SB-76 • 2026

Vehicles: registration fees and penalties.

Vetoed

The latest official action shows the governor vetoed this bill. Check the bill history to see whether lawmakers later overrode that veto.

Sponsor: Seyarto
Last action: 2026-03-02
Official status: Veto sustained.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's status is currently 'Vetoed' and may change if lawmakers override the veto.

Vehicles: Registration Fees and Penalties

This bill changes how the Department of Motor Vehicles handles late registration fees when a new owner buys or transfers ownership of a vehicle with unpaid fees.

What This Bill Does

Requires the DMV to waive delinquent registration fees and penalties for people buying or transferring ownership of a vehicle if these fees were due before they bought it.
Creates a system for the DMV to collect waived fees from the previous owner instead of the new buyer.
Repeals the current rule that allows the DMV to sue the previous owner to get back the waived fees and penalties.

Who It Names or Affects

People buying or transferring ownership of vehicles with unpaid registration fees.
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Terms To Know

Delinquent: Late or overdue.
Transferee: A person who receives ownership of a vehicle from another person.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was vetoed by the governor, but it could still be overridden by lawmakers.
These changes would start on January 1, 2030, if they are not overturned.

Bill History

2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Veto sustained.
2026-03-02 California Legislative Information
Stricken from file.
2025-10-01 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
2025-10-01 California Legislative Information
Vetoed by the Governor.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
2025-09-04 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 2906.) Ordered to the Senate.
2025-09-02 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-07-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (July 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-05 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on TRANS.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
2025-05-29 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 1323.) Ordered to the Assembly.
2025-05-27 California Legislative Information
Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0. Page 1191.) (May 23).
2025-05-16 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing May 23.
2025-04-07 California Legislative Information
April 7 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
2025-03-28 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing April 7.
2025-03-26 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 14. Noes 0. Page 534.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-03-11 California Legislative Information
Set for hearing March 25.
2025-01-29 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on TRANS.
2025-01-16 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 15.
2025-01-15 California Legislative Information
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 76, Seyarto.
Vehicles: registration fees and penalties.
Existing law imposes renewal fee penalties for late payment of vehicle registration except in limited specified cases. Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to waive the registration penalties accrued before the purchase of a vehicle upon payment for the fees for registration due, if the transferee or purchaser was not aware that the fees were unpaid. Existing law also authorizes the department to waive the registration fees that became due before the purchase of the vehicle if the transferee or purchaser was not aware that the fees were unpaid and the license plate assigned to the vehicle displays a validating device issued by the department that contains the year number of the registration year for which the transferee or purchaser is requesting a waiver of fees. Existing law further provides that these unpaid fees and penalties are the personal debt of the transferor
of the vehicle and may be collected by the department in an appropriate civil action if the department has waived the fees and penalties.
This bill would instead require the department to waive delinquent registration fees and penalties when a transferee or purchaser of a vehicle applies for a transfer of registration if the department determines that the fees became due or the penalties accrued before the purchase of the vehicle. The bill would require the department to create a system to collect these delinquent fees and penalties from the seller or transferor. The bill would repeal the provision authorizing the department to collect the waived fees and penalties in a civil action. These provisions would become operative on January 1, 2030.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF