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  1. #1

    Default When Co-Owners Live in Different States, Where Can the Vehicle be Registered

    My question involves vehicle registration / title in the state of: California and Arizona

    My Wife and I are residents of CA. We also own a vacation residence in Arizona. In Arizona, we have a truck that is there 99.9% of the time. Because of this, I registered the truck in AZ. We needed the truck to move some furniture from CA to AZ, so upon our last trip to AZ, I drove the truck to our residence in CA. While in CA for a short period of time, I was pulled over by a CA Highway Patrol because no front license plate. AZ does not require two plates. The officer told me that if I am a resident in CA and have a CA drivers license, I must register all vehicles in CA. I did not know this and the MVD in AZ did not tell me this when I changed the registration on the vehicle from CA to AZ. Like I mentioned, the truck is in AZ 99.9% of the time. So, as I understand, this is fact. Because I am a resident of CA, my vehicle must be registered in CA.

    I have no intention of registering the truck back in CA. It's very rarely here in this state and CA is a huge rip-off. My question is this: My Dad lives in AZ and is a resident. If I add him on to the title as a co-owner, use him at Owner #1 and put me as Owner #2 using the "or" for Joint Tendency and state the car stays in AZ at his residence, will this offset the CA law? If I need to bring the truck to CA temporarily and for some reason get pulled over again, would this suffice as a loophole so I don't have to deal with this situation again?

    Thanks for any assistance that can be provided.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    California
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    Default Re: When Co-Owners Live in Different States, Where Can the Vehicle be Registered

    If the truck is not going to be here with you, then it shouldn't be an issue. But, if you bring it here and start driving it a lot, you may find yourself cited if you are stopped for something.

    If this is a dodge to avoid paying CA registration fees, understand that this can be a crime above and beyond an infraction for an unregistered vehicle. If the truck is truly only here for a few days each year, then it should be a non-issue. But, if it's here and you are driving it, then be prepared for an expensive cite and the possibility of criminal charges.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    19,901

    Default Re: When Co-Owners Live in Different States, Where Can the Vehicle be Registered

    If the truck is going to be regularly garaged in Arizona, it should be titled and registered there. Arizona will happily do that for you even if NONE of the owners are Arizona residents.

    As CDW points out, unless California gets wind that the car is in the state a lot and they think you're lying about where it is primarily garaged, you'll not have a problem.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    18,340

    Default Re: When Co-Owners Live in Different States, Where Can the Vehicle be Registered

    Quote Quoting jimsincorona
    View Post

    I have no intention of registering the truck back in CA. It's very rarely here in this state and CA is a huge rip-off. My question is this: My Dad lives in AZ and is a resident. If I add him on to the title as a co-owner, use him at Owner #1 and put me as Owner #2 using the "or" for Joint Tendency and state the car stays in AZ at his residence, will this offset the CA law? If I need to bring the truck to CA temporarily and for some reason get pulled over again, would this suffice as a loophole so I don't have to deal with this situation again?
    You'll still have the same problem IF you get pulled over in CA with AZ plates and a CA driver license. The ownership will still come back with your name on it regardless of the other owner's name being on it.

    You chose to have property in two states. If you want the convenience of keeping a truck in AZ, registered in AZ, yet have a CA driver license and residence in CA, then budget for the eventual citation in CA.

    The only way you fix that is have your Dad own it outright, register and insure it in his name in AZ and you can borrow it from him once in a while when you need it.

  5. #5

    Default Re: When Co-Owners Live in Different States, Where Can the Vehicle be Registered

    Thank you to all for your input. Still a little confusing. When I got pulled over, it was the first time the truck had been in CA in over 5 years. Yes, it's very rarely here, always in AZ and insured in AZ. I am already in process of adding my Dad on as Co-Owner. With the citation I got, I guess I will try sending in a copy of the co-owner title/registration, with an explanation that the truck is only in CA very rarely if needed.

    Adjuster Jack, I would think there are cases where siblings are added as co-owners on their parents vehicles, especially elderly parents, in the event something happens to them, ownership easily passes to their kids without dealing with probate/death certificate issues. And I am sure there are examples where siblings and parents live in different states. So I am bewildered why a citation would still happen.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: When Co-Owners Live in Different States, Where Can the Vehicle be Registered

    Thank you to all for your input. Still a little confusing. When I got pulled over, it was the first time the truck had been in CA in over 5 years. Yes, it's very rarely here, always in AZ and insured in AZ. I am already in process of adding my Dad on as Co-Owner. With the citation I got, I guess I will try sending in a copy of the co-owner title/registration, with an explanation that the truck is only in CA very rarely if needed.
    You're looking at this from your point of view and throwing in a lot of "ifs, ands, and buts" but the fact remains that CA statutes are written to require that a resident of CA who owns a vehicle that is operated in CA must title and register the vehicle in CA.

    Doesn't matter if it's one day out of a thousand. If you happen to get pulled over for "something" on that one day you will most likely get cited for the violation as long as your name appears on the ownership.

    And that's the officer's point of view and the point of view that counts.

    I don't know if your explanation will fly but make sure you have studied up on CA's trial by written declaration process and what you can do after that if you initially get found guilty and then have to ask for a real trial.

    Adjuster Jack, I would think there are cases where siblings are added as co-owners on their parents vehicles, especially elderly parents, in the event something happens to them, ownership easily passes to their kids without dealing with probate/death certificate issues. And I am sure there are examples where siblings and parents live in different states. So I am bewildered why a citation would still happen.
    That's all true and is a perfectly valid reason for, and method of, holding ownership but doesn't change the fact that somewhere that vehicle may fail to comply with a title/registration statute if it is being driven in a state where it is not titled and registered. True, people can go like that for years without getting pulled over and they play the odds that it will never happen. But when it does, the officer is likely to write the citation no matter what kind of "side of the road" explanation the driver comes up with.

    I'm not chastising you for doing it, just advising you that you take a chance on a citation when you do it and it's your choice to take that chance if you like.

    I do have one suggestion that might help. It'll cost you a few bucks but a lot less than a citation. Have AZ issue you personalized plates where you can get a pair of them, front and back. At least that will eliminate getting pulled over in CA for not having a front plate. Without giving an officer such an obvious reason to stop you, you might never get pulled over. More information about AZ personalized plates at:

    https://servicearizona.com/applicationFAQ/plate

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