(a) A penalty shall be added upon any delinquent application as provided in Section 9552, except as provided in Section 4604 or 9706, or in subdivision (b).

(b) When renewal fee penalties have not accrued with respect to a vehicle and the vehicle is transferred, the transferee has 20 days from the date of the transfer to pay the registration fees which become due without payment of penalties or to file a certification pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4604 if the vehicle will not be operated, moved, or left standing upon any highway during the subsequent registration year, except as provided in subdivision (c).

Terms Used In California Vehicle Code 9553

  • Dealer: is a person not otherwise expressly excluded by Section 286 who:

    California Vehicle Code 285

  • Highway: is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See California Vehicle Code 360
  • lessor-retailer: is a lessor or renter who, except under the circumstances described in subdivision (a) of Section 286, makes a retail sale or sales of a previously leased or rented vehicle or vehicles to other than any of the following:

    California Vehicle Code 373

  • transferee: is a person who has acquired the sole ownership of or an equity in a vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code. See California Vehicle Code 640
  • used vehicle: is a vehicle that has been sold, or has been registered with the department, or has been sold and operated upon the highways, or has been registered with the appropriate agency of authority, of any other state, District of Columbia, territory or possession of the United States or foreign state, province or country, or unregistered vehicles regularly used or operated as demonstrators in the sales work of a dealer or unregistered vehicles regularly used or operated by a manufacturer in the sales or distribution work of such manufacturer. See California Vehicle Code 665
  • 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

(c) (1) A dealer or lessor-retailer submitting an application for registration or transfer of a used vehicle shall have 30 days from the date of sale to submit the fees, without the penalty that otherwise would be required under subdivision (a).

(2) This subdivision does not apply to penalties due or accrued prior to the date of sale by the dealer or lessor-retailer.

(d) A penalty shall be added if the fees specified in Section 9255 are not paid within 20 days after they become delinquent.

(e) In addition to the imposition of monetary fines or fees as specified in this section, delinquent registration may result in impoundment of the vehicle pursuant to Section 22651.

(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 805, Sec. 14. Effective September 23, 2002.)