(a) Upon application for renewal of registration of a motor vehicle, the department shall require that the applicant submit either a form approved by the department, but issued by the insurer, as specified in paragraph (1), (2), or (3), or any of the items specified in paragraph (4), as evidence that the applicant is in compliance with the financial responsibility laws of this state.

(1) For vehicles covered by private passenger automobile liability policies and having coverage as described in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 660 of the Insurance Code, or policies and coverages for private passenger automobile policies as described in subdivisions (a) and (b) of that section and issued by an automobile assigned risk plan, the form shall include all of the following:

(A) The primary name of the insured covered by the policy or the vehicle owner, or both.

(B) The year, make, and vehicle identification number of the vehicle.

(C) The name, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) number, and the address of the insurance company or surety company providing a policy or bond for the vehicle.

(D) The policy or bond number, and the effective date and expiration date of that policy or bond.

(E) A statement from the insurance company or surety company that the policy or bond meets the requirements of Section 16056 or 16500.5. For the purposes of this section, policies described in Section 11629.71 of the Insurance Code are deemed to meet the requirements of Section 16056.

(2) For vehicles covered by commercial or fleet policies, and not private passenger automobile liability policies, as described in paragraph (1), the form shall include all of the following:

(A) The name and address of the vehicle owner or fleet operator.

(B) The name, the NAIC number, and the address of the insurance company or surety company providing a policy or bond for the vehicle.

(C) The policy or bond number, and the effective date and expiration date of the policy or bond.

(D) A statement from the insurance company or surety company that the policy or bond meets the requirements of Section 16056 or 16500.5 and is a commercial or fleet policy. For vehicles registered pursuant to Article 9.5 (commencing with Section 5301) or Article 4 (commencing with Section 8050) of Chapter 4, one form may be submitted per fleet as specified by the department.

(3) (A) The director may authorize an insurer to issue a form that does not conform to paragraph (1) or (2) if the director does all of the following:

(i) Determines that the entity issuing the alternate form is or will begin reporting the insurance information required under paragraph (1) or (2) to the department through electronic transmission.

(ii) Determines that use of the alternate form furthers the interests of the state by enhancing the enforcement of the state’s financial responsibility laws.

(iii) Approves the contents of the alternate form as providing an adequate means for persons to prove compliance with the financial responsibility laws.

(B) The director may authorize the use of the alternate form in lieu of the forms otherwise required under paragraph (1) or (2) for a period of four years or less and may renew that authority for additional periods of four years or less.

(4) In lieu of evidence of insurance as described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), one of the following documents as evidence of coverage under an alternative form of financial responsibility may be provided by the applicant:

(A) An evidence form, as specified by the department, that indicates either a certificate of self-insurance or an assignment of deposit letter has been issued by the department pursuant to Sections 16053 or 16054.2.

(B) An insurance covering note or binder pursuant to Section 382 or 382.5 of the Insurance Code.

(C) An evidence form that indicates coverage is provided by a charitable risk pool operating under Section 5005.1 of the Corporations Code, if the registered owner of the vehicle is a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of Section 501 of the United States Internal Revenue Code. The evidence form shall include:

(i) The name and address of the vehicle owner or fleet operator.

(ii) The name and address of the charitable risk pool providing the policy for the vehicle.

(iii) The policy number, and the effective date and expiration date of the policy.

(iv) A statement from the charitable risk pool that the policy meets the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 16054.2.

(b) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) A vehicle for which a certification has been filed pursuant to Section 4604, until the vehicle is registered for operation upon the highway.

(2) A vehicle that is owned or leased by, or under the direction of, the United States or any public entity that is included in Section 811.2 of the Government Code.

(3) A vehicle registration renewal application where there is a change of registered owner.

(4) A vehicle for which evidence of liability insurance information has been electronically filed with the department.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 435, Sec. 18. Effective January 1, 2006.)