I've been talking to you knowledgable people for what must be a couple of years about buying my New Truck/ :DI'm now ready to go.. the dealer has the DURA for the factory order for my F350 Powerstroke and I'm all set..BUT...One more thing!I live in CaliforniaI'm trying to find out about the GVWR limits here in CA.When ordering my truck I have three options:- 11,500Ib (the standard)- 11,400Ib- 10,000Ib I have an ordinary Class C drivers License.I want to make sure that I select the correct GVWR. If I get this wrong then I could find myself in trouble.I want to keep it on the high side because we want to tow a Toy Hauler eventually.Someone told me that 11500Ib needs a commercial Drivers License or has some special significance in CA. So the safe option is to choose 11400Ib.But nobody can show me anything in black and white!.. It seems that the more people I ask the more different answers I get.What I'm looking for is if someone can point me to a DMV document or something that States the requirements for each GVWR in CA on my F350 PickupCan Anyone help me before I go and line hop for the next week outside the DMV office! :EThanks!Steve

Download this from DMV for starters:https://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648.pdf

11,400 is what you want.California DMV pagePickup (CVC §471) A motor truck with a manufacturer's GVWR of less than 11,500 pounds and an unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, which is equipped with an open box-type bed less than nine feet in length.•Pickup truck does not include a motor vehicle, otherwise meeting the above definition, which is equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment commonly called a utility body.•California Code of Regulations (CCR) §150.04(a) further defines pickup trucks:"Pursuant to California Vehicle Code §471, any motor vehicle, except a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or motorized quadricycle, with an open box-type bed not exceeding nine (9) feet in length is by definition a pickup."•Examples: Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Nissan Frontier, and other similarly designed vehicles. Pickup Exclusions The following trucks are not pickups:•Trucks with an open box-type bed that weigh more than 8,000 pounds unladen or exceed the manufacturer's GVWR of 11,500 pounds ("varied" BTM)•Trucks equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment unit commonly called a "utility body" ("utility" BTM)•Trucks with a body type other than an open box bed (stake, flatbed, dump, etc. BTM).A pickup with a camper:•Temporarily-attached is a commercial vehicle and the camper is a load.•Permanently-attached meets the definition of a housecar (CVC §362) and may be registered as a passenger vehicle. I have NEVER heard of someone having issues, but the possibility is there, and in this cash strapped state...

The 11,500 GVWR of a pickup does not require a Commercial Drivers License. What will affect which type of license you need for RV use will be what the trailers GVWR is. A 5th wheel trailer between 10,001 and 15,000 GVWR will require an RV endorsement on your Class C license. 15,001 and higher GVWR 5th Wheel Trailers, and 10,001 and higher GVWR travel trailers requires a Non Commercial Class A. The endorsement is only a written test, and then the endorsement is added to your license. The Non Commercial Class A requires you to take the class C and Non Commercial Class A RV written test, submit a medical questionaire, and take a driving test with your RV trailer that you must pass before being given the Non Commercial Class A License.Rich

In California, you can park a "Pickup truck" that is less than 10,000 GVWR on a non-commercial street. If over 10,000 GVWR, then it shall not be parked on a residential street overnight. My buddy with a F-250 and 8,800 GVWR and 6,050 unladen weight found this out the hard way, she had to park it in her 8' long driveway (or 12' long garage - small lot in Long Beach CA). Long Beach passed a law requiring no on street parking of vehicles over 6,000 pounds unladen on any city street (except commercial marked truck routes). She can park legally for 20 minutes in any yellow zone! My guess is that you will want the 11,400 GVWR option! The 10,000 GVWR is to low for any great use as a trailer hauler. You would be required to have commercial plates, but not a commercial license. If you tow a fifth wheel over 10,000 pounds, seek advice on the weight limit that you can not exceed without a special endorsement. Good luck,Fred.

christopherglenn CumminsDriver Golden_HVAC THANK YOU!!!!!!Chris, I think that you have nailed it with exactly what I was looking for!The DMV classifications!!!It is very clear.. It is LESS than 11500Ib!!!! LESS THAN meaning I need the 11400Ib limiting option!THANK You Again!Steve

Which GVWR on a New Pickup in California??? | Good Sam Community

35 Replies

christopherglen
Explorer
Feb 01, 2015
nevadanick, different states, different laws. This thread is about California laws..
nevadanick
Explorer
Feb 01, 2015
Winersun, not true. I can license my dually for just about any weight i want to.
wintersun
Explorer II
Feb 01, 2015
edbehnke wrote:
thank god i don't live in your state.

Yeah if you did you would have to put up with the temperature in the 70's we have been having this month. I am sure it is much nicer in your neck of the woods.

License requirements are based on the number of axles and the GCWR and you will find this everywhere. Drive a truck with a GCWR of more than 29,000 lbs. and you will need a commercial license as with the new Ram 3500 trucks.
sky_free
Explorer
Jan 25, 2015
Yeah, it's very confusing but my conclusion from my personal experience is that the DMV is ignoring that quoted definition for "Pickups" currently. My DRW 2012 F350 is registered commercial with a door sticker GVWR of 13300 lbs. The commercial registration fee is based on unladen weight, which is somewhere around 7,800 lbs as I recall. The GVWR has nothing to do with it. It runs $550 per year. Trucks have been getting heavier and heavier and a DRW diesel often weighs over 9,000 lbs now, so they probably need to update their rules and just haven't gotten around to changing the law yet.

If there is a parking restriction based on GVWR, it's not being enforced where I live because it has been parked in front of the house for months at a time, and they do have people that go around tagging vehicles that don't ever move so it's not just that no one is watching.

You didn't ask, but insurance for this truck is not higher in proportion to the sale price than any of my other vehicles, so that doesn't seem to matter either.
Atlee
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2015
I'm happy I'm not from California, or to be more correct, I don't live there.

45Ricochet wrote:
Here's a link to a article from the Redding Newspaper. You'll enjoy it!
smcrea
Explorer II
Jan 24, 2015
CumminsDriver wrote:
smcrea wrote:
I'm going to the dealer tomorrow to review the DURA on the build. I will select the 11400Ib weight limit and I think we should be OK?

Does anyone disagree?

Thanks for your help!

Steve

Steve,

Under 11500 GVWR and it weighs less than 8001 lbs you'll be fine. You can drive just about anything with a Class C license that is under 26k GVWR. I've talked with a couple of CHP Commercial Enforcement Officers about what is considered a pickup. Both said the legal definition in California puts a lot of the newer 1 ton pickups over what is considered a pickup, and if the state ever decided to enforce it, many would be surprised on what they need to have to be considered legal. Now the CHP Officers did say it is not being enforced because theres no way to do it with the man power levels they have :). It just simply isn't being enforced......yet.

As I stated earlier about towing, where you will need to upgrade your license is when you get a Toy Hauler and it is over 10k GVWR.

Rich

Hi Rich,

I'm going to do as you said.. and go for the 11400Ib.. Apparently according to the dealer the shipping weight is below 8000Ib but that's no spare, no fuels etc.. IF and it's a BIG IF the CHP ever decided to enforce this then I suppose you could strip it down to it's shipping weight :-)

I think I will take my license upgrade.. I may as well. I was even at one point considering doing a commercial truck license. I'm an engineer who drives a desk most of the time but it maybe fun to take, and always useful! :-) I just need to find a course that is part time.

Thanks again Rich,

Steve.
AH64ID
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
45Ricochet wrote:
You can get regular auto plates as long as you don't get caught putting ANYTHING in the bed. Big fines if your caught hauling a load for the dump :B

Idaho does the same stupid thing, as you have probably seen. It really annoys me that Idaho doesn't publsh anything about regular plates only being good to 8,000lbs GCW but will fine drivers if they get pulled over and weigh over 8,000lbs.

It's easy enough to register to 16K or even 26K, but IMHO the DMV should at least ask what weight you want or even put the registration weights in the handbook...
45Ricochet
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
wintersun wrote:

In California all pickups have to get commercial plates and pay the extra fees regardless of how they are used and regardless of the GVWR. Even a mini-truck owner takes a hit.

Not true. You can get regular auto plates as long as you don't get caught putting ANYTHING in the bed. Big fines if your caught hauling a load for the dump :B
nevadanick
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
Put some F150 badges on it and they will never know.
Rich1961
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015
smcrea wrote:
I'm going to the dealer tomorrow to review the DURA on the build. I will select the 11400Ib weight limit and I think we should be OK?

Does anyone disagree?

Thanks for your help!

Steve

Steve,

Under 11500 GVWR and it weighs less than 8001 lbs you'll be fine. You can drive just about anything with a Class C license that is under 26k GVWR. I've talked with a couple of CHP Commercial Enforcement Officers about what is considered a pickup. Both said the legal definition in California puts a lot of the newer 1 ton pickups over what is considered a pickup, and if the state ever decided to enforce it, many would be surprised on what they need to have to be considered legal. Now the CHP Officers did say it is not being enforced because theres no way to do it with the man power levels they have :). It just simply isn't being enforced......yet.

As I stated earlier about towing, where you will need to upgrade your license is when you get a Toy Hauler and it is over 10k GVWR.

Rich