Temporary Operating Permit (TOP) in California

A temporary operating permit, or TOP, is a DMV permit that lets you drive a vehicle for a set number of days while a registration is still unfinished. The DMV issues it, not us. What we do is prepare the registration transaction behind the permit at our North Hollywood office: the application, the smog or verification paperwork, and the fee details.

Request an Appointment Call (818) 649-3232

What this service covers

The DMV describes a TOP as permission to operate a vehicle after the registration fees are paid but before plates or stickers are issued. The permit comes as a form in two parts and a dated sticker that proves it is valid. Use tax usually does not have to be paid first as long as the other fees are. The DMV issues a TOP only in specific situations, most of them tied to a failed smog check, a vehicle from another state, or plates on order.

Who needs it

Owners whose vehicle failed its regular smog check at renewal time.
New residents still gathering documents for an out-of-state vehicle.
Buyers whose vehicle failed a smog test during a transfer, with repairs underway.
Owners waiting on special interest or personalized plates mailed from DMV headquarters.

What to bring to your appointment

Sourced from the DMV's requirements. Bring originals where the DMV asks for them. We confirm the exact list when we set your time.

What to bring: Temporary Operating Permits

Proof of insurance
The DMV does not issue a TOP when required proof of insurance is missing.
Failed smog inspection report
For the renewal smog permit. The report shows the failure date.
Payment for the registration fees that are due
Fees must be paid before a TOP is issued. Use tax usually can wait.
BAR Consumer Assistance Program letter of eligibility
Only if you qualify. It waives the fee on the renewal smog permit when shown before the fee is paid.
BAR referee appointment card or proof that parts are on order
For a 30 day permit after a failed smog test on a transfer or original registration.
The registration application and its supporting documents
For a nonresident vehicle, the REG 343 with the title plus registration card.

Based on DMV requirements as published on dmv.ca.gov, checked 2026-10-12. The DMV may ask for more depending on your vehicle. We confirm your exact list when we set your appointment.

When you might need this service

Your vehicle failed smog at renewal

This is the most common TOP. The DMV can issue a permit good for 60 days from the registration expiration date, or from the date the vehicle came off planned nonoperation. You need to pay the renewal fees, show the failed inspection report, and prove insurance. The DMV allows one of these permits per vehicle in any two year period. If an expired registration sits for more than 60 days, this permit is off the table.

A vehicle from another state with paperwork still pending

When a vehicle from another state has an incomplete application, say the smog certificate or title is still in the mail, the DMV can grant a single 30 day permit to bridge the gap. The DMV expects the fees to be paid first. Our out-of-state registration page lists everything the DMV needs.

Failed smog on a transfer or original registration

This is different from the renewal case. The DMV may issue a 30 day permit when you show a BAR referee appointment card or proof that smog parts are on order. It may instead issue a one-time 60 day permit, counted from the failed inspection date, once all fees are paid and the inspection record shows the failure.

Waiting on plates from DMV headquarters

For a complete application with sequential special plates mailed from headquarters, the DMV may issue a 60 day permit. For personalized plates already assigned to you, the permit can run 90 days. A salvage retention vehicle being revived can also get a one-time 60 day TOP once the fees are paid with the brake and light certificates turned in. See our salvage registration page.

How it works with us

Call or send a request
Call (818) 649-3232 or use the appointment form. Tell us why the registration is stuck: a failed smog test, a vehicle from another state, plates on order, or something else.
We confirm what to bring
We match your situation to the permit types the DMV lists, then tell you which documents apply, along with an appointment time.
We prepare the registration paperwork with you
At your appointment we complete the application with you, check the insurance and smog documents, then confirm the fees that have to be paid before the DMV will consider a permit.
We handle the paperwork for the transaction
The DMV decides whether a permit applies, sets the length, then issues the plates and stickers when the registration is complete.

Fees

DMV fees are set by the State of California, not by us. Only the DMV decides the final total, which depends on your vehicle, the transaction, and any penalties already on the record.

The DMV charges a nonrefundable $50 fee for the TOP issued after a failed renewal smog test. The fee is waived for owners who present a Bureau of Automotive Repair letter of eligibility for the Consumer Assistance Program. (DMV source, checked 2026-10-12)
A one-day vehicle moving permit has no fee. (DMV source, checked 2026-10-12)
The registration fees behind the permit must be paid before the DMV issues it. Use tax usually does not have to be paid first when every other fee is covered. (DMV source, checked 2026-10-12)

Our service charge

Every transaction is different, so our service charge depends on the paperwork your case needs. Tell us about it when you call or send a request and we will explain our charge before you decide to proceed. DMV fees, taxes, and penalties are separate.

DMV fee calculator

How California registration fees add up

Common issues and special cases

More than 60 days have passed since the registration expired

When a renewal smog test is due and more than 60 days have gone by since the expiration date, the DMV will not issue the renewal smog permit. The fallback is a one-day moving permit for a single trip, such as a drive to the repair shop.

The vehicle needs a brake and light certificate

A vehicle that still owes a vehicle safety systems inspection certificate cannot get a TOP. The DMV issues a one-day moving permit instead so the vehicle can reach the inspection.

Questions about temporary operating permits

Who issues a temporary operating permit in California?

The DMV does. We do not hand out permits of any kind. What we do is prepare the registration transaction that the permit depends on, so your application is complete when the DMV reviews it.

How long is a TOP good for?

It depends on the reason. The renewal smog permit runs 60 days from the registration expiration date. Other one-time permits run 30, 60, or 90 days depending on the situation.

Can I get a TOP before paying the registration fees?

No. The DMV issues a TOP only after the registration fees are paid. Use tax is the one item that can usually wait when every other fee is covered.

Is a TOP the same as temporary vehicle registration?

People use the phrase temporary vehicle registration for a few different things. A TOP is the DMV permit for a registration that is paid but not finished. The paper registration a dealer gives you after a sale is a different item that covers you until the permanent plates arrive by mail.

What is a one-day moving permit?

A free DMV permit for a single move on a chosen date, such as driving to a repair shop, a smog station, a VIN verification, a weigh station, or out of an impound yard. The date has to fall within 60 days of the day the permit is issued.

Ready to set an appointment?

Call or send a request. We will confirm what to bring and a time that works.