Have you ever had a car that needed so much in repairs, that it might take you a year to make it operational again? Or maybe a car that you don’t need to drive, but you hold on to for sentimental reasons. It feels silly to pay a year’s worth of registration fees and not drive your vehicle at all.
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Well in California, you’ve got options for when you’re not driving your car. Instead of paying your normal registration fees, you can file the vehicle PNO or Planned Non-Operation as long as you plan to store the vehicle legally.
What is a PNO and why should you file one?
As defined by the DMV, “Planned non-operation (PNO) means that the vehicle will not be driven, towed, stored, or parked on public roads or highways for the entire registration year.” You may choose this option if your vehicle can’t pass smog inspection. A smog check is an emissions test, administered at certified stations across the state of California. Without a passing smog inspection, you won’t be able to renew or register the vehicle with the CA DMV.
Trailers, vessels, and motorbikes cannot be placed in PNO status.
Another reason to use the PNO option is if you have multiple vehicles that you don’t plan to use on the road. Sometimes a vehicle just holds sentimental value or you might be unsure of what you want to do with it just yet. Putting the car in planned non-operation is super helpful in these cases.
Save on insurance by filing a PNO
One of the headlines when it comes to this process is not having to hold insurance coverage on the vehicle. In the state of California (and just about everywhere else) you need valid state insurance coverage on any car, truck, SUV, or RV. According to Bankrate’s research, although insurance rates are never “steady,” in 2022, these rates are only going up.
With a PNO, you don’t have to insure your car since stored vehicle isn’t required to have auto liability insurance. The DMV will not be waiting for an electronic notification from your insurance carrier.
Historical vehicles, mopeds, vehicles with dealer tags, stolen vehicles, and collectibles are all exempt from California’s vehicle code law as it relates to PNO
Since November of 2021, all major insurance carriers like All state, Geico, and Progressive have raised rates in 13 states! In California, insurance rates went up 56% over the span of 8 years,, according to The Zebra. Interestingly, rates went down over 3% in Connecticut over that same 8-year period. In 2021, Louisiana saw the most dramatic increase of 42%. Filing PNO will stop all insurance requirements that come along with registration.
What happens if you get caught driving your non-operational vehicle?
This would be bad. Since you’re being granted the courtesy of not paying your registration fees in exchange for your word that the vehicle will be stored for the year, getting caught driving the car wouldn’t be ideal. If you get a citation, the California DMV would be made aware and the registration fees for the year plus penalties will be due. All other DMV transactions you’re associated with would be unavailable.
For example, if you’ve got your wife’s car registered under your name and her registration is up for renewal, she won’t be able to renew until you pay your outstanding fees in full. Depending on the situation, this is also grounds for impoundment. As you can imagine, more fees! It’s not worth the risk.
How and when to put your vehicle in PNO
Most commonly, you apply for the planned non-operational registration through the mail using your renewal notice. Your registration renewal notice includes the registration fees and the cost to place your car in PNO. The form even goes as far as to tell you how much you’ll pay if you opt-in for PNO late. You can complete this transaction up to 60 days before the registration is due. You have as long as 90 days after the due date to apply for PNO as well. Complete the required information and send it in with a check or money order.
If you’re past the 90-day window, you’ll pay registration fees plus late fees. After paying fees, try filing an Affidavit of Non-Use. which allows you to cancel your vehicle’s insurance policy without a DMV penalty
Online option with DMV
You have the option to use Non-OP online with DMV through their regular renewal website. Most renewal notices include a RIN or Renewal Identification Number. You can find this number on the left side of the form. Using the RIN, you may place your vehicle under non-operation status through the DMV’s online registration renewal portal, here. No smog check or insurance information will be required. The DMV will take about 3-4 weeks to process your PNO and to mail you a Non-Operation Vehicle Notice.
eTags online is quicker for taking tags out of PNO
eTags provides the same services that DMV does minus the long lines and insane wait times. If you’re looking to take your registration out of PNO, it can be processed the same day and a digital copy of your registration card will be sent to you while you wait for your actual registration in the mail. eTags is also a smart idea if you never received your renewal notice in the mail. To place your car into PNO, eTags can complete the filing with a title transfer or title-only types of orders.
28 comments
Hi! Filed for a planned non operational to dmv & was accepted. The car needs to be fixed & can’t pass a smog test. If the registration fee is paid in full for 2024 prior to the non op request, can they still issue a sticker or only if it passes smog? Thanks!
The vehicle has to pass smog before a sticker is issued. You can pay the full 2024 registration fees and get a current registration card but the plate sticker will not be provided/shipped to you until DMV has record that the smog test was passed. Also keep in mind that smog tests are good for 90 days so, if/when the vehicle passes smog, you have 90 days to pay the registration fees. If you wait more than 90 days after passing the smog test to pay the registration fees, you’ll be required to get another smog test.
How far back can Dmv go on not having your car registered and how far back can I go on filling a Non Op if I haven’t driven the car in several years???
The CA DMV can asses unpaid registration fees for up to 10 years. To have unpaid registration fees for previous years waived you can apply for Non-Op and based on the reason(s) you provide for not registering the vehicle, the unpaid registation fees may be removed, except for a nominal non-op fee for each year (nominal in comparison at least). Visit this page on the CA DMV website to file the non-op (non-operation: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/vehicle-registration-renewal/file-for-planned-non-operation/
Can I keep my full coverage on a non op car?
It’s really up the insurance company, but No car insurance is required in the state of California– It is not necessary to insure your car when a PNO is filed with the California DMV. A stored vehicle is not required to have auto liability insurance.
I bought a car that was not running to fix up. Also the car was never all the way registered to the person I bought it from, but they had most of the paper work for a title transfer. I brought this paperwork to the dmv and they said it will cost $1000 to get it registered to me which is fine. But they won’t let me put it on non op, the lady said it needs to pass smog before I can get a title. It is still long way from passing smog so I feel stuck. Is the lady right?
eTags doesn’t process PNOs. Typically you don’t need a smog before placing car in non-op status but that’s assuming you had a title and it was previously registered which doesn’t look like your vehicle was. That may be why the DMV is asking for smog. You can contact the CA DMV online to get more details.
If you register your car PNO for 2023, does the DMV keeps sending you the vehicle registration renewals for the following year?
You will receive a notification in the mail giving you the OPTION to renew the tags (take it out of non-op) or continue the status.
I paid registration fees, car has been with dealer for maintenance. The car is non operational and being towed back home. How can I convert to PNO status.
This CA DMV article should help
How do I find out what year I started my PNO? It’s been quite a few & online insurance mileage report requests this.
If it’s been in PNO status then you filed it with the California DMV. They should have it.
My regular registration is suspended and less than 30 days past due. There’s also a SMOG certification due as well. This vehicle was and is basically a lemon and I want to get rid of it by trading it in on a new/used vehicle. I know I have 159$ ticket included in the registration fee. Can I do PNO fee with or without doing the SMOG too?Can I make a deal to trade the car in with an NPO current registration?
Yes you should be able to trade the car with NPO, all this would need to be done with the DMV directly. It would be what CA calls an R30 or another type of error that can only be handled at DMV. The dealer won’t accept the vehicle with an expired tag.
I non opped my car in 2010 nearly 4 months prior to my registration was due. I paid all of the required fees prior to the due dates. The renewal date for the registration is due in the end of June. I went to pay the renewal fees because I’m selling the car, and I was told that I have to pay fees for two years. The full year of fees in their entirety for the remainder of this year (two and a half months plus the entirety of next year’s fees as well)!! Can they force me to pay for future fees even though I will not even be the owner of the car prior to the June renewal date? This makes no sense to me whatsoever. This adds up to a very large amount of money to be forced to pay for 1) next year’s registration fees that aren’t even due yet
2) I will not even be the owner of the car at that point.
3) it’s a massive amount of money/fees due to the fact it’s a $150,000 Porsche.
If anyone knows the legality of this please let me know
Thanks a bunch!
Unfortunately, the short answer is, yes. The DMV won’t renew the registration for just a few months. The renewal will include a full year from the expiration date, regardless of how far in advance you pay it. Good luck!
I put my vehicle on non opp and it sits in my drive way but now the city says that they want to tow it because its not registered.. what do i do ?
Thank you for your comment! Your non-op status must be renewed every year you wish to keep the vehicle in this status. An updated sticker must be on the car or else it’s considered expired and is at risk to be towed.
My car is on PNO status now since 2022 June 1st. Now I want to drive the car, do i pay full 1-year registration fee or prorated (probably half of original registration fee) or register the car like a new registration starting today?
Hello! The weight fees might possibly be prorated but you will be responsible to pay a full-year registration fee.
My car has not been running for two years due to transmission failure. I didn’t know about non-operation and my bill is 1270 what can I do to get the waves fees off ?
This would be a question for the California DMV directly however I don’t believe you can place your vehicle in non-operation retroactively. You might be stuck paying those fees!
My car has been non operational for 3 yrs, dmv says i didn’t put it in PNO status and now wants 900 dollars. Is there anything i can do to wave this fee? I know if i got the registration papers i would have paid the PNO fees.
Good morning and thank you for your question. Your best bet is to locate your correspondence showing you paid the PNO fees. If you can present that to the DMV, there may be a way for them to waive the fees. Otherwise, if their records show the vehicle was not put in Non-op, you may be responsible for the fees. Good luck!
If my vehicle vehicle is on non-op but I can get it fixed and running before the year is up can I pay for registration and able to drive the car
Hey there! Thank you for your question. If the vehicle is not within 74 days of the expiration date, you’ll pay the registration fees owed for the current period. However, if the vehicle is currently within 74 days of the expiration date, you’ll pay the new registration fees, but you won’t be able to drive the vehicle until the expiration date. I hope this helps!