Date:
October 6, 2026 01
To: Board of Supervisors
Title
Sheriff - Continuation of Current Vehicle Registration Fee to Fund California Identification System Fingerprint Equipment and Services (Districts: All)
End
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, respe...
Click here for full text