Before you start

California residency and proof of a California address
A booked DMV appointment
A smog certification for most out-of-state vehicles
California minimum liability insurance in place
Certified English translation of any non-English licence

Step-by-step

1
Book the DMV appointment first, across the whole region
Availability determines the timeline, not the 20-day rule. Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Davis and Woodland offices are all within a short drive, and their queues differ by weeks.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Establish whether you convert or test
California does not have reciprocity with other countries, so a foreign licence generally means a written knowledge test and a behind-the-wheel driving test. An out-of-state US licence converts on surrender with a knowledge test but usually no road test. Confirm your own position before booking, because it changes how many appointments you need.
OnlineWho: YouBefore booking
3
Get the smog certification
Most out-of-state vehicles need a smog certificate before California will register them. It is done at a licensed smog station, not at the DMV. Recent vehicles may be exempt from the test itself but still pay a smog abatement fee. Some out-of-state vehicles cannot be registered here at all if they were not built to California emissions standards — check before you ship a car across the country.
In personWho: YouBefore registration
4
Register the vehicle and expect a large bill
California registration includes a vehicle licence fee calculated on the vehicle's value alongside flat fees, which makes a recent car substantially more expensive to register here than in Texas or Indiana. Late-registration penalties escalate quickly, so file within the 20 days even if the smog appointment is the thing holding you up.
In personWho: YouWithin 20 days of residencyFlat fees plus a value-based vehicle licence fee
5
Learn what tule fog is before December
Dense ground fog settles over the Central Valley in midwinter, sometimes reducing visibility to a few metres for days at a time, and it is historically the most dangerous driving condition in California. Slow right down, use low beams rather than high, and treat I-5 and CA-99 in the valley as genuinely hazardous rather than merely inconvenient in those conditions.
In personWho: You
6
Prepare for the Sierra if you plan to go up the hill
I-80 and US-50 climb to the Sierra passes and Caltrans imposes chain controls, and sometimes full closures, through the winter. Carry chains that fit your vehicle, know how to fit them, and check Caltrans conditions before setting off. This is the most common way newcomers get into trouble here — the drive to Tahoe looks like ninety minutes on a map and is not, in February.
OnlineWho: You
7
Use the Parkway and light rail where they actually work
The Jedediah Smith trail along the American River is genuinely commutable from downtown out to Rancho Cordova and Folsom, and SacRT's light rail serves the Gold, Blue and Green lines across the county. Neither replaces a car metro-wide, but for a downtown job from an east-side address they both work properly.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Foreign or out-of-state driver licence, with certified English translation if needed
Passport, visa and I-94
Out-of-state title, smog certificate and California insurance evidence for registration
Proof of a California residential address
Social Security number, if issued

Things most newcomers don’t know

Tule fog is the local driving hazard, and almost nobody warns newcomers about it.

Every guide to California driving talks about traffic and about mountain snow. The Central Valley's midwinter ground fog is a different phenomenon — a still, freezing, days-long whiteout that has produced some of the largest multi-vehicle pile-ups in American history on the valley freeways. It is specific to where Sacramento is, and it arrives in the month a newcomer is least expecting it.

Source: National Weather Service — Sacramento

Some out-of-state cars simply cannot be registered in California.

California emissions standards differ from the federal ones, and a vehicle built to the federal specification with low mileage may not be registrable here at all. This catches people who have already paid to ship a car across the country. Check the specific vehicle against the DMV's and the Bureau of Automotive Repair's rules before the car is on a truck, not after.

Source: California Bureau of Automotive Repair — smog check

California does not have licence reciprocity with other countries.

Several states waive testing for holders of licences from particular countries. California does not — a foreign licence holder generally takes both the written and the behind-the-wheel test regardless of thirty years of driving experience. Book the tests early, and note that most rental agreements forbid using their car for a DMV road test.

Source: California Department of Motor Vehicles

Chain controls are the real cost of the Tahoe proximity.

The two-hour drive up the hill is one of the best arguments for living in Sacramento, and in winter Caltrans regularly requires chains or closes the passes entirely. Carrying chains that actually fit and knowing how to fit them in a lay-by in the dark is the difference between the Sierra being an amenity and being an ordeal.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Shipping a car to California without checking it can be registered here at all.
Assuming a smog test can be done at the DMV — it is done at licensed stations.
Letting the 20-day registration clock run while waiting on a smog appointment.
Assuming a foreign licence converts without testing. In California it generally does not.
Driving the valley freeways at normal speed in tule fog.
Setting off for Tahoe in January without chains.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.