Renewal of registration: safe parking program participants.

Existing law prohibits a person from operating a vehicle without registering the vehicle and paying the applicable fee, except as specified. Existing law requires drivers wishing to renew a vehicle registration to submit an application prior to the expiration of the registration year and pay the applicable fee. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to refuse to renew a vehicle registration upon specified grounds, including if the applicant has not paid the required fee or if the owner or lessee of the vehicle, at the time of the application for renewal, fails to pay the full amount of any outstanding parking penalties and administrative fees, as specified. This bill would require the department, notwithstanding the provisions above, to issue a 90-day temporary operating permit to a participant of a safe parking program, as defined, whose vehicle registration has expired, upon the request of the safe parking program.