Stop by the Fleet and Family Support Center and inquire about the RIDESHARE program - vouchers issued so transportation to and from work is free for active duty personnel.
Driving Government Vehicles In California
Many military personnel are required to drive a government vehicle during their workday. All military drivers under the age of 26 must take an eight-hour driver improvement course before they can operate a government-owned vehicle.
Personnel with motorcycles are required to attend a one-time motorcycle safety course. Information about this course is available in the base safety office.
Vehicle Registration
Laws vary from state to state. You are advised to stop by the nearest Department of Motor Vehicles Office for a handbook.
Out-of-state vehicle registration for military personnel is valid until its regular expiration date. Upon expiration, the vehicle registration may be renewed in your home state or an application can be made for a California vehicle registration. DMV will request the out-of-state title, last issued registration and the license plates.
Unregistered vehicles in the name of the service member assigned to duty in the state must apply for California registration. Fees, taxes and a smog impact fee are due if the vehicle was not built to state emissions standards.
A smog certificate and proof of car insurance are required to register vehicles and obtain a base decal. This applies whether your vehicle is registered in California or out of state. An odometer disclosure is required to register or transfer a motor vehicle. The law authorizes the DMV to refuse to register, renew or transfer a vehicle when the odometer reading is not provided.
Driver's license
Active-duty personnel arriving in California may legally drive with a valid and non-expired driver's license from another state. Family members are afforded the same privilege, but may find that their status is not as clearly defined. Check DMV regarding the regulations as applied to your individual case.
First-time driver license applicants will need to provide the DMV with proof of their legal U.S. residency before a license can be issued. A military identification card meets this requirement.
Know Before You Go
California has enacted some strict laws that could affect you almost immediately if you drink and drive. These laws apply even if you hold an out-of-state license. The zero tolerance measure makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 with a blood alcohol content of .01 or higher to drive a vehicle and requires DMV to immediately suspend the violator's license for one year. Any police officer, who has reasonable cause to believe the under 21-year-old driver has been drinking, has the authority to take his or her license on the spot if the driver refuses to take a preliminary alcohol screening test.
Adults are prohibited from allowing a minor to drive a vehicle when the adult knew, or should have known, that the minor was intoxicated at the time.
If you are convicted of driving under the influence, or driving under the influence causing injury or death within seven years of a previous conviction for the same offense, the law requires courts to prohibit you from operating a vehicle unless it is equipped with a functioning ignition interlock devise.
In these cases, your vehicle can be and usually is impounded if you drive without a valid license.
Seatbelts and Safety Seats
Seat belts are mandatory both on military installations and in the state of California. Drivers and all passengers over four years of age should be restrained with a seat belt. Exemptions apply only to vehicles not required to have them at the time of first sale.
Children under the age of six years or under 60 pounds must be properly secured and fastened using federally authorized safety seats. These seats are readily available in all exchanges. Safety seats can also be borrowed at no cost by all military families E-4 and below from the Armed Service YMCA for up to three months at a time.
Pass and Decal
All military installations issue Department of Defense decals that are honored on all other stations. To get a decal for naval installations in the area, you'll need to go to the Pass and Decal Office at your particular base.
For either a decal or a temporary pass, you will need to show your automobile registration, driver's license, military identification card and proof of insurance. Liability insurance is mandatory in California, and you must be insured for a minimum of $15,000 bodily injury (per person), $30,000 bodily injury (per accident), and $10,000 property damage (per accident).
If you ride a motorcycle on military installations, you must wear an ANSI-approved helmet with the chinstrap firmly fastened, shoes or boots with leather sides and hard rubber or leather soles, full finger gloves, full-length trousers and a long-sleeve shirt or jacket. A yellow or orange reflective vest with a 1 1/2-inch to 2-inch wide vertical or horizontal reflective stripe in front and back must be worn as an outer garment. You must also have the headlight on.
All motorcycle drivers on Naval Base San Diego must attend a motorcycle safety course. Temporary decals, valid for 30 days, may be obtained if the rider has written proof they registered for the safety course.
Helmets are required for bicyclists.
Firearms
For those reporting to Naval Base San Diego, firearms are not allowed on the base at any time.
If you are assigned to live in bachelor's quarters and own a firearm, you need to make other storage arrangements. They will not be allowed in your vehicle as well. The penalty for violating the base firearm policy may include loss of base driving privileges and barring your vehicle from entering military installations.