Cal. VEH § 8203
This is the official text of Cal. VEH § 8203, part of California’s Vehicle Code — governs traffic laws, driver's licenses, and vehicle registration.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
(a) When a lien is perfected pursuant to Section 8200 and the opportunity to submit additional documentation or to request a hearing has passed, the department may suspend or cancel the operating privileges of the fleet. When the suspension takes effect, the department may seize a sufficient number of vehicles to satisfy the lien without further notice, upon obtaining authorization for the seizure and sale from the director or his or her authorized representative.
(b) Members of the California Highway Patrol, and peace officers employed by local authorities, are agents of the department for the purposes of this section.
(c) In all cases, prior to the sale, a notice of the lien and intent to sell the vehicle shall be given by the department to the registrant, the known legal and registered owners, and to any other person known to be claiming an interest in the vehicle. The department shall also give public notice of the lien by placing an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the registrant’s place of business is located.
(d) At any time before seizure and sale, any person claiming an interest in the vehicle may pay the department the amount of the lien, plus costs. In that event, the seizure and sale shall not be held, and the vehicle, shall be returned by the department to the person entitled to its possession.
(e) Any property found by the department in any vehicle seized under the provisions of this article shall be handled by the department in the manner provided in Sections 2414 and 2415.
(f) The sale shall be conducted and proceeds distributed pursuant to Section 9802.
(b) Members of the California Highway Patrol, and peace officers employed by local authorities, are agents of the department for the purposes of this section.
(c) In all cases, prior to the sale, a notice of the lien and intent to sell the vehicle shall be given by the department to the registrant, the known legal and registered owners, and to any other person known to be claiming an interest in the vehicle. The department shall also give public notice of the lien by placing an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the registrant’s place of business is located.
(d) At any time before seizure and sale, any person claiming an interest in the vehicle may pay the department the amount of the lien, plus costs. In that event, the seizure and sale shall not be held, and the vehicle, shall be returned by the department to the person entitled to its possession.
(e) Any property found by the department in any vehicle seized under the provisions of this article shall be handled by the department in the manner provided in Sections 2414 and 2415.
(f) The sale shall be conducted and proceeds distributed pursuant to Section 9802.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in California?
Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.