Skip to main content

Veh. Code, § 4000.1 · Article 1. Vehicles Subject to Registration

Veh. Code, § 4000.1

Verbatim from the official edition

Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b), (c), or (d) of this section, or subdivision (b) of Section 43654 of the Health and Safety Code, the department shall require upon initial registration, and upon transfer of ownership and registration, of any motor vehicle subject to Part 5 (commencing with Section 43000) of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, a valid certificate of compliance or a certificate of noncompliance, as appropriate, issued in accordance with Section 44015 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) With respect to new motor vehicles certified pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 43100) of Part 5 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, the department shall accept a statement completed pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 24007 in lieu of the certificate of compliance.

(c) For purposes of determining the validity of a certificate of compliance or noncompliance submitted in compliance with the requirements of this section, the definitions of new and used motor vehicle contained in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 39010) of Part 1 of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code shall control.

(d) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a transfer of ownership and registration under any of the following circumstances:

(1) The initial application for transfer is submitted within the 90-day validity period of a smog certificate as specified in Section 44015 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) The transferor is the parent, grandparent, sibling, child, grandchild, or spouse of the transferee.

(3) A motor vehicle registered to a sole proprietorship is transferred to the proprietor as owner.

(4) The transfer is between companies the principal business of which is leasing motor vehicles, if there is no change in the lessee or operator of the motor vehicle or between the lessor and the person who has been, for at least one year, the lessee’s operator of the motor vehicle.

(5) The transfer is between the lessor and lessee of the motor vehicle, if there is no change in the lessee or operator of the motor vehicle.

(6) The motor vehicle was manufactured prior to the 1976 model-year.

(7) Except for diesel-powered vehicles, the transfer is for a motor vehicle that is four or less model-years old. The department shall impose a fee of eight dollars ($8) on the transferee of a motor vehicle that is four or less model-years old. Revenues generated from the imposition of that fee shall be deposited into the Vehicle Inspection and Repair Fund.

(e) The State Air Resources Board, under Part 5 (commencing with Section 43000) of Division 26 of the Health and Safety Code, may exempt designated classifications of motor vehicles from subdivision (a) as it deems necessary, and shall notify the department of that action.

(f) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a motor vehicle when an additional individual is added as a registered owner of the motor vehicle.

(g) For purposes of subdivision (a), any collector motor vehicle, as defined in Section 259, is exempt from those portions of the test required by subdivision (f) of Section 44012 of the Health and Safety Code, if the collector motor vehicle meets all of the following criteria:

(1) Submission of proof that the motor vehicle is insured as a collector motor vehicle, as shall be required by regulation of the bureau.

(2) The motor vehicle is at least 35 model-years old.

(3) The motor vehicle complies with the exhaust emissions standards for that motor vehicle’s class and model year as prescribed by the department, and the motor vehicle passes a functional inspection of the fuel cap and a visual inspection for liquid fuel leaks.

Notes and commentary — not statutory text

History

Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 200, Sec. 7. (SB 734) Effective January 1, 2010.

Source of truth

Edition
As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
Official file
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=4000.1.
Text hash
sha256 ab62251b0b1b2a5f58f04941ede3ce9d24c91be4c408f1c6d92cd5133e14b613
Composed by
compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section

This section cites

Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.

Cited by 9 provisions

Provisions in this library whose text cites Veh. Code, § 4000.1. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.

Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.