How Can I Confirm If My Renewal Fees Are Correct?

The best method to confirm your renewal fees is to go straight to the source.

We understand that renewal fees fluctuate, but if you feel the change (increase or decrease) is a bit out of the ordinary, the best way to make sure you pay the correct amount is to call the California Department of Motor Vehicles and speak with a DMV clerk. The down side, there's approximately a two hour hold time to get to speak with a live person. Up side, you'll be able to get an accurate break down and confirmation of the fees you owe. Additionally, you may look up your vehicle's registration status and renewal fees in real-time (including other requirements) here. The system will inform you of what's needed to renew your vehicle's registration.

The assumption here is that you used the DMV online portal to look up your renewal fees and believe the fees are inaccurate. DMV technology is not perfect. Errors exist, but it should be noted, they occur very rarely. Given that the DMV online portal calculates fees based on calendar date, their data is normally accurate. None the less, give the DMV a call if something doesn't add up.

Parking tickets perhaps? Is it possible that there's a parking/toll citation on record which you had no clue about? It happens to unsuspecting vehicle owners all the time. The DMV online portal will not list parking and toll citations as separate charges, rather they lump all the fees due into a single amount. This makes it difficult to figure out how much of the fees are due for registration renewal and how much are owed for the citation(s). Note, the same does not apply to a mailed Renewal Notice. Your DMV renewal notice, if parking/toll tickets exist, will list the citations individually so there's no confusion. If the DMV does in fact indicate parking/toll citations on record, you will be required to pay them prior to renewing your vehicle's registration. You can pay the DMV directly (which makes the clearance process instant) or you may choose to pay the issuing agency, and then allow time for the agency to report the clearance to the DMV. It can take update 30 days, depending on the agency.

Related Material

Online CA DMV Vehicle Registration Renewal
Check CA DMV Registration Status