California DMV Form REG 5050, the Exempt License Plate Request, is the form a qualifying government agency uses to have exempt plates issued for a vehicle it owns under California Vehicle Code Section 5600. It is not a form for individual drivers, and it is frequently pulled up by mistake by nonresident military members trying to waive their Vehicle License Fee. If that describes you, the form you want is REG 5045, the Nonresident Military Exemption Statement.
What REG 5050 Actually Does
REG 5050 is signed by an exempt agency — a state, county, or city government body, or another organization that qualifies under Vehicle Code 5600 — when it acquires a vehicle and needs exempt plates. When a California dealer sells a vehicle to one of these agencies, the dealer submits the standard transfer paperwork together with a REG 5050 signed by the agency itself.1California DMV. New Vehicle Sales by a California Dealer The form has to accompany the other required transfer documents for an exempt vehicle.2California DMV. Exempt Vehicles (VC 5600)
Because exempt plates identify a vehicle as belonging to a public entity used for official purposes, only the agency itself can request them through REG 5050. Individual owners, including service members registering personal vehicles, do not file this form.
If You’re Nonresident Military, You Want REG 5045
Active duty service members stationed in California whose legal home of record is another state can be exempted from the Vehicle License Fee on personally owned vehicles. The form for that is the Nonresident Military Exemption Statement, REG 5045.3California DMV. Nonresident Military (NRM) Exemption The rest of this article covers who qualifies, how to fill it out, and how to file it.
Who Qualifies
The exemption comes from federal law. Under 50 U.S.C. § 4001, a service member’s personal property cannot be taxed by a state where the member is stationed under orders, as long as that state is not the member’s legal domicile.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 4001 Residence for Tax Purposes California treats its VLF as a personal property tax, so nonresident service members can claim the exemption if they meet two conditions:
- You are currently serving on active duty in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or Uniformed Services and are stationed in California.
- Your legal home of record is a state other than California.
The vehicle must be registered in the name of the service member, the nonresident spouse, or both, and it cannot be operated for hire.3California DMV. Nonresident Military (NRM) Exemption
A nonresident spouse who lives with the service member in California qualifies too. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lets military spouses share the service member’s state of legal residence even if they’ve never lived there.5Military OneSource. The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act A spouse who was already a California resident before the marriage does not qualify, even after marrying an NRM service member.3California DMV. Nonresident Military (NRM) Exemption
One boundary worth flagging: the exemption applies only to vehicles you own. A leased vehicle is owned by the lessor, and the military personal property tax exemption doesn’t reach it. You’d owe the full VLF on a lease regardless of your nonresident status.6Federal Reserve. More Information about Special Issues for Military Families
How to Fill Out REG 5045
Download the form from the California DMV website under registration forms. Complete every field. Missing information will delay processing.
The personal section asks for your full legal name and current military rank. You’ll provide either your Social Security number or military service number. The form also requires your military unit name and the full address of your California duty station, which is how the DMV confirms you’re here on orders.
For the vehicle section, enter the year, make, and Vehicle Identification Number exactly as they appear on the title or current registration card. If the vehicle already carries California plates, include the plate number. Mismatched data between REG 5045 and DMV records is a common cause of delay.
The last part is a certification. When you sign and date it, you declare under penalty of perjury that California is not your home of record and that you’re stationed here under military orders. The DMV won’t apply the exemption without that signed certification.
What the Exemption Is Worth
California’s VLF is currently 0.65 percent of the vehicle’s market value under the state’s depreciation schedule.7California DMV. Vehicle License Fee (VLF) On a vehicle valued at $35,000, that’s about $228 a year. The number drops as the vehicle depreciates, but the exemption still takes a meaningful piece out of your registration bill each year. It only waives the VLF; you still owe the base registration fee and any other charges that apply.
How to Submit It
Where the form goes depends on whether you’re registering a vehicle in California for the first time or renewing.
For first-time registrations, bring the completed REG 5045 to a DMV field office along with the rest of your registration documents. You’ll also need to present a valid, unexpired military ID showing active duty status. A spouse filing on their own must show a military dependent ID reflecting the sponsor’s active duty status.3California DMV. Nonresident Military (NRM) Exemption A technician reviews the form at the counter and applies the VLF credit to your total.
For renewals, include the completed REG 5045 with your annual renewal paperwork. When you mail it in, the DMV does not require a copy of your military ID; the signed certification on the form is enough.3California DMV. Nonresident Military (NRM) Exemption Send it to the address on your renewal notice. The general vehicle registration mailing address is:
Vehicle Registration Operations
Department of Motor Vehicles
PO Box 942869
Sacramento, CA 94269-00018California DMV. Contact Us – Section: Mailing Addresses
If a dealer or registration service handles the paperwork for you, they must submit a copy of your military ID along with the REG 5045.3California DMV. Nonresident Military (NRM) Exemption Tell the dealer about the exemption before the sale closes. Some dealerships aren’t familiar with it and will charge the full registration amount, leaving you to chase a refund afterward.