2023 California Code › Vehicle Code - VEH › DIVISION 3 - REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES AND CERTIFICATES OF TITLE › CHAPTER 6 - Registration and Weight Fees › ARTICLE 4 - Payment of Fees › Section 9554.

9554. (a) (1) A penalty shall be added on any application for renewal of registration made later than midnight of the date of expiration or on or after the date penalties become due. Penalties shall be computed as provided in Section 9559 and shall be collected with the fee.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), commencing on July 1, 2011, a penalty shall not be added if an application for renewal of registration, or an application for renewal of special license plates, is made within 30 days after midnight of the expiration date of the registration or special plates. This paragraph shall become inoperative on January 1, 2012.
(b) The penalty assessment for the delinquent payment of the registration fee specified in Section 9250 shall be as follows:
(1) Ten dollars ($10) for a delinquency period of 10 days or less.
(2) Fifteen dollars ($15) for a delinquency period of more than 10 days, to and including 30 days.
(3) Thirty dollars ($30) for a delinquency period of more than 30 days, to and including one year.
(4) Fifty dollars ($50) for a delinquency period of more than one year, to and including two years.
(5) One hundred dollars ($100) for a delinquency period of more than two years.
(c) The penalty assessment for the delinquent payment of the weight fee specified in Section 9400 or 9400.1 and the vehicle license fee as specified in Section 10751 of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall be as follows:
(1) Ten percent of the vehicle license fee, or the combined amount of the vehicle license fee and the weight fee if the vehicle is subject to both fees, for a delinquency period of 10 days or less.
(2) Twenty percent of the vehicle license fee, or the combined amount of the vehicle license fee and the weight fee if the vehicle is subject to both fees, for a delinquency period of more than 10 days, to and including 30 days.
(3) Sixty percent of the vehicle license fee, or the combined amount of the vehicle license fee and the weight fee if the vehicle is subject to both fees, for a delinquency period of more than 30 days, to and including one year.
(4) Eighty percent of the vehicle license fee, or the combined amount of the vehicle license fee and the weight fee if the vehicle is subject to both fees, for a delinquency period of more than one year, to and including two years.
(5) One hundred sixty percent of the vehicle license fee, or the combined amount of the vehicle license fee and the weight fee if the vehicle is subject to both fees, for a delinquency period of more than two years.
(d) On or after January 1, 2003, a penalty assessment for weight fees not reported and not paid within 20 days as required by Section 9406 shall be applied to the difference in the weight fee as follows:
(1) Ten percent of the fee for a delinquency period of 10 days or less.
(2) Twenty percent of the fee for a delinquency period more than 10 days, to and including 30 days.
(3) Sixty percent of the fee for a delinquency period more than 30 days, to and including one year.
(4) Eighty percent of the fee for a delinquency period more than one year, to and including two years.
(5) One hundred sixty percent for a delinquency period more than two years.
(e) A single penalty assessment for the delinquent payment of the fees specified in Sections 9250.8 and 9250.13 shall be as follows:
(1) Ten dollars ($10) for a delinquency period of 10 days or less.
(2) Fifteen dollars ($15) for a delinquency period of more than 10 days, to and including 30 days.
(3) Thirty dollars ($30) for a delinquency period of more than 30 days, to and including one year.
(4) Fifty dollars ($50) for a delinquency period of more than one year, to and including two years.
(5) One hundred dollars ($100) for a delinquency period of more than two years.
(6) This subdivision applies to the renewal of registration for vehicles with expiration dates on or after December 1, 2008.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 21, Sec. 6. (SB 94) Effective May 4, 2011.)