California Commercial registration?????

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George Anderson

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California question



So I bought my ST back in August and have been patiently waiting for the DMV work to come thru and waiting and waiting and today we get a call from the selling dealership that we have to bring the ST back in so they can weigh it because they tried to put it thru as an SUV but DMV says it has to be licensed as a commercial vehicle because it's a pick up truck.



My question is - Is this true?? (not that I don't trust the DMV or anything) - and to ST owners in California - are u all registered commercial? And the big ? - How much extra is this gonna cost me?



Thanks
 
I read the attached PDF from Calif and the way I read it:



- The ST is a Pickup

- Pickups must be registered commercial unless ...

- ...the pickup has a permanently attached camper (cap/topper, etc).
 
The Sport Trac is consider a pickup by the CA DMV because of its open bed. They also consider pickups commercial vehicles. However the California Vehicle Registration Act of 2001 which among other things accesses additional fees on commerical vehicles does not effect the Sport Trac. It has a provision which says commerical vehicles weighing less than 10,000 lbs. are exempt from the additional fees applied to commerical vehicles. Vehicles weighing 10,001 lbs or more are hit with additonal fees. You ST weighs well below 10K lbs so it's not an issue for you. Plus you GVW should be on the driver's side door sticker so if you can just give the dealer that number it will save you a trip the dealership. My initial '04 ST registration fees were in the neighborhood of $275. Chances are they mistakenly registered it as an SUV instead of a commerical vehicle.
 
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Yep George, your ST is a commercial vehicle. I've got personalized Tahoe plates, and it was around 6 bills for registration when it was new back in '01. (Before Arnold's rebate. I got $135 back) I think I paid $310 this year.
 
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Yup - sucks, but true. You can argue, as did I, and you'll win the verbal argument, however, they'll retort with "that's what we've been told to do" and not issue a registration until the fee is paid. You'll end-up paying $80.00 more per year than for a non-pickup vehicle.



The short story is that a pickup is a vehicle with an open bed (without a permanently attached cover). A commercial vehicle is one that is "used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property". Here's the rub - in the commercial vehicle section of the vehicle code, it states simply "weight fees for pickups trucks are calculated here", but there is nothing that states that a fee is charged. It's a hole, but it's not big enough.



A couple CA representatives have introduced legislation (AB 28 - see link), but it always dies "on the floor". Considering the financial situation in CA, I doubt that this will be reintroduced any time soon.



Maybe some class-action suit or something in the future, but until then, we're stuck.



There is a compilation of information regarding this in my library. Pay attention to the weight limits, as the ST is close to 4,000 pounds and you may be able to remove some things for the weighing to get it under 4,000 (rear seats, spare tire, tailgate, etc.). Be creative, as you only have to get it weighed once, and it'll save you $56.00 per year.

 
George, the memo from DMV below should help. My original reg. fees for 2003 were over $300, last year $281, this year $277. I just have a tonneau cover, so it considered to be "open". As Rodger said, if you keep shell or camper on it the fees will be less.
 
in NY it is insured as a SUV... not a pick up... thats a huge savings, and you can register it either commercial or passenger regardless if you have a cap/cover or not...

Todd Z
 
GVW is the weight of the vehicle PLUS maximum load - not what you want to provide.



The Commercial Vehicle Registration Act (CVRA) changed the way the Department of Motor Vehicles registers commercial motor vehicles and some trailers.



Which vehicles are affected?



This law affects:



* Commercial motor vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight (GVW) or combined gross vehicle weight (CGW) of 10,001 lbs. or more.

* Most trailers (for example, semi-trailers, boat trailers, utility trailers, or horse trailers.)



Which vehicles are NOT affected?



The following commercial motor vehicles are not affected:



* Pickups, even though a pickup can operate over 10,000 GVW.

* Light-weight trucks and vans if the declared GVW or CGW is 10,000 lbs. or less.

* Taxis and rental limousines (which include charter-party carriers operating limousines that pick up and deliver airport passengers) if the declared GVW is 10,000 or less.



NOTE: Weight fees for the above vehicles (not including trailers) will continue to be based on the unladen weight.
 
Thanks for all the prompt replies. Course, my remaining functional neurons are still a bit confused. Some replies say I'll have to pay more :>( but others say I'm under 10,000 pounds, I mean the truck is, let's not talk about whether I am, and so I won't have to pay more. :>) One says I just need to give the GVW from the door sticker, others say I need to get weighed anyhow.



It's all so confusing ... but wait, I know why - the GD Government is involved, one that is controlled by demoncats of the worst order no less, therefore it's FUBAR and no one really knows how it works. Ah, now I understand. (And, BTW, thanks to Arnie that the fees did drop by what 1/3 or so but they're still outrageous)



So it sounds like - I'm screwed! (what else is new) and will have to pay more money to the government so they can p*ss it away on some other squeaky wheel. I'm sure I'll have to take the time off work and get it weighed and whether or not I have to pay extra weight fees will depend on which dummy at the DMV happens to process the paperwork. SNAFU.



To perhaps clear things up a bit, the dealer (a Ford L/M dealer no less) submitted it to the DMV as an SUV (I guess they didn't get the memo) they never told me I'd be subject to commercial fees (I'm going to ask that they pay the 1st year weight fees because of their oversight), and the DMV kicked it back and that's why we're here 2 months later.



Luv the truck tho. Had the 20,000 mile service done last week. Everything looks great - brakes and tires both better than 80% left! One tire looked a bit 'feathered' (stock Goodyears), all fluids looked good. One thing I did verify - the truck has a "Neutral tow" switch and light installed. Previous owners were Winnebago types, so they apparently towed the ST behind. So the Serv mgr at the dealer I had the sevice done at (not the selling dealer) confirmed my suspicion that the mileage travelled while it is being towed with the neutral tow switch on does NOT register on the odometer. So the vehicle has more miles on it than indicated and I can never know how much more. Though the extra miles are not on the drivetrain etc of course, but still the selling dealer should have told me this, eh? (I did ask and they "didn't know").



Thanks again.



 
I've had my ST since 2003, just got a ticket for incorrect plates the other day here in "i-hate-SanDIego". Went to DMV waited 3 hours for them to tell me I'm screwed and I have to do all the leg work to fix it. I had it weighed, well since I have considerably upgraded and lifted, I am officially at 4600lbs. I have to have my title changed, through the bank AND the DMV because it's wrong, I have to have my insurance changed, it's wrong. I had to have my vehicle inspected because it was supposedly listed as xls and it's a xlt, VIN's didn't jive. And I have to have it all done and returned to me no later than Jan 1st so I can make my court appointment on time. Point of the story, MAKE SURE YOUR DEALER DOES IT CORRECT THE FIRST TIME. Trust me:(
 
louisana it is an suv i wish it was as a truck it is $5 less to register and you get 4 years were as a suv is only 2
 
Big D,



Yes, an El Camino is a 'pick up' here in Kollyfornya.



CJ, 3 hours at the InsaneDiego DMV??? Ouch! Boy, I love the S. Lake Tahoe DMV office! 3 people in line is a crowd!



 
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The best part of the ST being considered a pickup is insurance. In Kentucky my insurance is alot cheaper than either of my 03, or 04 Sables or my 67 Fiat. The Fiat is considered a high performance sports car, go figure. I have a 2001 ST by the way. From what I have been told it is because teir are less injury or fatal wrecks in pickups as there are in SUV's or even cars. I know I was worried till I got my first insurance bill. Do you not like it because of the plates you have to get? Until you get to a larger weight class, in Kentucky you can get any of the plates that you get for cars. I can't conplain yet, but leave it to the goverment to screw it up.:D
 
I vaguely remember a thread in which Q slammed me for stating that in some states you can get a ticket for running your ST without a cap (camper shell) if its registered as a passenger vehicle.



This thread just made me remember that thread.
 

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