Hello,

I moved back to Socal after living in Phoenix, AZ for about 2 years back in September 09'. I bought my Z out there and it is still registered in AZ as well as insured. Coming up here June 30th my tags will expire so it's time to shell out that money again but I'm unsure of whether or not I should Re-Register it in AZ or do so in CA. I have an address or 2 in AZ that I can continue to use and it will probably keep my insurance down but what are the risks of doing so? Can I just keep telling cops (if I get pulled over) that I stay in both CA and AZ or will they screw with me? I still have my AZ Drivers license that lasts until 2040!!! It's pretty convenient to not have to worry about changing any of this info if I can just BS anytime I get pulled over and say I visit family often.

Also, CA smog laws suck obviously and keeping it registered in AZ kinda gives me some freedom in that sense if I were to get pulled over since I can say I don't live here.

Suggestions? What would YOU do? Register in CA or AZ? Is it just a safer bet to pull my Insurance and Registration over here since this is where I'm living? Thanks!

 

if you now live in cali i think by law as a resident you have to reg in cali.

 

Well yes I understand that, but how are they going to prove I live in California if my Drivers License, Registration & Insurance all say AZ?

 

I grew up in Cali and know plenty of people that live in CA and register there cars through Oregon addresses. That way there is no sales tax on the purchase as well as no smog inspections. Technically it's illegal, but it would be very hard to catch you.

 

Damn no Smog, I wish I had an Oregon address I could use. Thanks for the info!

 

You would still pass emissions with most of your mods other than the intake, and as long as you still have your cats. So unless you are planning on going FI. Just register in Ca. To register in AZ and get away with it you would 1. need an address in AZ where you get mail on a regular basis. ( bills, magazine subscription) 2. AZ drivers license. 3. if you have to go to court for it, a tax form saying you paid taxes that year in AZ. Also local cops love pulling people over from out of state. But if you think the benefits outweigh the cons by all means register it in AZ.

 

1. Your insurance policy is a contract between you and the company. I'm willing to bet that their lawyers can tear yours apart in a nanosecond following a claim and you'll be guilty of fraud.

2. How hard would it be for someone to run your social security number and find that despite you having an address in Arizona you have cable, electrical, water, and real estate/an apartment in California? The next call is to the California Franchise Tax Board (the CA IRS) to run your employment record and tax filings.

It ain't worth the few bucks you're going to save to have insurance that isn't valid or to save registration fee. Plenty of people do it, they're called criminals.

 

^^exactly. You guys never heard of the 60 day law? the one where you have 60 days to transfer all your info to your new living address.

Specially if the cops keep seeing you in the area and that one day you get stopped and they realize HMMMM you live here and yet your addy is elsewhere??? Not to mention you'll look like one of those illegal aliens, LOL!! they all do that around here in NJ every car has out of state plates.

 

What you're saying makes complete sense about the social though I don't see the police doing that. IMO we could all be considered criminals to some degree with the sometimes ridiculous law makers, everyone does a little something here and there to get by.

How is it that people in CA get away with having TT 350z's in CA then? Run the risk of getting pulled over all the time? How do they pass smog? Either take everything apart or have friends adjust the smog readout? I honestly don't mind registering here but I'm curious as to how anyone runs a decently modded Z around CA without getting slapped around by the man.

 

Like fight club the first rule about twin turbos ....

People know shops that are willing to smog you. It's only every 5 years now I have to get my 35th Anniversary smog checked sometime this year.

No, I don't know of such shops.

 

Simple.. Their all just skirting around the law.

Be it smog checks, titles, driver licenses, Id's, cell phones or credit cards etc. It's easy to do or get anything as long as you know where to go or who to see.

 

Every five years? When I lived there (only moved away 12 months ago) it was every other year, for any car 6 years or older anyway. I can't imagine that CA reduced their smog restrictions.

But I'm not living there anymore, so I could be wrong.

 

And OP - your DL in AZ is good until 2040? Wow! We get raked every four years, although it is probably a good thing as you have to pass a vision test at the same time.

 

I would register my car in Bangladesh before i would deal with CA cops. Definitely register it in AZ!

 

Im going to voice an argument against this. From what I know, if you pay state taxes in a state, you are legally allowed to register anything in that state; gun permits, cars, businesses, etc. If you are paying property tax in a state, then you can use that for registration. From what I've been told at least

 

Just do things the right way. You won't be the 1st to play these games and the cops and insurance companies have seen this many times before. Then again if you live in Cali just tell them you are an illegal and you can do whatever you want with no consequences. Its racist for police to ask questions I heard.

 

What are you doing in CA (work, school, bum)? If you are working, you are a resident.

I believe it is 30 days in CA.

It's every 2 years.

 

If you are moving to California than register the car in California. Pretty simple.

 

i believe you are right in a way. But if that property is not your MAIN residence then by law you can not do so. It is like living in NJ, but also having a summer house in FL. Am i going to keep FL plates on my car even though i live in NJ. According to LAW that is illegal. Plus Out of State Vehicles are sometimes not equipped with Cali State Emissions sooo that may play a bad role if your noticed 24/7 with the vehicle and eventually get stopped. You could face a big fine due to that smog law.

but what do i know...i found this link if you wanna check it out.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...e_vehicle.html

or

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures/howto/htvr9.htm

 

From what I can recall from my experience between Colorado and Ohio residencies, while it was legal for me to re-register my car in Ohio (no law was broken there), You're required to register any vehicle you operate in Colorado within 30 days of becoming a resident, as well as obtaining a Colorado drivers license. Not doing so breaks Colorado's law.


Looks like you have 20 days:

http://www.dmv.org/ca-california/car-registration.php