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Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:56 am

Does anyone know the requirements/procedure for getting a one-trip permit in California?

I have an appointment with the CHP to do a VIN inspection on my un-registered '64 standard. I've got the bus in a running state, and thought I would just drive it over to the CHP. I'm assuming they would frown on me driving it over with no registration, so I was thinking of getting a one-day trip permit from the DMV. Good luck trying to find any information about this on the DMV website.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Or will it be just easier to pay for a tow to the CHP?

Thanks...

Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:01 am

AAA can give you a day pass for smog test and such....if you are an AAA member. :wink:

Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:07 am

werksberg wrote: AAA can give you a day pass for smog test and such....if you are an AAA member. :wink: So will the DMV, AND... :shock: ...at no cost. Ask and you shall recieve :wink:

Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:04 am

Dave24 wrote: werksberg wrote: AAA can give you a day pass for smog test and such....if you are an AAA member. :wink: So will the DMV, AND... :shock: ...at no cost. Ask and you shall recieve :wink:

you might want to double check that. I hear they are now charging for the permits. Too many people kept getting extensions and since California is hurting for money, they are going to start charging. Last I heard from a DMV person when I was in there a few months ago.

Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:41 am

der58SC wrote: Dave24 wrote: werksberg wrote: AAA can give you a day pass for smog test and such....if you are an AAA member. :wink: So will the DMV, AND... :shock: ...at no cost. Ask and you shall recieve :wink:

you might want to double check that. I hear they are now charging for the permits. Too many people kept getting extensions and since California is hurting for money, they are going to start charging. Last I heard from a DMV person when I was in there a few months ago. I had to get one this year... asked if I could get a multi-day, reply: NO. Single day only, no more than 1 every 90 days or 3 per year per vehicle. Handed a 1 day N/C. It was in Jan. 0/9... so maybe it's changed since then.

Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:45 am

You can have an AAA membership and not have their insurance to take advantage of the other services like towing, DMV and more....

Plus much less standing in line than the DMV. :wink:

And No, I don't work for AAA....

Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:03 pm

I recently looked in to this but it seemed like a hassle. I ended up just going to the DMV and showing them my paperwork--they gave me one of the red temp badges for the back window and it didn't cost me anything. The temp badge works for up to a month.

Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:39 pm

werksberg wrote:

Plus much less standing in line than the DMV. :wink:

And No, I don't work for AAA....

Fullerton dmv sucks, I went with a friend once to AAA, we registered two vechiles and did vin checks in less than 10 minutes, The next day I got AAA roadside, it was 60 bucks, but wasting my time waiting for Fullerton DMV for 2 hours cost me more!!!

Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:52 pm

A membership with AAA is WELL worth it. I have registered numerous vehicles; all in a matter of minutes.

The attitude of the AAA Staff vs DMV Staff is worth the cost of the membership alone.

Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:35 pm

I'll testify to that !

Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:55 pm

Pretty sure the vehicle needs to be insured before you're issued a permit.

Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:33 pm

NAES wrote: Pretty sure the vehicle needs to be insured before you're issued a permit.

This is helpful info. Sounds like I need to get insurance.

Does anyone know of any other requirements? What documents should I take to the DMV? Title? Plates? I've checked all 31 chapters of the "Handbook of Registration Procedures" and can't find this information.

Light reading for masochists and bureaucracy scholars:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk_pdf/toc.htm

By the way, thanks for the AAA tips, but they told me that can't deal with my case because my plates and title are from out of state.

Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:28 am

Just FYI at the Santa Clara DMV I did not need to prove insurance to obtain the one-month permit

Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:39 pm

You could also fork over the exta $30 and have a DMV registration service come out to you to verify the numbers on your bus. I just did that and it was worth it IMO. Better to find out any sketchy paperwork by one of these guys than the CHP if you ask me.

NAES

Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:04 pm

werksberg wrote: You can have an AAA membership and not have their insurance to take advantage of the other services like towing, DMV and more....

Plus much less standing in line than the DMV. :wink:

And No, I don't work for AAA....

Make sure you have a motor in it or a plate with current registration or they (AAA) may not tow it.

Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:01 pm

I was at work today and noticed (via the DMV website) that wait times at my local office were unusually short. I zipped over there at lunch to ask about a one-trip permit. I was dutifully redirected that what I REALLY wanted to do was register the vehicle provisionally pending the VIN inspection. So I just registered the thing, paid through the ass on sales tax and late fees, and now have a red piece of paper that allows me to drive it until February. Now I just need the VIN inspection and I'm done. Why this procedure is not spelled out on the DMV website, I have no idea. There it seems to suggest that the VIN inspection is first.

I was in and out in about 35 minutes, which by DMV standards is pretty damn good. The woman who handled my paperwork even had a sense of humor, which is a plus for an employee of a public agency.