2020 California Code
Vehicle Code - VEH
DIVISION 3 - REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES AND CERTIFICATES OF TITLE
CHAPTER 1 - Original and Renewal of Registration; Issuance of Certificates of Title
ARTICLE 4 - Evidences of Registration
Section 4456.

(a) When selling a vehicle, dealers and lessor-retailers shall report the sale using the reporting system described in Section 4456.2. After providing information to the reporting system, the dealer or lessor-retailer shall do all of the following:

(1) The dealer or lessor-retailer shall attach for display a copy of the report-of-sale form provided by the reporting system on the vehicle before the vehicle is delivered to the purchaser.

(2) The dealer or lessor-retailer shall submit to the department an application accompanied by all fees and penalties due for registration or transfer of registration of the vehicle within 30 days from the date of sale, as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 9553, if the vehicle is a used vehicle, and within 20 days if the vehicle is a new vehicle. Penalties due for noncompliance with this paragraph shall be paid by the dealer or lessor-retailer. The dealer or lessor-retailer shall not charge the purchaser for the penalties.

(3) (A)  Pursuant to the regulations adopted by the department under subdivision (f) of Section 6295 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, for retail sales of vehicles occurring on and after January 1, 2021, the dealer shall also submit with the application payment of the applicable sales tax measured by the gross receipts from the sale of the vehicle as required by the Sales and Use Tax Law (Part 1 (commencing with Section 6001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code) to the department within 30 days from the date of sale.

(B) For purposes of this paragraph, “dealer” shall not include a new motor vehicle dealer as defined by Section 426, a manufacturer or remanufacturer holding a license issued pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11700) of Division 5, an automobile dismantler holding a license and certificate issued pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 11500) of Division 5, or a lessor-retailer holding a license issued pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11600) of Division 5, and subject to the provisions of Section 11615.5.

(4) As part of an application to transfer registration of a used vehicle, the dealer or lessor-retailer shall include all of the following information on the certificate of title, application for a duplicate certificate of title, or form prescribed by the department:

(A) Date of sale and report-of-sale number.

(B) Purchaser’s name and address.

(C) Dealer’s name, address, number, and signature, or signature of authorized agent.

(D) Salesperson number.

(5) If the department returns an application and the application was first received by the department within 30 days of the date of sale of the vehicle if the vehicle is a used vehicle, and within 20 days if the vehicle is a new vehicle, the dealer or lessor-retailer shall submit a corrected application to the department within 50 days from the date of sale of the vehicle if the vehicle is a used vehicle, and within 40 days if the vehicle is a new vehicle, or within 30 days from the date that the application was first returned by the department if the vehicle is a used vehicle, and within 20 days if the vehicle is a new vehicle, whichever is later.

(6) If the department returns an application and the application was first received by the department more than 30 days from the date of sale of the vehicle if the vehicle is a used vehicle, and more than 20 days if the vehicle is a new vehicle, the dealer or lessor-retailer shall submit a corrected application to the department within 50 days from the date of sale of the vehicle if the vehicle is a used vehicle, and within 40 days if the vehicle is a new vehicle.

(7) An application first received by the department more than 50 days from the date of sale of the vehicle if the vehicle is a used vehicle, and more than 40 days if the vehicle is a new vehicle, is subject to the penalties specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 4456.1.

(8) The dealer or lessor-retailer shall report the sale pursuant to Section 5901.

(9) If the vehicle does not display license plates previously issued by the department, the dealer or lessor-retailer shall attach the temporary license plates issued by the reporting system.

(b) (1) A transfer that takes place through a dealer conducting a wholesale vehicle auction shall be reported to the department electronically in a manner approved by the department. The report shall contain, at a minimum, all of the following information:

(A) The name and address of the seller.

(B) The seller’s dealer number, if applicable.

(C) The date of delivery to the dealer conducting the auction.

(D) The actual mileage of the vehicle as indicated by the vehicle’s odometer at the time of delivery to the dealer conducting the auction.

(E) The name, address, and occupational license number of the dealer conducting the auction.

(F) The name, address, and occupational license number of the buyer.

(G) The signature of the dealer conducting the auction.

(2) Submission of the electronic report specified in paragraph (1) to the department shall fully satisfy the requirements of subdivision (a) and subdivision (a) of Section 5901 with respect to the dealer selling at auction and the dealer conducting the auction.

(3) The electronic report required by this subdivision does not relieve a dealer of any obligation or responsibility that is required by any other law.

(c) A vehicle displaying a report-of-sale form or temporary license plate issued pursuant to paragraph (8) of subdivision (a) may be operated without license plates until either of the following, whichever occurs first:

(1) The license plates and registration card are received by the purchaser.

(2) A 90-day period, commencing with the date of sale of the vehicle, has expired.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), a vehicle may continue to display a report-of-sale form or temporary license plates after 90 days if the owner provides proof that the owner has submitted an application to the department pursuant to Section 4457 and it has been no more than 14 days since the permanent license plates were issued to the owner. A violation of this paragraph is a correctable offense pursuant to Section 40303.5.

(e) This section shall become operative January 1, 2019.

(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 14, Sec. 12. (AB 82) Effective June 29, 2020.)