24.130 Renewals (VC §§9860, 9861, and 9863)

Vessel registration (certificate of number) expires on December 31 of every odd-numbered year and must be renewed on or before midnight of that date to avoid a 50 percent penalty fee. A REG 102 form is not acceptable for vessels. The vessel must be located in California to be renewed.

Motorized Vessels—Issue one set of Vessel Carbon Monoxide Warning Stickers and the companion brochure with every completed renewal transaction and advise the customer to affix the stickers as explained in the ABCs of California Boating (BOAT 3) booklet.

Billing Notices—Vessel owners are mailed a billing notice with a return envelope to mail the renewal fees due to DMV Renewal, PO Box 942897, Sacramento, CA 94297-0897. Billing notices and renewal fees are to be mailed to DMV headquarters.

The biennial renewal fee is due in addition to any other fees due on original/transfer applications submitted within 30 days of the expiration date. The fees due for original applications submitted on or after January 1 of the expiration year are the original registration fee and 50 percent of the biennial renewal fee. Refer to Appendix 1F for vessel fees and Quagga/Zebra Mussel Fee section in this chapter for additional/exemption information.

• The situs (principal location of the vessel) must be corrected/changed if the vessel has been moved.
• If a change of address is noted on the billing notice, be sure the lower portion of the notice is corrected and that the new address is entered on the RO/LO screen.
• When a change of legal owner is noted on the billing notice, process the renewal without correction and enclose an Instruction to Record of Change or Correction (REG 3117) form with the new certificate of number (the properly endorsed Certificate of Ownership is required to record a change of registered or legal owner and the item is processed as a clearing transfer with renewal).

Fee-Exempt Vessel Renewals—Fee-exempt renewals are processed the same as regular renewals except no fees are due. Fee-exempt vessels are identified by the two-letter suffix in the CF number as follows:

LC = Government-owned livery.

XS = Owned by federal government.

XS = State-owned.

YB = Owned by a youth group (VC §9870).

XC = Owned by a city, county, district, or other municipality.

If a fee-exempt billing notice is received with an LC series CF number (government-owned livery) and the registered owner is a private party, collect the renewal fee, assign a new CF number, and send clearing.

Dealer and Manufacturer Renewals—A new application and fee must be submitted for a dealer or manufacturer vessel number not renewed prior to midnight of the expiration date. A Certificate of Nonoperation (CNO) is not acceptable.