“Ask DMV”
Expert Answers to Common DMV Questions
By the California Department of Motor Vehicles
SACRAMENTO – Do you have questions about
general driving related requirements like registration,
licensing, driver safety, and insurance? Are you
unclear about laws and restrictions related to
driving? The California Department of Motor Vehicles
has answers. “Save Time, Go Online,” at www.dmv.
ca.gov. You can submit any DMV-related questions at
AskDMV@dmv.ca.gov
1. Q. Tax season is here. How do I find the
vehicle license fee part of my annual vehicle
registration fee, which I’ve heard may be
deducted on my income tax?
A. The vehicle license fee part of your payment is
the only part of your annual vehicle registration
payment that may be deducted on your income tax.
The vehicle license fee can be found on your Vehicle
Registration Renewal Notice or you can check on our
website at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorWeb/
index.jsp, will help determine the Vehicle License Fee.
For information regarding tax deductions, please
contact your tax consultant. For additional tax
information contact:
Franchise Tax Board - 1-800-338-0505 or www.ftb.
ca.gov
Internal Revenue Service - 1-800-829-1040 www.irs.
gov
2. Q. Who is eligible to renew their driver
license online via the Internet?
A. You are eligible to renew your driver license online
if you meet the eligibility for renewal by mail by
answering NO to all of the following questions:
· Have you already received two consecutive five
year extensions by mail?
· Has your license been expired for more than one
year?
· Are you currently on any type of driving
probation?
· Does your driver license expire more than 60
days from today’s date?
· Will you be 70 years of age or older when your
current driver license expires?
· Do you have a driver license from more than one
state or jurisdiction?
· Within the past two years:
· Were you convicted of any moving violations?
· Did you violate a written promise to appear in
court within the last two years?
· Were you suspended for driving under the
influence, or for refusing, or failing to complete a chemical
or preliminary alcohol screening test?
Within the past five years:
· Have you had any health or vision changes within
the last 5 years that affect your ability to drive safely?
· Additionally, in order to process your renewal
online, you must:
· Be the person named on the renewal notice.
· Not have a change of address.
· Have a valid credit card or a checking account.
3. Q. I tried visiting my local DMV but it was
temporarily closed. Where can I find out about
office closures or service interruptions?
A. We apologize for the inconvenience. DMV service
interruptions and office closure information is posted
online at: http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/fo/fotoc.htm. Please
return to this page for future field office closure
information. You may also use your browser to
bookmark this page. You may use the regional maps
to locate a field office by region.
4. Q. A friend of mine told was that the DMV
is hiring for hundreds of positions across
the state. Can you tell me more about job
opportunities?
A. Thank you for your interest. Your friend is correct;
DMV is always looking for great talent to join its
team. To apply for a DMV or any State civil service
position, candidates must first take and pass an
examination for the classification in which they are
interested. Examination announcements (also known
as “examination bulletins”) for the DMV are available
in several locations:
· DMV’s Employment Opportunities Page: www.
dmv.ca.gov/dmv_careers/index.htm
· California Department of Human Resources’
(CalHR) JOBS Website www.jobs.ca.gov
· In person at: DMV Headquarters, 2415 First
Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95818
5. Q. I’m not sure how much I’ll have to pay
for my vehicle registration and I’m trying to
budget for it. Is there a way to find out how
much I’ll have to pay?
A. Yes. By going online at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/
FeeCalculatorWeb/index.jsp, you will find a vehicle
registration fee calculator which allows you to
calculate an estimate of vehicle registration fees
and determine Vehicle License Fees (VLF) for tax
purposes. Save Time, Go Online! Visit www.dmv.
ca.gov or call 1-800-777-0133 for customer service.
6. Q. My father recently took (and legalized) his car to
Mexico. I was wondering what forms and/or steps are to
be followed now. I went ahead and filled out the online
Affidavit of Non-Use Form. Is there something else that
we need to do?
