Online Vehicle Sales and Off-Site Delivery
Back in May of 2020, the DMV issued OLIN 2020-04 regarding online sales and remote deliveries of vehicles and generally confirms that dealers in California may sell vehicles online and deliver them off-site to customers so long as dealers follow the requirements under California law. You can read more about OLIN 2020-04 in “COVID-19 Legal Updates for Vehicle Sales in California.”
The DMV has recently issued OLIN 2021-01 Online Vehicle Sales and Off-Site Delivery Clarification to clarify certain points in OLIN 2020-04. Importantly, the DMV clarified that its guidance on online sales and off-site deliveries will still apply post-pandemic, except for the pandemic-specific guidelines, such as social distancing and sanitization of the vehicle. This means that if dealers follow all appropriate legal requirements, they can continue to sell vehicles online and perform off-site deliveries after the pandemic.
Online Replacement License Plates
In VIN 2021-01 Online Replacement License Plates, the DMV has announced that customers can now order replacement plates online for most plates. To order replacement plates online, customers must provide the license plate number and the last 3 digits of the vehicle’s VIN. The replacement plate must be mailed to the customer’s address on record. You can read more about the eligible types of plates for an online replacement here.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding this, or any other situation that may arise in your sales or service departments, hotline clients are invited to contact us at (800) 785-2880 (then press “4” for hotline) or [email protected].