California DMV offices close four straight days over Thanksgiving 2026 and three at Christmas. Your expiration date does not move. Here is the penalty math.
Who needs a California smog check and who is exempt. The eight-year renewal line, the four-year sale line, and the $20 fee that replaces the test.
Highway 1 through Big Sur is open. Caltrans has 24/7 one-way control at Rocky Creek Bridge through November 30, and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park is closed.
UCR 2027 registration opened October 1, 2026. Fees rose about 20 percent: $55 for 1 to 2 trucks up to $54,165. The bracket cliffs California fleets miss.
Mount Diablo gates open at 8 a.m. and close at sunset. $10 at North and South Gate, $6 at the staging areas, and one Sunday in October when cars are shut out.
California IFTA returns are due the last day of the month after each quarter. Q3 2026 is due Monday, November 2. Fees, the zero-miles rule, and the $50 penalty.
Premium costs about 47 cents a gallon more than regular in California. What octane actually buys you, and the one word in your owner’s manual that decides it.
Pay your California registration online with your plate and the last 5 of your VIN. A card costs 1.95 percent. A bank account costs nothing. Here is why.
California law allows 1/32 inch of tire tread. NHTSA says replace at 2/32. Caltrans wants 6/32 for chain control. Three agencies, three different numbers.
California boat registration renews by December 31 of every odd-numbered year. See current DMV vessel fees, the 50 percent late penalty, and how to renew.