit to get raped for taxes...


Hope that helps.

 

Yeah, trainwreck is correct. I am right now without a car, haha..sad really. BUT I am in the market to purchase a car, so I am wondering if I need a CA license first or whatever. Thanks guys.

 

BTW Lil Red your FC looks like my old T04'd GXL, red with Gold Volk Gramlights...ahh I miss that car.

 

I would recommend looking on Craigslist for the car you want, its probably the best place.

 

You will need proof of insurance to register the car. Also I think you need proof of insurance to get a license now to. You have 30 or 60 days to get a CA license after you insure the car, then register it. So, find car first then get insurance then get ca license. I think that's it.

 

you don't need a insurance to get a license

no proof of insurance needed to buy a car or register it, i did mine a while back, they need proof of sale, seller does not have to smog.

i bought a shell, and i had to pay for registration, since the previous owner did a PNO (planned non operation), i still gotta do smog since the car is still not running yet. they just give you a temporary permit thing, you hang it somewhere a cop can see, so they don't pull you over, you know those like 4x5 post cards that have numbers on them, the number is the month when they expire.

you pay for the general transfer fees, BS CA taxes (theres like a $1 clean air tax i think, i forget), registration fee (if it is up for renewal), sales tax, and use tax.

They gave me the bill, and there was like 18 or so lines of tax... all BS stuff, and sales tax is 8.25% of what you paid for the car if i'm not wrong

a copy of your registratoin is needed when you buy insurance, that's about it

 

 

screw that. keep it registered in Florida as your insurance will jump sky high in LA. The only time that you would get a break is when you have a clean record and have multiple car discount as in 5+ vehicles like me . Just keep your nose clean and below the radar, you should do fine.

 

thats what i did..my car is registered in florida i just dont do crazy stuff on the streets to draw attention...just tell em you are here for work and you will be straight 9-10 they dont bother out of town plates like...FL,NC,NY.. so on because they think you are in the military

 

Thanks Fellas.

All my questions were answered.

 

BTW I have two names,(one for each FC I had at the time) I'm RenofHeavens as well.