Check the DMV status
Planned nonoperation is a DMV filing. It means the vehicle will not be driven, towed, stored or parked on public roads or highways for the registration year. Confirm the record rather than treating mechanical failure as a filing.
Ask about a transfer-only transaction
DMV describes a transfer-only route where the record reflects PNO and the vehicle has not been moved in a way that causes fees to become due. Ask DMV whether that route applies to the buyer’s intended use and the vehicle’s record.
Plan lawful transport
Tell the purchaser that PNO is on the record and ask whether the car will be carried on a transporter or moved with wheels on the road. DMV’s PNO restriction expressly includes public-road towing, so free towing is not itself a road-use authorization. DMV describes a one-day REG 172 movement permit for qualifying vehicles, including a valid PNO record, for purposes such as storage-to-storage movement or dismantling. Establish whether that permit or the operator’s applicable transport authority covers the proposed movement before collection; a permit does not make an unsafe car safe to drive.
Official sources.
Sources reviewed September 26, 2026. Use the current instructions for your vehicle and transaction.