Register RV in another state

As a retired CHP supervisor with 33 years on the Patrol I'll add my two cents worth.

1. Register out of state and a good friend/neighbor will snitch you off. We had snitches come into our offices all the time because somebody is/was avoiding taxes.

2. Every office has as least one officer dedicated at least part time to foreign registration investigations.

3. California registration and drivers license REQUIRED within ten days of gainful employment. There are a very few exceptions, the best known, active duty military who are not licensed in CA. Their d/l is valid, even if expired. Active duty military with a CA d/l must keep their d/l current.

Residency is a state of mind, but there are several obvious factors that will definitely influence the officer's decision to cite or not cite.

Registered to vote in CA
Kids in school in CA
Employed in CA
Resident fishing/hunting license in CA

The easiest, safest, least worrisome is register your vehicles where you consider home.


Not only is the CHP fully funded by vehicle registration fees, DMV is also and CALTRANS gets a bunch of money from registration fees.

The registration and drivers licensing laws are very complex and change all the time. The best, most accurate information is from the local DMV and state police. City and county police are usually NOT good sources for accurate registration and d/l information since their interests generally focus on crimes against people and property.

BobGed wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
And for the second time, no I didn't say that. There are rules on when a vehicle has to be registered in the state. I'm not going to repeat them all here. I simply pointed out that the CHP actively works these cases. What they are looking for mainly is California residents who have vehicles registered out of state.

And what they really love are the coaches with Montana plates and toads with California plates.

Correct, there are things that tip them off. Motorhomes in long term storage lots, parked in residential areas, and things of that nature. Not ones at a campground that are normally filled with out of state plates.

msmith1199 wrote:
And for the second time, no I didn't say that. There are rules on when a vehicle has to be registered in the state. I'm not going to repeat them all here. I simply pointed out that the CHP actively works these cases. What they are looking for mainly is California residents who have vehicles registered out of state.

And what they really love are the coaches with Montana plates and toads with California plates.

mowermech wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Ranger Smith wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Snowman9000 wrote:
Jim, very interesting. Thanks for posting that. I would suspect that a fellow forum member or reader probably turned you in. I can't imagine the IL Dept of Revenue having people with time to browse forums looking for violators.

Why wouldn't they? You're talking big money if people are unlawfully avoiding taxes. They have people whose job it is to find those people so why not troll forums looking for cases?

The California Highway Patrol's budget comes from vehicle registration fees. The actively go out and look for RV's with out of state plates. They will then watch those vehicles on a regular basis to determine how long they remain in the state. Once they documented several months of the vehicle being in the state they have DMV send the person a letter saying they have information they have a vehicle in the State that needs to be registered in California. Many of these people then comply and go to DMV and sign a document under penalty of perjury that the vehicle has been in the state less than 30 days so they don't have to pay penalties. Well too bad because CHP already knows how long the vehicle has been here and the person ends up with a felony perjury charge.

So what you are saying is if I drive to California and go to Disneyland and say stay in a campground for 2 months and go to Seaworld and take in the different sites . . . I need to register my vehicles in California . . . I DON'T THINK SO!!!

Can you please point out where I said that. I don't seem to be able to find it. It's a fairly complex set of laws and I don't think there is enough room for me to explain them all here. But clearly there are exceptions.

"The California Highway Patrol's budget comes from vehicle registration fees. The actively go out and look for RV's with out of state plates. They will then watch those vehicles on a regular basis to determine how long they remain in the state. Once they documented several months of the vehicle being in the state they have DMV send the person a letter saying they have information they have a vehicle in the State that needs to be registered in California. Many of these people then comply and go to DMV and sign a document under penalty of perjury that the vehicle has been in the state less than 30 days so they don't have to pay penalties. Well too bad because CHP already knows how long the vehicle has been here and the person ends up with a felony perjury charge."

So, what you are saying is that if my wife takes up Travel Nursing again, and she gets a CA contract for 13 weeks, we must register the motorhome and the Jeep in CA for the term of the contract, then re-register in MT after we leave CA? IF, in fact, that is true, here is one nurse that will NEVER go to CA on contract again, and we will spread the word to ALL travel nurses that we meet!
As always, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it, and it might hurt!

And for the second time, no I didn't say that. There are rules on when a vehicle has to be registered in the state. I'm not going to repeat them all here. I simply pointed out that the CHP actively works these cases. What they are looking for mainly is California residents who have vehicles registered out of state.

It's against the law in Washington State! Not long ago people were getting arrested for tax evasion in Vancouver, Washington. They were going into Portland, Oregon (just across the river) to license there vehicles (cheaper). My license fees jumped up $75.00 this year. I was told, I have to pay $75.00 for light rail it was charged to me as a weight fee on my motorhome? There is no light rail in any of the counties in Washington State's Olympic Peninsula? I feel for you if your being taxed to death like us in Washington State! Are gasoline tax is going up 10 cents in the near future due to the Politicians in Olympia, WA. can stay within the reins of financial responsibility! So we suffer by having high taxes and the police giving out tickets to us to help make up the difference. My motorhome taxes were $30.00 several years ago now there at $200.00 and rising every year. I'll be moving to Arizona in the near future! I'm fed up also!

mowermech wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
Here's a rerun story I've told on here before but it's been awhile so I'll repeat it. A few years back I was camping with a group of people in a campground here in California. We were all in law enforcement and one was the County Sheriff. While we were sitting around one day the Sheriff started up with a guy in a neighboring RV who had a huge Montana 5th Wheel and a big one ton truck both with Montana plates. The Sheriff actually started talking to him because he wanted to move to Montana when he retired. During the conversation the guy revealed he didn't live in Montana, he lived in California and had never even been to Montana. He then went on to describe his Montana LLC and all the taxes he avoided and the fact that he keeps the trailer stored in California and makes sure it's behind his fence so nobody sees the Montana plates. During the conversation he asked us what we did. The Sheriff told him he was the County Sheriff and the guy looked at me and asked what I did. I told him I was a Criminal Investigator with the State Franchise Tax Board. You should have seen the look on his face, it was priceless. Then I let him off the hook and told him I wasn't. But I do think he learned his lesson about describing his tax evasion scheme to strangers in a campground.

Thank you for proving my major points:
KNOW the law;
OBEY the law;
and
DOCUMENT the fact that you have obeyed the law.

The person in your example was WRONG, and he KNEW it! As a California resident, he was well aware that the minute he brought his truck and trailer into the state, he was supposed to get it properly registered IN CALIFORNIA!
However, if he kept it out of state, and could prove that it had never been in CA, he would have been perfectly legal.

Now, as to using the roads and not paying my fair share. Sorry, wrong again. Registration fees are not used for road building and maintenance. Fuel taxes are, both Federal and State. In fact, that is one loophole I do not take advantage of. I have several gas powered units that do not operate on the roads. I do not apply for a refund of the fuel taxes for the fuel I use in this equipment, partly because I am too lazy to mess with the record keeping, and partly because it is less than 100 gallons per year, and the $40 or so I would get back isn't worth the trouble.
Come to think of it, those who drive a Prius or a Smart Car or some such vehicle; obviously YOU ARE NOT PAYING YOUR FAIR SHARE!
When you consider the vehicles I have chosen to own and drive, I definitely pay my share of highway taxes!

Man you know everything or at least you think you do. According to the Federal transportation and highway commission funding report, fuel taxes make up 24% of SHA funding. 13% is provided by vehicle and truck taxes. And in 2007 there was a 28% increase in the funds allocated from vehicle registration fees and taxes to State Highway budgets. To date the metric has not decreased.

From the Federal Highway commission:
The majority of state revenues for highways, roads and
bridges are derived from the following sources, in rough
order of significance:
 Fuel taxes;
 Sales taxes on fuel or additional fuel industry taxes
 Vehicle registration fees

Snowman9000 wrote:
Jim, very interesting. Thanks for posting that. I would suspect that a fellow forum member or reader probably turned you in. I can't imagine the IL Dept of Revenue having people with time to browse forums looking for violators.

I live near a indian reservation where there are lots of smoke shops. People get caught all the time for transporting un-taxed cigarettes. Caught, fined, cars impounded, prosecuted and even jailed. It happens on a regular basis. Now the police can't just pull them over randomly, they need some reason. The reason is alway a phone call from a trusted informant at the smoke shop, just as in Jim's story, a phone call from the selling dealer. Or even a phone call from the bank/lender, who is obligated by law to report very large financial transactions.

msmith1199 wrote:

Ranger Smith wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Snowman9000 wrote:
Jim, very interesting. Thanks for posting that. I would suspect that a fellow forum member or reader probably turned you in. I can't imagine the IL Dept of Revenue having people with time to browse forums looking for violators.

Why wouldn't they? You're talking big money if people are unlawfully avoiding taxes. They have people whose job it is to find those people so why not troll forums looking for cases?

The California Highway Patrol's budget comes from vehicle registration fees. The actively go out and look for RV's with out of state plates. They will then watch those vehicles on a regular basis to determine how long they remain in the state. Once they documented several months of the vehicle being in the state they have DMV send the person a letter saying they have information they have a vehicle in the State that needs to be registered in California. Many of these people then comply and go to DMV and sign a document under penalty of perjury that the vehicle has been in the state less than 30 days so they don't have to pay penalties. Well too bad because CHP already knows how long the vehicle has been here and the person ends up with a felony perjury charge.

So what you are saying is if I drive to California and go to Disneyland and say stay in a campground for 2 months and go to Seaworld and take in the different sites . . . I need to register my vehicles in California . . . I DON'T THINK SO!!!

Can you please point out where I said that. I don't seem to be able to find it. It's a fairly complex set of laws and I don't think there is enough room for me to explain them all here. But clearly there are exceptions.

"The California Highway Patrol's budget comes from vehicle registration fees. The actively go out and look for RV's with out of state plates. They will then watch those vehicles on a regular basis to determine how long they remain in the state. Once they documented several months of the vehicle being in the state they have DMV send the person a letter saying they have information they have a vehicle in the State that needs to be registered in California. Many of these people then comply and go to DMV and sign a document under penalty of perjury that the vehicle has been in the state less than 30 days so they don't have to pay penalties. Well too bad because CHP already knows how long the vehicle has been here and the person ends up with a felony perjury charge."

So, what you are saying is that if my wife takes up Travel Nursing again, and she gets a CA contract for 13 weeks, we must register the motorhome and the Jeep in CA for the term of the contract, then re-register in MT after we leave CA? IF, in fact, that is true, here is one nurse that will NEVER go to CA on contract again, and we will spread the word to ALL travel nurses that we meet!
As always, be careful what you wish for. You just might get it, and it might hurt!

msmith1199 wrote:
Here's a rerun story I've told on here before but it's been awhile so I'll repeat it. A few years back I was camping with a group of people in a campground here in California. We were all in law enforcement and one was the County Sheriff. While we were sitting around one day the Sheriff started up with a guy in a neighboring RV who had a huge Montana 5th Wheel and a big one ton truck both with Montana plates. The Sheriff actually started talking to him because he wanted to move to Montana when he retired. During the conversation the guy revealed he didn't live in Montana, he lived in California and had never even been to Montana. He then went on to describe his Montana LLC and all the taxes he avoided and the fact that he keeps the trailer stored in California and makes sure it's behind his fence so nobody sees the Montana plates. During the conversation he asked us what we did. The Sheriff told him he was the County Sheriff and the guy looked at me and asked what I did. I told him I was a Criminal Investigator with the State Franchise Tax Board. You should have seen the look on his face, it was priceless. Then I let him off the hook and told him I wasn't. But I do think he learned his lesson about describing his tax evasion scheme to strangers in a campground.

Thank you for proving my major points:
KNOW the law;
OBEY the law;
and
DOCUMENT the fact that you have obeyed the law.

The person in your example was WRONG, and he KNEW it! As a California resident, he was well aware that the minute he brought his truck and trailer into the state, he was supposed to get it properly registered IN CALIFORNIA!
However, if he kept it out of state, and could prove that it had never been in CA, he would have been perfectly legal.

Now, as to using the roads and not paying my fair share. Sorry, wrong again. Registration fees are not used for road building and maintenance. Fuel taxes are, both Federal and State. In fact, that is one loophole I do not take advantage of. I have several gas powered units that do not operate on the roads. I do not apply for a refund of the fuel taxes for the fuel I use in this equipment, partly because I am too lazy to mess with the record keeping, and partly because it is less than 100 gallons per year, and the $40 or so I would get back isn't worth the trouble.
Come to think of it, those who drive a Prius or a Smart Car or some such vehicle; obviously YOU ARE NOT PAYING YOUR FAIR SHARE!
When you consider the vehicles I have chosen to own and drive, I definitely pay my share of highway taxes!

Ranger Smith wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Snowman9000 wrote:
Jim, very interesting. Thanks for posting that. I would suspect that a fellow forum member or reader probably turned you in. I can't imagine the IL Dept of Revenue having people with time to browse forums looking for violators.

Why wouldn't they? You're talking big money if people are unlawfully avoiding taxes. They have people whose job it is to find those people so why not troll forums looking for cases?

The California Highway Patrol's budget comes from vehicle registration fees. The actively go out and look for RV's with out of state plates. They will then watch those vehicles on a regular basis to determine how long they remain in the state. Once they documented several months of the vehicle being in the state they have DMV send the person a letter saying they have information they have a vehicle in the State that needs to be registered in California. Many of these people then comply and go to DMV and sign a document under penalty of perjury that the vehicle has been in the state less than 30 days so they don't have to pay penalties. Well too bad because CHP already knows how long the vehicle has been here and the person ends up with a felony perjury charge.

So what you are saying is if I drive to California and go to Disneyland and say stay in a campground for 2 months and go to Seaworld and take in the different sites . . . I need to register my vehicles in California . . . I DON'T THINK SO!!!

Can you please point out where I said that. I don't seem to be able to find it. It's a fairly complex set of laws and I don't think there is enough room for me to explain them all here. But clearly there are exceptions.