Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual

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Section 14 of 38

Chapter 13: Commercial Vehicles

13.035 Credit for Unused Weight Fees (VC §9408)

The owner of a California-registered commercial vehicle withdrawn from service in California before the vehicle’s registration expiration date may receive credit for any unused weight fee to be applied to another vehicle. Sale of a vehicle does not constitute withdrawal from service.

The CVRA Motor Vehicle Fund Fee cannot be prorated or used for weight fee credit calculation.

“Withdrawn from service” means:

  • Removing a vehicle from service with no intention of operating it on California highways during the remainder of the registration year for which registration is valid.
  • Dismantling or junking a vehicle.

Refer to Chapter 19 for reregistration of a vehicle withdrawn from service but not junked.

Weight Fee Credit —To receive a weight fee credit, the registered owner/lessee must:

  • Be the same for the vehicle withdrawn from service and the vehicle to which the weight fee credit will be applied.
  • Complete a Statement of Facts (REG 256) form requesting a weight fee credit for the vehicle being withdrawn from service.
  • Surrender the license plates and sticker from the vehicle being withdrawn from service or complete a REG 256 stating the disposition of the license plates.
  • Submit the California Certificate of Title if the vehicle being withdrawn is to be dismantled or junked.
  • Submit the replacement vehicle registration application within 90 days of the date a vehicle is withdrawn from service.

The procedures below must be followed:

  • If the replacement vehicle application is presented at the same time, write “withdrawn from service, weight fee credit applied to (replacement vehicle license number)” on the front of the application for the withdrawn vehicle:
    • Only apply credit to one replacement vehicle. Weight fee credit in excess of the weight fee due on the replacement vehicle cannot be refunded or applied to another vehicle.
    • Only give credit to the replacement vehicle in the amount of weight fee due for the remaining months, prorated from the month following the month of withdrawal.
    • Not give credit for the month or months between the time the vehicle is withdrawn and the date the fees are due on the replacement vehicle.
  • If the withdrawn vehicle application has been forwarded to DMV headquarters:
    • Collect the full weight fee due on the replacement vehicle.
    • Suspense the replacement vehicle application to the appropriate Registration Processing Unit (RPU) in DMV headquarters for verification of the weight fee credit.
    • Note the license plate number of the withdrawn vehicle on the replacement vehicle application.
    • Inform the customer that DMV headquarters will refund any excess fees after the credit from the withdrawn vehicle is applied.

Replacement Vehicle

The following must be submitted:

  • Submit a REG 256 requesting a weight fee credit be applied from a vehicle withdrawn from service and listing the license plate number of the vehicle withdrawn.

The procedures below must be followed:

  • Write on the replacement vehicle application “Weight fee credit (dollar amount) from License number (show license number of withdrawn vehicle).”

Reference to the vehicle withdrawn from service must be made to make a determination of the weight fee credit amount.

  • Collect the weight fee credit service fee (see Appendix 1F), any difference in the weight fees due after the credit is applied, and any other fees due. Use Fee Waiver Code “W” to waive the appropriate portion of the generated weight fee for the replacement vehicle.
  • Issue commercial license plates and month and year stickers.