California to be first state to have digital license plates

[sopas ej]

From The Verge:

Digital license plates finally hit the road in California

At $699 a pop, these digital displays don’t come cheap

By Andrew J. Hawkins@andyjayhawk May 30, 2018, 4:32pm EDT

Five years after California governor Jerry Brown signed legislation authorizing digital license plates to be sold in his state, the new-fangled digital display boards are finally hitting the streets. According to The Sacramento Bee, the new plates began rolling out this week, and unsurprisingly, they don’t come cheap.

Motorists who choose to buy the digital plates can register their vehicles electronically and eliminate the need to physically stick tags on their license plates each year, which could save the state money. The digital plates come with their own computer chips, batteries, and wireless communication systems. They also may be able to display personal messages — if the DMV decides to allow that.

Dealerships are expected to sell the plates for an eye-popping $699, not including installation costs. Users also must pay a monthly fee of about $7. The plates are not available through the Department of Motor Vehicles. At present, digital plates are only permitted on the rear of the vehicle. California also requires front plates, so owners still must mount a standard plate there.

[...]

Link: https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/30/1...a-reviver-auto

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[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Why?

[ocman]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

Why?

For Tesla drivers

[Pedestrian]

If they are going to save the state money, the state is going to have to pass some of those savings on to ME, not charge me an arm and a leg, before I go for this "great deal".

Excuse me--I have to go stick my annual new sticker on my one CA-registered vehicle. But you know what? Arizona solved this issue the easy way by letting you pay registration fees for up to 5 years in advance and get a sticker good for 5 years.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

If they are going to save the state money, the state is going to have to pass some of those savings on to ME, not charge me an arm and a leg, before I go for this "great deal".

Excuse me--I have to go stick my annual new sticker on my one CA-registered vehicle. But you know what? Arizona solved this issue the easy way by letting you pay registration fees for up to 5 years in advance and get a sticker good for 5 years.

Oh, is that why a lot of AZ transplants think they can get away with keeping their AZ plates even though they've moved to California?

I live in an apartment neighborhood, so, it's quite a transient place. And often, people move in who have out-of-state plates (the common ones seem to be AZ, OR, WA, MN, NY, TX and maybe a few MD). California apparently loses a lot of revenue due to out-of-state cheaters who don't register their vehicles with California. So, hehe, I report a lot of them. You can report out-of-state registration cheaters anonymously on the CHP website. The first time I did it was years ago when a new, loud, annoying neighbor moved into my building. He had NY plates. I reported it to the CHP, and within a few weeks, he had California plates.

[a very long weekend]

^ Man, that's great. I'm not a driver, so I don't get annoyed about parking stuff, but I get very annoyed when out of state drivers blow through crosswalks or drive in bus/train lanes, etc. Nice to know there's a vigilante out there making them pay in some small way.

[xzmattzx]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Oh, is that why a lot of AZ transplants think they can get away with keeping their AZ plates even though they've moved to California?

I live in an apartment neighborhood, so, it's quite a transient place. And often, people move in who have out-of-state plates (the common ones seem to be AZ, OR, WA, MN, NY, TX and maybe a few MD). California apparently loses a lot of revenue due to out-of-state cheaters who don't register their vehicles with California. So, hehe, I report a lot of them. You can report out-of-state registration cheaters anonymously on the CHP website. The first time I did it was years ago when a new, loud, annoying neighbor moved into my building. He had NY plates. I reported it to the CHP, and within a few weeks, he had California plates.

How many California drivers cheat other states out of money?

[chris08876]

The real crime here that no one is talking about are how ugly NJ's plates are...!

Has to be the ugliest plate in the nation. That piss yellow, that tends to fade, and resembles rust. You'd think it would resemble the "Garden State" but nope... there is no garden in that plate.

On one of my cars, I don't have a front plate, because it just looks bad. Haven't gotten a ticket yet, but if I do, I'll keep paying it, because you can't take a nice car, and add that silly yellow plate. Even the cops know this, probally why they haven't said anything.

I think I'd take Cali's digital plate only because it somewhat looks good. On the other hand, its bloody expensive, and California understands expensive.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

How many California drivers cheat other states out of money?

I honestly don't know. But our registration here in California is only good for 1 year. Since Pedestrian mentioned that in Arizona, you can register your vehicle for up to 5 years, then that totally makes sense that you see unexpired AZ tags in California that probably don't raise an eyebrow.

In California, vehicles must be registered within 20 days of establishing California residency. Otherwise, you are subject to late fees. That New Yorker I mentioned in my previous post, he had been living in my building for at least 3 or 4 months and still had his New York plates. Had he not pissed me off, I wouldn't have reported him. But I did... mwuah ha ha hahaha!

Since then, when I see cars in my neighborhood with out-of-state plates that I *know* their owners live here, then I go onto the CHP website and do mah thang!

[Sinep]

Dumb

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

In California, vehicles must be registered within 20 days of establishing California residency.

But what is "California residency"?

A California resident is any individual who meets any of the following:

- Present in California for other than a temporary or transitory purpose.
- Domiciled in California, but located outside California for a temporary or transitory purpose.
- Domicile is defined for tax purposes as the place where you voluntarily establish yourself and family, not merely for a special or limited purpose, but with a present intention of making it your true, fixed, permanent home and principal establishment. It is the place where, whenever you are absent, you intend to return.
For a complete definition, refer to "Meaning of Domicile" in Publication 1031 - Guidelines for Determining Resident Status.

https://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/f...sidency_status

So you take a person like me: Live in CA for about 5 months of most years. Live in AZ for about 5 months of most years. Travel the other 2 months. Own homes in both so obviously "intend to return" to both. As far as I'm concerned, I get to pick and then bolster my choice by having my driver's license there, registering to vote there and so on.

So far I've picked CA--at some cost due to higher state taxes--because I care more about the politics there but especially because it ultimately would save me money keeping my CA home my "principle residence" which means, should I ever sell it, I would get the $250,000 capital gains exemption on it.

But trust me that I've read everything I can on the subject and it's not black/white where you are or are not a "resident" if you want to muddy the issue.

And for those who live anywhere near a military base, military people get to keep the state where they entered active duty as their "residence" so long as they want. Many, who live in a state like Florida or Texas with no state income tax, make that until the day they leave active duty.

[rsbear]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Oh, is that why a lot of AZ transplants think they can get away with keeping their AZ plates even though they've moved to California?

I live in an apartment neighborhood, so, it's quite a transient place. And often, people move in who have out-of-state plates (the common ones seem to be AZ, OR, WA, MN, NY, TX and maybe a few MD). California apparently loses a lot of revenue due to out-of-state cheaters who don't register their vehicles with California. So, hehe, I report a lot of them. You can report out-of-state registration cheaters anonymously on the CHP website. The first time I did it was years ago when a new, loud, annoying neighbor moved into my building. He had NY plates. I reported it to the CHP, and within a few weeks, he had California plates.

https://www.chp.ca.gov/notify-chp/ch...tion-violators)

If their out-of-state car is parked in my neighborhood for six months, I report them. If they are disrespectful (intruding on driveways, boxing other cars in) and they've been here for three months, I report them.

[ocman]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

If they are going to save the state money, the state is going to have to pass some of those savings on to ME, not charge me an arm and a leg, before I go for this "great deal".

Excuse me--I have to go stick my annual new sticker on my one CA-registered vehicle. But you know what? Arizona solved this issue the easy way by letting you pay registration fees for up to 5 years in advance and get a sticker good for 5 years.

And you can’t get it off. So they just accumulate on top of one another.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Arizona only has about a fifth of the population of California. I'd imagine it's a little bit less of a bureaucratic nightmare registering a vehicle here than our neighbor to the west. Then again, our driver's licenses don't expire until we're 65 years old, which made for some interesting attempts to purchase alcohol at my local Stater Brothers when I was in college after I'd turned 21...

Trying to get a California driver's license (for me, at least) was a three month-long nightmare. I had to get a doctor's clearance and attend a competency hearing because I'm diabetic and the court date kept getting continued, during which time my temporary California driver's license expired after the copy of the Arizona driver's license I'd possessed was voided by the CA DMV. I was not aware at the time that did not mean that my AZ driver's license was cancelled and could have ordered a new copy, but I was a stupid 23-year-old hell-bent on not claiming residency in Arizona.

Anyway, if digital registration or whatever is being proposed means California gives drivers the option to purchase the old "Golden State" plates, I'm all for it.

[jd3189]

This is a bloody money hole. Rather just stick to regular license plates.

[lio45]

I don't get the point of stickers in this day and age. We still have to pay to renew our plates yearly, but stickers were abolished a long time ago here - all cop cars automatically scan tags in their field of vision and will immediately detect any non-renewed plate (the fine is about $500...)

[lio45]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I honestly don't know. But our registration here in California is only good for 1 year. Since Pedestrian mentioned that in Arizona, you can register your vehicle for up to 5 years, then that totally makes sense that you see unexpired AZ tags in California that probably don't raise an eyebrow.

In California, vehicles must be registered within 20 days of establishing California residency. Otherwise, you are subject to late fees. That New Yorker I mentioned in my previous post, he had been living in my building for at least 3 or 4 months and still had his New York plates. Had he not pissed me off, I wouldn't have reported him. But I did... mwuah ha ha hahaha!

Since then, when I see cars in my neighborhood with out-of-state plates that I *know* their owners live here, then I go onto the CHP website and do mah thang!

I lived for eight months in California on a student visa and I kept my Quebec plate on my 5.0 Mustang convertible that I had at the time for the entire duration of my stay, never had a problem... I suppose people can legally get away with it as long as they don't establish permanent residency in the state.

[TownGuy]

Originally Posted by lio45

I don't get the point of stickers in this day and age. We still have to pay to renew our plates yearly, but stickers were abolished a long time ago here - all cop cars automatically scan tags in their field of vision and will immediately detect any non-renewed plate (the fine is about $500...)

The only thing I can think of is detection while not in the vehicle.

[JManc]

I drove around for months with my TX plates when i lived in NH and I even lived across the street from the police station and then when I moved back to TX, I drove around for about a year with expired NH plates. No one really gives a shit...

[dubu]

a license plate that costs as much as the car? sounds great