New Vehicle Registration Law Gives California Drivers a Break

Starting July 1, California drivers have two months to renew their vehicle’s registration without consequence, a move that lawmakers say will help drivers deal with “skyrocketing” renewal costs. An additional goal is to limit police use of late renewal as a reason for traffic stops.  “With inflation at a 40-year high and the cost of living only increasing, it is vital that we provide Californians adequate time to deal with the sticker shock,” bill author Assemblywoman Diane Dixon said in an Assembly analysis. Passed in 2023, Assembly Bill 256 gives drivers a two-month leeway to handle costly renewals, which average $289 per driver, according to Ms. Dixon, with the new law now stopping police from pulling over drivers whose registration recently expired....