(a) Any nonresident owner of a vehicle registered in a foreign state who is a member or spouse of a member of the armed forces of the United States on active duty within this state, and any resident owner of a vehicle registered in a foreign state who is a member or spouse of a member of the armed forces of the United States returning from active duty in a foreign state, may operate the vehicle in this state without securing California registration after satisfying all of the following requirements:

(1) The license plates displayed on the vehicle are valid plates issued by a foreign jurisdiction.

Terms Used In California Vehicle Code 6701

  • business: includes a proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and any other form of commercial enterprise. See California Vehicle Code 234
  • commercial vehicle: is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property. See California Vehicle Code 260
  • driver: is a person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 305
  • foreign jurisdiction: is a ny other state, the District of Columbia, territories or possessions of the United States, and foreign states, provinces, or countries. See California Vehicle Code 325
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • motor vehicle: includes a recreational vehicle as that term is defined in subdivision (a) of §. See California Vehicle Code 415
  • Nonresident: is a person who is not a resident of this State. See California Vehicle Code 435
  • owner: is a person having all the incidents of ownership, including the legal title of a vehicle whether or not such person lends, rents, or creates a security interest in the vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 460
  • Person: includes a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Vehicle Code 470
  • Resident: means any person who manifests an intent to live or be located in this state on more than a temporary or transient basis. See California Vehicle Code 516
  • vehicle: is a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See California Vehicle Code 670

(2) The vehicle registration and license plates are issued to the military person or spouse of the military person.

(3) The vehicle registration and license plates were issued by the foreign jurisdiction where the military person was last regularly assigned and stationed for duty by military orders or a jurisdiction claimed by the nonresident military person as the permanent state of residence.

(4) If the vehicle is a motor vehicle, the owner or driver has in force one of the forms of financial responsibility specified in Section 16021.

(b) For purposes of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), military orders do not include military orders for leave, for temporary duty, or for any other assignment of any nature requiring the military person’s presence outside the foreign jurisdiction where the owner was regularly assigned and stationed for duty.

(c) This section applies to all vehicles owned by the military person or spouse except any commercial vehicle used in any business manner wherein the military person or spouse receives compensation.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 100, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2000.)

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