Title
Sheriff - Continuation of Current Vehicle Registration Fee to Fund California Identification System Fingerprint Equipment and Services (Districts: All)
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Overview
Local law enforcement agencies access automated fingerprint, palm print, and photo databases at the local, state, and federal levels through the California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN). This system enables the rapid identification of individuals booked into detention facilities and supports the analysis of latent prints recovered from crime scenes. As San Diego County’s Cal-ID/RAN administrator, the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for ensuring the equipment, infrastructure, and support needed to maintain a dependable, effective system are in place.
California Vehicle Code section 9250.19 (VC 9250.19), established by California Senate Bill 720 in 1997, authorizes counties to collect a $1 vehicle registration fee for all vehicles, along with an additional $2 fee for commercial vehicles, for a total fee of $3 for both fees, to fund fingerprint identification systems upon adoption of a Board of Supervisors (Board) resolution. The Board of Supervisors (Board) previously adopted such resolutions on April 16, 2002 (2), June 28, 2011 (3), and December 6, 2011 (2), allowing the collection of the fees to support equipment purchases, maintenance, and related staffing. In 2011, Assembly Bill 674 removed the sunset clause, making the fee permanent.
In 2014, Assembly Bill 2393 amended VC 9250.19 to authorize counties already collecting the $1 fee to increase it to $2 for all vehicles, with the additional fee for commercial vehicles increasing from $2 to $4, for a total fee of $6 for both fees. On October 5, 2021 (6), the Board adopted Resolution 21‑156, implementing the increased fees with a five‑year sunset. The increased fee collection took effect on January 1, 2023, and is scheduled to revert to $1 and $3, respectively, on January 1, 2028.
Today’s actions request the Board adopt a resolution that maintains the current $2 registration fee and the associated $4 additional fee applicable to commercial vehicles. Continuing this revenue is essential to ensure Cal‑ID/RAN systems remain modern, reliable, and secure, providing critical support to both law enforcement agencies throughout San Diego County and the communities they serve. A waiver of Board Policy B‑29, Fees, Grants, and Revenue Contracts - Department Responsibility for Cost Recovery, is requested, as the Cal‑ID/RAN program is not full cost recovery.
Body
Recommendation by Sheriff:
1) Adopt a resolution entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO AUTHORIZING THE CONTINUATION OF THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE TO FUND CALIFORNIA IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM FINGERPRINT EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES.
2) Waive Board Policy B-29, Fees, Grants, and Revenue Contracts - Department Responsibility for Cost Recovery which requires full cost recovery.
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Equity Impact Statement
Maintaining the current vehicle registration fee supports the continued operation of Cal‑ID/RAN, a system that provides accurate and timely identification essential to a fair justice process. Continuing the existing fee ensures that critical public safety technology remains functional and accessible across all jurisdictions, supporting consistent service delivery and strengthening equity within the County’s justice system. Reliable identification technology helps reduce inequities associated with misidentification, delays, or inconsistent access to forensic tools. By sustaining modern, functional systems across all jurisdictions, today’s actions promote equitable treatment within the criminal justice system and support consistent access to public safety resources for all residents.
Sustainability Impact Statement
Today’s requests support the County’s Sustainability Goals of providing just and equitable access as well as maintaining fiscal solvency. Ensuring consistent access to accurate identification advances social and community well‑being by supporting fair and effective investigations, enhancing safety for all residents, and reducing disparities that may arise from outdated or ineffective technology. Continuing the current vehicle registration fee strengthens the long‑term sustainability of the County’s fingerprint identification infrastructure by preventing depletion of the Sheriff Fingerprint ID trust fund and enabling planned replacement of end‑of‑life systems. This stable funding supports economic resilience, ensures uninterrupted public safety operations, and prepares the County for future modernization needs.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this request in the current fiscal year. If approved, the resolution will continue the deposit of the $2 and $6 vehicle registration fees into the Sheriff Fingerprint ID trust fund for every vehicle registered in San Diego County. This request will generate an estimated annual revenue of $6 million, which ensures full cost recovery of direct program costs. However, it does not offset administrative overhead or support costs, which continue to be funded by $716,000 in General Purpose Revenue. Therefore, a waiver of Board Policy B‑29 is requested. Funds for this request will be included in future Operational Plans for the Sheriff’s Office. The funding source is the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles registration fees. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
Business Impact Statement
N/A
Advisory Board Statement
The San Diego County California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) Board serves as the regional policy and advisory body to the Board of Supervisors on the use of Cal‑ID funds. The Cal-ID/RAN Board is composed of seven members, including a member of the Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff, the District Attorney, two police chiefs, a mayor, and a member at large. On July 15, 2026, the Cal-ID/RAN Board unanimously approved the recommendation to remove the sunset on Resolution 21‑156, thereby continuing the current vehicle registration fee collection.
Background
The California Identification System (Cal-ID) is the statewide platform maintained by the California Department of Justice to store fingerprint records and support the identification of latent fingerprints. The Remote Access Network (RAN) provides standardized equipment and procedures that allow law enforcement agencies direct, secure access to automated fingerprint, palm print, and photo databases at the local, state, and federal levels. This infrastructure enables timely identification of individuals booked into detention facilities and supports criminal investigations across the region.
The Cal-ID program is currently funded through a $2 vehicle registration fee, user fees from the 18 cities and unincorporated County areas, and General Purpose Revenue. The vehicle registration funds collected by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) are deposited in the Sheriff Fingerprint ID trust fund and are expended solely for regional law enforcement forensic and fingerprint identification systems.
In 1997, California Senate Bill 720 added Section 9250.19 to the California Vehicle Code (VC 9250.19). This section provides that, upon adoption of a resolution by any County Board of Supervisors, the DMV can collect a $1 fee for every motor vehicle registered within the county. The fee includes an additional $2 fee for commercial vehicles, for a total of $3. On April 16, 2002 (2), June 28, 2011 (3), and December 6, 2011 (2), the Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted resolutions authorizing the collection of the vehicle registration fees pursuant to California VC 9250.19, to purchase and maintain fingerprint identification equipment and fund personnel to support operations. In September 2011, California Assembly Bill 674 removed the sunset clause and made the collection of these fees permanent.
In 2014, California Assembly Bill 2393 (AB 2393) amended VC 9250.19 and authorized a county that had already adopted the resolution to impose the $1 fee, to increase that fee to $2 for all vehicle registrations. The additional $2 fee for commercial vehicles was raised to $4 for a total registration fee of $6. On October 5, 2021 (6), the Board adopted Resolution 21-156 implementing the increased fees with a five-year sunset as recommended by the California Identification System/Remote Access Network (Cal-ID/RAN) Board. A sunset clause was included because the increased revenue was specifically requested to replace the regional Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and mobile fingerprint identification system, both over ten years old, and to upgrade the Cal-ID network infrastructure. Replacement costs were estimated at $8 to $10 million for AFIS and $2 to $3 million for mobile fingerprint identification.
The fee increase has strengthened the Sheriff Fingerprint ID trust fund, now with a balance of about $13.6 million. Cal‑ID is financially able to begin replacing end‑of‑life systems, including transitioning to a modern Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) at an estimated cost of $12 to $17 million and replacing mobile fingerprint identification at approximately $3 million. However, with these major procurements and rising operational costs, the trust fund is projected to be fully depleted in Fiscal Year 2028‑29 if the fee reverts to $1 on January 1, 2028. While the current vehicle registration fee will be collected through 2027, continuation is being requested at this time to allow the DMV adequate lead time to implement the administrative and programmatic adjustments necessary to sustain the increased fee structure. Maintaining the $2 fee will support equipment replacement, ongoing operations, and future system upgrades anticipated around 2036. Returning to 2022 revenue levels would not support system modernization or long‑term sustainability.
Fingerprint identification systems are essential to law enforcement operations. Cal‑ID supports high‑quality fingerprint capture, mobile field identification, and submission of records to state and federal databases as required by law. Ensuring consistent access to accurate identification advances social and community well‑being by supporting fair and effective investigations, enhancing safety for all residents, and reducing disparities that may arise from outdated or ineffective technology.
Today’s actions request the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution that maintains the current $2 vehicle registration fee under AB 2393. The fee will continue in perpetuity unless changed by future legislation and will support the Cal‑ID program’s fixed location and mobile fingerprint identification systems used by all law enforcement agencies in San Diego County. A waiver of Board Policy B‑29 is requested, as the Cal‑ID/RAN program is not full cost recovery.
Linkage To The County Of San Diego Strategic Plan
Today’s proposed actions align with and advance the County of San Diego’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan, particularly the Equity and Justice Strategic Initiatives. Maintaining the increased vehicle registration fee will ensure continued support for the California Identification System program, a core public safety function that enhances the County’s ability to accurately identify individuals associated with criminal activity and facilitate timely and effective investigations. Sustaining this program strengthens the County’s commitment to a fair and equitable justice system, improves service delivery to victims, and contributes to a safer community.
Respectfully submitted,
Kelly A. Martinez
Sheriff
Attachments
Attachment A - A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO AUTHORIZING THE CONTINUATION OF THE VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE TO FUND CALIFORNIA IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM FINGERPRINT EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES
Attachment B - Summary of Proposed Resolution