DMV Ordered to Refund Excess Fees for Out of State Vehicles

Nearly 500,000 owners of vehicles that were originally sold or registered outside California may have been overcharged for vehicle license fees, state officials said Wednesday.

As a part of a class-action lawsuit, the Department of Motor Vehicles has been ordered to provide refunds to owners whose vehicles were originally sold or registered outside California before Aug. 1, 1991, department officials said.

Applicants will receive a refund if their out-of-state vehicle license fee is higher than California vehicles of the same make and type, officials said.

To qualify for a refund, owners must have paid license fees on the vehicle and must file a claim before June 15, the release said.

The refunds are estimated to range from a few dollars to $1,000, depending on the year, make and model of the vehicle.

Wednesday’s announcement, ordered by Commissioner Bruce E. Mitchell of the Los Angeles Superior Court, stems from a 1992 California Supreme Court ruling on Woosley vs. California DMV.

That decision said the method used by the DMV to calculate vehicle license fees for some motor vehicles previously sold or registered outside California violated federal law.

For claims and for more information, the DMV has a Web site, https://www.dmv.ca.gov/refund-notice, and a phone number, (800) 725-6337.