Reader’s Question:

Hi, I’m from California. I have a car in my parking lot and is never moved or turned on. Can I keep this car until I purchase a car insurance? I live in Berkeley, CA

Frank

Berkeley, CA

Generally speaking, the state requires all vehicles to be registered and thus insured. However, it depends on the state whether you can or cannot keep an unregistered and uninsured vehicle in a parking lot. It may be possible to store the car there until you obtain a registration and purchase an insurance. It may also be illegal and may be towed if the
vehicle is found to be without registration or to have expired registration

It may also depend upon where the car is parked. If the vehicle is parked in public, registration and insurance are probably to be required. If it is in private, it would likely depend upon signage that there is at the lot of the owner and also the law of the state.

If your car is inoperable, you may get a special status from the DMV. In California, the state’s law requires vehicles to have current registration if they are stored, driven, towed, parked on public roads or highways or parked in an off-street public parking facility. If your car is inoperable and would not be in any of the mentioned status, you could get an application for non-operational status and pay a non-operation (PNO) fee. Once the non-operational status is on your vehicle’s record, this will remain until you decide to operate the vehicle and pay the full registration renewal fees.

You can also check with your state’s DMV to learn what the state allows for in your situation.

Tags: auto insurance