A little plan, just for you

Turtle Time

The car is tucking into its shell for a while — and the bills tuck in with it. Here’s the whole thing, five easy steps, all from this phone. Check them off as you go; the page remembers.

About 30 gentle minutes, total.

First, one small question

Do you want to drive it at all in the next few months?

  1. Step 1 · 2 min · from the couch Peek at your registration card

    It’s the little DMV card (glovebox, usually). You’re looking for two things: your renewal month, and whether a bank or lender is listed on it.

    While the card’s out, tuck these here — they’ll be waiting for you at step 2:

    These save quietly on your phone and nowhere else.

    If a lender is listed (car still being paid off), pause here and text Jason — financed cars need one extra phone call first. Otherwise, sail on.
  2. Step 2 · 10 min · online Tell the DMV the car is resting

    You were right — the DMV comes first. It’s a free online form called an Affidavit of Non-Use. Have the card from step 1 handy: it asks for your license plate and the last 5 digits of the VIN (both printed on it). No account, no fee, done in minutes.

    Open the DMV page

    Doing this before the insurance call keeps your registration in perfect standing — that’s the step most people miss.

    If your renewal month is less than about 2½ months away, the DMV will point you to its “Planned Non-Operation” filing instead — same idea, equally easy, and it swaps your whole registration bill for one small fee.
  3. Step 3 · 15–20 min · one call One call to your insurance company

    The number is on your insurance card (or in their app). Here’s the magic sentence:

    “My car is parked at home and not being driven. I’ve filed a non-use affidavit with the DMV. Please switch my policy to comprehensive-only storage coverage — I don’t want to cancel it.”

    Rather not phone? Most insurance apps have a chat — here’s the same thing, ready to paste:

    Hi! My car is parked at home and isn’t being driven. I’ve filed an Affidavit of Non-Use with the California DMV. Please switch my policy to comprehensive-only storage coverage — I’d like to keep the policy active, not cancel it. Could you confirm my new monthly amount? Thank you!

    If they say they can’t make it comprehensive-only, ask for their smallest “stored car” option instead — and if that’s a dead end too, text Jason. There’s always a plan B.

    This is the answer to your lapse worry: the policy stays alive the whole time, just smaller — so there’s no gap in your insurance history, ever. And the car stays covered for theft, fire, and falling branches while it sleeps. Most people’s bill drops to a small fraction of what it was — they’ll tell you your exact number on the call.

  4. Step 4 · 5 min · when the renewal letter comes Swap the registration bill for a tiny one

    Nothing for today. When the DMV renewal notice arrives in the mail, file Planned Non-Operation online instead of renewing — one small filing fee (it’s been about $23) instead of the full registration bill, EV fees and all.

    Bookmark the PNO page

    Tuck your renewal month into step 1 and a one-tap calendar reminder appears right here.

  5. Step 5 · 5 min · in the driveway Tuck the car in

    Tesla’s own advice for a long nap: leave it plugged in, set the charge limit to about 50% (tap the battery icon on the car’s screen), and turn Sentry Mode off while it’s home — Sentry quietly drinks the battery.

    One house rule while it’s registered as resting: driveway yes, public street no — no driving and no street parking until you wake it up properly (below).

All five done — the car is officially on turtle time, and so is the bill. 🐢

Waking it back up someday

She wakes up easily — just in this order:

The two things you wondered

“Do I need to start with the DMV?”

Yes — and you called it. That’s exactly why it’s step 2, before the insurance call. Order is the whole trick.

“Will this look like a lapse in coverage later?”

No. Done this way your policy never stops — it just shrinks while the car sleeps. Your insurance history stays unbroken, and California law adds its own extra protection on top. Truly not a worry.