Starting July 1, California drivers have two months to renew their vehicle’s registration without consequence, a move that lawmakers say will help drivers deal with “skyrocketing” renewal costs.

An additional goal is to limit police use of late renewal as a reason for traffic stops. 

“With inflation at a 40-year high and the cost of living only increasing, it is vital that we provide Californians adequate time to deal with the sticker shock,” bill author Assemblywoman Diane Dixon said in an Assembly analysis.

Passed in 2023, Assembly Bill 256 gives drivers a two-month leeway to handle costly renewals, which average $289 per driver, according to Ms. Dixon, with the new law now stopping police from pulling over drivers whose registration recently expired.

Renewals under California law become delinquent if not paid within 30 days, according to the bill’s text. The new law now prevents police from pulling over drivers until one month after the registration has become delinquent, which allows them two months.

The law does not apply to fleet vehicles.

The bill also aims to curb allegedly biased practices used by California police when stopping drivers for expired registration, according to the Assembly analysis.

Black drivers in California are searched by police more than twice as often as white drivers, yet those searches are “somewhat” less likely to produce illegal contraband, according to the analysis, citing a 2021 report by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The bill is also expected to reduce instances of pretextual traffic stops, which allows police to ask drivers questions unrelated to why they were stopped.

According to the Western Center on Law and Poverty, a sponsor of the bill, more than $8 billion is owed to courts across the nation for unpaid traffic tickets. Representatives for the law firm have argued the new law will help low-income families in the state who already face costly fines for things like license suspensions, towing, and registration renewals.

“While providing a modest grace period, we believe that AB 256 is a positive first step in assisting families meet their vehicle registration costs. It is our hope that AB 256 paves the way for further reforms in the fines and fees space,” they wrote.

No opposition was on file for the bill by the Newport Beach Republican.