Planned non-operation, or PNO, is a DMV filing that a vehicle will not be driven, towed, stored, or parked on a public road or highway for the whole registration year. It is the Vehicle Code section 4604 alternative to paying a full registration renewal while the car sits.
The DMV accepts a PNO up to 60 days before expiration and up to 90 days after, if the vehicle was not operated. A late filing adds penalties on the full renewal, plus the PNO fee. The DMV fee chart lists that fee at $28 under section 4604. File online or mail REG 102. The certificate says the vehicle will not be operated, moved, towed, or left standing on a California highway. Renewal fees are due on or before the first day it is driven again. A later year does not need a new PNO by itself. An off-highway vehicle forfeits the option if the filing misses the expiration date.
A car that stays in the driveway
The walk-through is planned non-operation in California. Compare a normal registration renewal. Spanish: PNO. Index: glossary.
Sources, checked October 5, 2026: DMV planned nonoperation filing, DMV registration fees, Vehicle Code section 4604, REG 102, and DMV PNO status.