Hi,
I just moved to CA and I am thinking of buying a $500 volvo beater that was left unregistered fof 10 months or so.

I understand I'll have to smog the car and pay for that, but what's the deal with the expired registration fees? How much total can I expect to pay if I buy it? I can't find a table of fees anywhere on da net.

Educate me

CW

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https://mv.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/index.jsp

Yea, I found that too, but problem is I don't have the vin or license plate # of the car, and I won't have it until I go to look at it, so I would have no idea whether it is worth it to buy it unless I collect that info and come back and punch in the numbers.

Anyone from California know a rough estimate of the fee for a car not registered for a year? Is it so esoteric of a calculation system that you can only do it by some strange formula of vin and licence plate numbers, maybe multiplied by my birth date, divided by my mother's maiden name?

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Registration is based on value of the vehicle. So, for $500 it'll be fairly cheap. My wagon costs $80 a year. My wife's C230 costs $216 a year to register.

You'll pay late fees because the PO didn't register the vehicle. So, in addition to the normal annual registration fee, you'll pay a prorated amount (10-months worth), plus a late fee penalty - probably 10-20%.

There is a estimate calculator on the DMV website as well.

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1982 240 D, 308,000 - 321,127 miles (sold)
1982 300 TD,166,500 - 226,000 miles
1998 E 320, 120,000 - 144,000 miles
2005 C 230 K, 26,000 - 77,000 miles (sold)

So assuming that the fee is roughly the same for an 89 volvo as it is for an 82 benz wagon, I could be in for roughly $150 to register it, plus the smog cost?

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As I said above, I would think so. Good luck

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

CA thinks my 82 is worth $3,000-$4,000. I would think a $500 volvo would be a little cheaper to register.

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1982 240 D, 308,000 - 321,127 miles (sold)
1982 300 TD,166,500 - 226,000 miles
1998 E 320, 120,000 - 144,000 miles
2005 C 230 K, 26,000 - 77,000 miles (sold)

What year is the car? And how many months exactly have gone by since the car's tags have expired?

If the car is old, the actual registration fee isn't going to be much.

The sticker on my 1991 560SEC for example, which is for a year and expires in December 2008, was merely $77.00 This is not much for a car that new, cost $84,500.

I bought a lien sale car for Chadahar here, a 1989 560SEC, for $2200 at the end of March of this year. The seller had brought the tags up to date, I think they were expired or off the car, but the car had BRAND NEW license plates and a sticker good through the end of April 2009 on them.

I still have the copy of the new registration card for the car.
It was $117 out the door for everything. Not sure whether or not the sticker was long expired, but I am pretty sure it was, so that would have included penalties.


all you need to worry about is the penalty. If it is an OLD beater Volvo I doubt it will be much, even it is double.

So I will say maybe about $50 extra is your penalty.

Probably out the door without paying more than $150 max, would be my wild a$$ guess.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Silly states with these fees... with my fleet I'm glad I live in Maryland, I would hate to be taxed on each vehicle every year I'd go broke.

Also there is a limit to how cheap the tax value is. Here the lowest amount is $500 you can put on the title- It doesnt matter if you paid $150, they will still tax you as if you bought it for $500. I have paid $500 for evey car I've bought

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Looks like Colorado is considering the same fees.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=107756&catid=339

Its still just a plan and hasn't been put to a vote yet.

Its not too bad. I got a car for free because of $225ish worth of back dated and current fees...

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Most old cars like the MB diesels have $57 registration fees annually so even if it was a year or two back it's not terrible. My 12 year old truck costs $250 a year to register!

You can always just go the DMV info desk and ask them.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k