California 1 Ton Pickup Trucks Recognized as Same, No More Commercial Registrations

Fellow California 1 Ton Pickup Truck Owners:

Our liberation is at hand. On January 1st, 2016 the California Vehicle Code will be amended to recognize our 1 ton pickup trucks AS PICKUP TRUCKS. Current CVC definitions define vehicles looking like a classic pickup truck with GVWs of of over 11,000 pounds as "NOT PICKUP TRUCKS". They are considered "Commercial Vehicles" whether they are used for commerce or not, and we pay a $340 annual commercial vehicle fee.

Nothing is being posted online on how DMV is going to make this happen. Do we automatically get new, non-commercial registrations from DMV on January 1st? Do we have to go in to the DMV and do the paperwork to make this happen? Will they refund a pro-rated amount of the $340 commercial use fee to make up for the time between January 1st 2016 and our 2016 renewal date?

I will try to find out what I can and post it here. I may even try to visit the giant DMV Headquarters monolith building off of Broadway Blvd. in Sacramento. I would appreciate anyone else who has special access to DMV or LEO sources to make a parallel effort to try to get this information, and post it on this thread, so we can get this taken care of appropriately.

As an aside, I have found out how this "Commercial Registration" can affect you in ways you never dreamed. I had a small backing accident at an RV park in October, and backed the rear of the trailer over the utilities pedestal. After first filing a claim with my trailer insurer, I was redirected to my truck insurer, as the truck was providing the movement causing the "accident". I just got a form from my truck insurer wanting all of the details of the "Commercial Use" of my truck. I had to mail them back about 5 pages of CVC codes on the definitions of "Commercial Vehicles" including large pickup trucks by default, along with their filled-out form, a letter explaining my registration situation, and photographs of the truck.

This is very interesting. Keep us informed as you get more details.

I drove 20 miles into Sacramento today to visit the DMV. The first thing i learned is that the headquarters building does no public businessand has no access for the general public. I then went to the nearest DMV field office about 2 miles away. The first adviser person I talked to said that the DMV employees had been told nothing about the new legislation. She set me up for a visit with a vehicle registration clerk. After an hour's wait I talked to the registration clerk, who again had heard nothing about the new legislation, took my copy of the 22 page document to her supervisor. They came back that the printed legislation seemed to address the fact that Federal DOT numbers were no longer needed. They were too busy and didn't read the right section of the bill. I left the DMV with no resolution.
Before I went into Sacramento, I contacted the 3 major television stations and their consumer help lines, about the CVC re-classification of most all the 1 ton pickups in California, and the lack of information from DMV on how these registrations were going to be changed on January 1st. I can only hope I can get some assistance from them and their backdoor access to the DMV leadership.

I will now put this issue on hold until after January 1st, and then try to tackle it again.

Here is a link to a previous Heartland Owners Forum thread on the subject: https://heartlandowners.org/printpost.php?t=43231&postid=339546

Here is a link to the amending legislation: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB529
Read section 14 carefully. The entries about pickup trucks and "motortrucks" (I think what the "not a pickup truck" definition now classifies 1 ton pickup trucks as) bounce around some referring to previous and later lines of regulation.

California isn't part of the United States, its a country of its own

Toy1Ton said:

California isn't part of the United States, its a country of its own

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Amen to that...lol

California has always considered any pick up truck a commercial vehicle. Heck my 1984 El Camino was a commercial vehicle....REALLY. Why do you think my TV and Horn are registered in Montana.

I think I need to delete the entire thread. The AB529 legislation being enacted ONLY exempts pickup trucks, and large pickup trucks not used for commerce from the Motor Carrier Act (CA number) regulations. No inspections of your "terminal", no required $750,000 insurance. But ALL Pickup trucks in California will remain (probably forever) registered as "Commercial Vehicles" due to the basic definition in the Commercial Vehicles section of the CVC: "A commercial vehicle is a type of vehicle: . . . . . . .Designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property". Using that last phrase the CVC/DMV has even specifically included "Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Nissan Frontier, and other similarly designed vehicles" (with their short beds) in the commercial vehicle designation.

If I could keep my state benefit Kaiser Health insurance with a South Dakota Driver's License, I would re-register the rig and myself there in a heartbeat.

This would be wonderful news, but I have a hard time believing that CA would enact any legislation that reduces tax revenue. I mean they gouge us on buying cellphones we have to pay tax on full list price, trade in a car when buying new still pay tax on full sale price... but we have great parks and open space and the best weather in US!

bobca1 said:

I mean they gouge us on buying cellphones we have to pay tax on full list price, trade in a car when buying new still pay tax on full sale price...

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California is not the only state that does that.

Here in Colorado, sales tax is based on the regular price . . . not the sale price.