CHAPTER 1. Motor Carriers of Property Permit Fee [7231. - 7236.]

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC 1.

in effect

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7231. Section 7231.

(a) This chapter may be cited as the Motor Carriers of Property Permit Fee Act. (b) The Legislature finds and declares that a safe and efficient transportation system is essential to the welfare of the state, and an important part of the system is service rendered by motor carriers of property.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7232. Section 7232.

(a) Every motor carrier of property shall annually pay a permit fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The fees contained in this section are due and shall be paid by each carrier at the time of application for an initial motor carrier permit, and upon annual renewal, with the Department of Motor Vehicles, pursuant to the Motor Carriers of Property Permit Act, as set forth in Division 14.85 (commencing with Section 34600) of the Vehicle Code. The Department of Motor Vehicles may, upon initial application for a motor carrier permit, assign an expiration date not less than six months, nor more than 18 months, from date of application, and may charge one-twelfth of the annual fee for each month covered by the initial permit. The fee paid by each motor carrier of property shall be based on the number of commercial motor vehicles operated in California by the motor carrier of property. (b) As used in this chapter, “motor carrier of property” means any person who operates any commercial motor vehicle as defined in subdivision (d). “Motor carrier of property” does not include a household goods carrier, as defined in Section 5109 of the Public Utilities Code, a household goods carrier transporting used office, store, and institution furniture and fixtures under its household goods carrier permits pursuant to Section 5137 of the Public Utilities Code, persons providing only transportation of passengers, or a passenger stage corporation transporting baggage and express upon a passenger vehicle incidental to the transportation of passengers. (c) As used in this chapter, “for-hire motor carrier of property” means a motor carrier of property, as defined in subdivision (b), who transports property for compensation. (d) As used in this chapter, “commercial motor vehicle” means any self-propelled vehicle listed in subdivisions (a), (b), (f), (g), and (k) of Section 34500 of the Vehicle Code, any motor truck of two or more axles that is more than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, and any other motor vehicle used to transport property for compensation. “Commercial motor vehicle” does not include vehicles operated by household goods carriers, as defined in Section 5109 of the Public Utilities Code, vehicles operated by household goods carriers to transport used office, store, and institution furniture and fixtures under their household goods carrier permit pursuant to Section 5137 of the Public Utilities Code, pickup trucks as defined in Section 471 of the Vehicle Code, two-axle daily rental trucks with gross vehicle weight ratings less than 26,001 pounds when operated in noncommercial use or a motor truck or two-axle truck trailer operated in noncommercial use with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 26,001 pounds used solely to tow a camp trailer, trailer coach, fifth wheel travel trailer, or utility trailer. (e) The “number of commercial motor vehicles operated by the motor carrier of property” as used in this section means all of the commercial motor vehicles owned, registered to, or leased by the carrier. For interstate and foreign motor carriers of property the fees set forth in subdivision (a) shall be apportioned based on the percentage of fleet miles traveled in California in intrastate commerce. In the absence of records to establish intrastate fleet miles, the fees set forth in subdivision (a) shall be apportioned on total fleet miles traveled in California. (f) For purposes of this chapter, “private carrier” means a motor carrier of property, as defined in subdivision (b), who does not transport any goods or property for compensation. (g) (1) Fees contained in this chapter shall not apply to a motor carrier of property while engaged solely in interstate or foreign transportation of property by motor vehicle. A motor carrier of property shall not engage in any interstate or foreign transportation of property for compensation by motor vehicle on any public highway in this state without first having registered the operation with the Department of Motor Vehicles or with the carrier’s base registration state, if other than California, as determined in accordance with final regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005 (P.L.109-59). To register with the Department of Motor Vehicles, carriers specified in this subdivision shall comply with the following: (A) When the operation requires authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under the Federal Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005 (P.L.109-59), or authority from another federal regulatory agency, a copy of that authority shall be filed with the initial application for registration. A copy of any additions or amendments to the authority shall be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles. (B) If the operation does not require authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under the Federal Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005 (P.L.109-59), or authority from another federal regulatory agency, an affidavit of that exempt status shall be filed with the application for registration. (2) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall grant registration upon the filing of the application pursuant to applicable law and the payment of any applicable fees, subject to the carrier’s compliance with this chapter. (3) This subdivision does not apply to household goods carriers, as defined in Section 5109 of the Public Utilities Code, and motor carriers engaged in the transportation of passengers for compensation.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7233. Section 7233.

No city, county, or city and county, shall assess, levy, or collect an excise or license tax of any kind, character, or description whatever upon the transportation business conducted on or after the effective date of this chapter, by any for-hire motor carrier of property.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7234. Section 7234.

(a) The uniform business license tax fee imposed by this chapter is in lieu of all city, county, or city and county excise or license taxes of any kind, character, or description whatever, upon the transportation business of any for-hire motor carrier of property. (b) This section does not prohibit the imposition by any city, county, or city and county, of any excise or license tax authorized under Division 2 (commencing with Section 6001).

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7235. Section 7235.

(a) The Safety Fee and Carrier Inspection Fee imposed by this chapter shall be paid by all motor carriers of property, as defined in Section 34601 of the Vehicle Code. (b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.

Cal. Revenue and Taxation Code - RTC § 7236. Section 7236.

(a) Uniform business license tax fee payments collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to Section 7232 shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the General Fund. All other funds collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to Section 7232 shall be deposited in the State Treasury to the credit of the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund. The following fees shall be paid to the department: (1) For-hire motor carriers of property shall pay, according to the schedule in subdivision (c), fees indicated as the safety fee, Carrier Inspection Fee, and uniform business license tax fee, based on the size of their motor vehicle fleet. (2) (A) Private carriers of property with a fleet size of 10 or less motor vehicles shall pay a safety fee of thirty-five dollars ($35). Private carriers of property with a fleet size of 11 or more motor vehicles shall pay, according to the schedule in subdivision (c), fees indicated as the safety fee, based on the size of their motor vehicle fleet. Any carrier that does not pay a uniform business license tax fee shall not operate as a for-hire motor carrier. (B) Private carriers of property shall pay, according to the schedule of fees in subdivision (c), fees indicated as the carrier inspection fee based on the size of the motor vehicle fleet. (b) “Fleet size” as used in this section, does not include vehicles described in subdivision (e) of Section 34500. (c) (1) A seasonal permit may be issued to a motor carrier of property upon payment of fees indicated as the safety fee and one-twelfth of the fee indicated as the uniform business license tax fee, rounded to the next dollar, for each month the permit is valid. The original seasonal permit shall be valid for a period of not less than six months, and may be renewed upon payment of a five-dollar ($5) fee, and one-twelfth of the fee indicated as a uniform business license tax fee for each additional month of operation. Fleet—Size Commercial Vehicles Fee Safety Fee Uniform Business License Tax Carrier Inspection Fee 1 $60 $60 $130 2-4 75 125 152 5-10 200 275 252 11-20 240 470 573 21-35 325 650 743 36-50 430 880 961 51-100 535 1,075 1,112 101-200 635 1,300 1,463 201-500 730 1,510 1,512 501-1,000 830 1,715 1,600 1,001-2,000 930 1,900 1,800 2,001-over 1,030 2,000 2,114 (2) Notwithstanding the fee schedule in paragraph (1), except for the carrier inspection fee, motor carriers of property with 10 or fewer trucks shall not pay fees higher than they would have paid under the fee schedule applicable as of January 1, 1996. (d) Failure to pay fees required by this section, within the appropriate timeframe, shall result in additional delinquent fees as follows: (1) For a delinquency period of more than 30 days and less than one year, the penalty is 60 percent of the required fee. (2) For a delinquency period of one to two years, the penalty is 80 percent of the required fee. (3) For a delinquency period of more than two years, the penalty is 160 percent of the required fee. (e) Funds derived from safety fees, including delinquency fees, shall remain in the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund and shall be available for appropriation by the Legislature to cover costs incurred by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of the California Highway Patrol in regulating and inspecting motor carriers of property pursuant to Division 14.8 (commencing with Section 34500) and Division 14.85 (commencing with Section 34600) of the Vehicle Code. (f) All Carrier Inspection Fees, including delinquency fees, collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund. An amount equal to the Carrier Inspection Fees collected shall be made available for appropriation by the Legislature from the Motor Vehicle Account to the department for the purpose of conducting truck terminal inspections and roadside safety inspections required by Section 34514 of the Vehicle Code. (g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the fee schedule established in subdivision (c) shall not discriminate against small fleet or individual vehicle operators or result in a disproportionate share of those fees being assigned to small fleet or individual vehicle operators. It is further the intent of the Legislature that the amount made available for appropriation pursuant to subdivision (f) shall fully defray the costs of the department for the purposes of the truck terminal inspections conducted pursuant to Section 34501.12 of the Vehicle Code and roadside safety inspections required by Section 34514 of the Vehicle Code. (h) Commencing January 30, 2017, and every five years thereafter, the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall report to the Department of Motor Vehicles the amount that the Department of the California Highway Patrol expended in the previous fiscal year to conduct the inspections and otherwise administer the requirements of Section 34501.12 and 34514 of the Vehicle Code. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall compare this amount to the revenue it collected, net of its collection costs, during the same fiscal year from carrier inspection fees received pursuant to this section. Based on this comparison, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall, effective July 1, 2017, and every five years thereafter, adjust the carrier inspection fee specified in subdivision (c) to ensure that the net revenues from the carrier inspection fee are sufficient to cover the Department of the California Highway Patrol’s reasonable costs for the activities described in this subdivision. (i) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.

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