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SB-1275 • 2026

Sales and use tax exemption: vehicle license fee imposition: motor vehicles.

Sales and use tax exemption: vehicle license fee imposition: motor vehicles.

Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
McNerney
Last action
2026-04-24
Official status
Set for hearing May 4.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on which dealers are exempt from sales and use taxes.

Tax Exemption and License Fee for Motor Vehicles

This law exempts new and used motor vehicles sold by specified dealers from state sales and use taxes but requires a license fee to be paid instead.

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts new and used motor vehicles sold by specific dealers or their affiliates from state sales and use taxes starting July 1, 2027, until June 30, 2032.
  • Does not apply the exemption to local sales and use taxes or transactions and use taxes imposed by cities, counties, or districts.
  • Requires a license fee of 3.9375% of the sale price for new vehicles sold to consumers and used vehicles sold by specified dealers during the same period.
  • Collects the license fees from vehicle dealers and deposits them into the state's General Fund.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Vehicle dealers who sell new or used motor vehicles to consumers.
  • Consumers buying new or used motor vehicles from specified dealers.
  • The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, which will receive reports on license fees collected.

Terms To Know

Tax Exemption
A situation where certain items are not subject to a tax that would normally apply to them.
License Fee
An additional fee paid for the privilege of operating a vehicle on public roads.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which dealers or affiliates are exempt from sales and use taxes.
  • It is unclear how local governments will be affected by this change in state tax laws.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing May 4.

  2. 2026-04-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 1.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  3. 2026-04-14 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 21.

  4. 2026-04-09 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

  5. 2026-04-08 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (April 8).

  6. 2026-03-25 California Legislative Information

    Set for hearing April 8.

  7. 2026-03-04 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on REV. & TAX. and TRANS.

  8. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    Read first time.

  9. 2026-02-23 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 23.

  10. 2026-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 1275, as amended, McNerney.
Sales and use tax exemption: vehicle license fee imposition: motor vehicles.
(1) Existing state sales and use tax laws impose a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state. The Sales and Use Tax Law provides various exemptions from those taxes.
This bill would, on and after
January
July
1, 2027, and before
January
July
1, 2032, exempt from those taxes the gross receipts from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption of
a used motor vehicle sold by specified dealers or their affiliates or
a new motor vehicle.
Existing law requires a bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements.
This bill would exclude the exemption from that requirement.
The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing laws authorize districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in
accordance with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which generally conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Amendments to the Sales and Use Tax Law are automatically incorporated into the local tax laws.
This bill would provide that the exemption created by this bill does not apply to local sales and use taxes or transactions and use taxes.
Existing law imposes or dedicates certain state sales and use tax rates for local funding, including through the Local Revenue Fund 2011.
This bill would provide that the exemption created by this bill does not apply to those state sales and use tax rates imposed or dedicated for local government funding, including those rates for which revenues are deposited into the Local Revenue Fund 2011.
(2) The Vehicle License Fee Law imposes a license fee for the privilege of operating upon the public highways in this state of specified vehicles, including any vehicle of a type which is subject to registration under the Vehicle Code.
This bill would impose, on and after
January
July
1, 2027, and before
January
July
1, 2032, upon the
sale of a used motor vehicle sold by specified dealers or their affiliates or the
first sale of a new motor vehicle to a consumer, an additional license fee equal to
the amount of tax the purchaser would have paid but for the sales and use tax exemption provided for in this act.
3.9375% of the gross receipts from the sale.
The bill would require the dealer to collect the license fee, as described, and remit the funds. The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to report the amounts collected to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration and deposit those moneys in the General Fund.
This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of
Section 3 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of
2
/
3
of the membership of each house of the Legislature.
(3) This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Download Bill PDF