CHAPTER 3. Motor Vehicle Account [42270. - 42277.]

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH 3.

in effect

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 42270. Section 42270.

(a) The Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol each shall file, at least monthly with the Controller, a report of money received by the department covering all fees for applications accepted by the department and all other moneys received by the department under this code and, at the same time, shall remit all money so reported to the Treasurer. On order of the Controller, the Treasurer shall deposit in the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund, into which is merged the Motor Vehicle Account in the Transportation Tax Fund, all moneys so reported and remitted. Any reference in any law or regulation to the Motor Vehicle Fund, or to the Motor Vehicle Account in the Transportation Tax Fund, shall be deemed to refer to the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund, which is created by subdivision (a) of Section 42271. (b) The amount of any penalties collected by the department pursuant to Sections 9553 and 9554 of this code and Sections 10770 and 10854 of the Revenue and Taxation Code shall, for purposes of subdivision (a), be deemed to be a percentage of the weight fee, registration fee, and vehicle license fee obtained when applying the total of these fees collected, excluding use tax, against the individual weight fees, registration fees, and vehicle license fees collected on each application. Penalties which cannot be allocated in accordance with this subdivision shall be allocated according to subdivision (c). (c) The amount of any penalties collected by the department, as provided in Sections 9553 and 9554 of this code and Sections 10770 and 10854 of the Revenue and Taxation Code which cannot be allocated in accordance with subdivision (b), shall, for the purposes of subdivision (a), be deemed to be a percentage of the total fees allocated under this section and under Section 11001 of the Revenue and Taxation Code equal to that percentage of the ratio based on the fees previously allocated under this section and under Section 11001 of the Revenue and Taxation Code in the fiscal year preceding the calendar year for which the penalties are to be allocated. That ratio shall be reevaluated periodically and shall be adjusted to reflect any change in the fee structure that may be provided in this code or in Part 5 (commencing with Section 10701) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (d) Whenever any fee paid to the department has not been allocated within one year of the date of collection, the fee shall be allocated to the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund, and the Motor Vehicle Account and the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund, in proportion to the revenue allocated to those accounts by the department in the previous fiscal year.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 42271. Section 42271.

(a) The Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund is hereby created. (b) The moneys deposited to the credit of the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund which are appropriated in the Budget Act or any other appropriation act for the support of or expenditure by the Department of Motor Vehicles shall be expended by the department in carrying out the provisions of this code and in enforcing any other laws relating to vehicles or the use of highways. Regularly employed peace officers of the department may, when authorized by the director, expend such sums as authorized for the purchase of counterfeit, false, forged, or fictitious certificates of ownership, registration card, certificate, license or special plate or permit, or driver’s license provided for by this code as evidence, or for expenditures related to the procurement of such evidence, or for expenditures made to investigate other violations of laws administered by the department. When approved by the director, the identity of a peace officer who submits a claim need not be disclosed if the disclosure might materially prejudice the investigation. The sums so expended shall be repaid to the peace officer making the expenditure upon claims approved by the director. The claims, when approved, shall be paid out of funds appropriated or made available by law for the support of the department. (c) The moneys deposited to the credit of the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund which are appropriated in the Budget Act or any other appropriation act for the support of or expenditure by the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall be expended by the department in carrying out the provisions of this code and in enforcing any other laws relating to vehicles or the use of highways. The Department of the California Highway Patrol may draw, without at the time furnishing vouchers and itemized statements, sums not to exceed in the aggregate one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), the sums so drawn to be used as a revolving fund where cash advances are necessary. At the close of each fiscal year, the moneys so drawn shall be accounted for and substantiated by vouchers and itemized statements submitted to and audited by the State Controller.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 42272. Section 42272.

For the 2012–13 fiscal year, upon order of the Director of Finance, the Controller shall transfer four hundred thirty-two million two hundred thousand dollars ($432,200,000) from the Motor Vehicle Account to the General Fund as a loan, provided that the loan shall be repaid. The Director of Finance shall order the repayment by the Controller of that four hundred thirty-two million two hundred thousand dollars ($432,200,000) to the Motor Vehicle Account no later than June 30, 2016.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 42273. Section 42273.

By the 10th day of each calendar month, the balance remaining to the credit of the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund at the close of business on the last day of the preceding calendar month, after payments of refunds and administration and enforcement, that is not needed for immediate use from the Motor Vehicle Account shall, on order of the State Controller, be transferred to the credit of the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 42275. Section 42275.

Notwithstanding Section 42273, the State Controller may, after at least 15 days’ prior notice, transfer back to the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund amounts transferred to the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund pursuant to that section to pay costs incurred against other appropriations from the Motor Vehicle Account.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 42276. Section 42276.

Not later than January 10, 1985, and not later than January 10th of each four-year period thereafter, the Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency shall submit a report to the Legislature on a study of the fees imposed under this code, including any finding or recommendation on changes in the fees necessary to generate sufficient revenues for the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund to finance those operations of state government to be financed from those revenues.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 42277. Section 42277.

No money in the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund may be expended for automobile driver training.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026