Emergency vehicles: fee and toll exemptions.

Assembly Member Ávila Farías proposes expanding California's vehicle fee and toll exemptions to include authorized emergency vehicles owned by private entities, matching privileges currently limited to public fire departments and voluntary fire departments.

The legislation modifies vehicle registration fee requirements by exempting all authorized emergency vehicles, whether publicly or privately owned, from most Vehicle Code fees except those for duplicate documentation. For toll facilities, including highways, bridges, and high-occupancy toll lanes, the bill specifies that emergency vehicles must display both an exempt license plate and appropriate emergency identification, such as "Ambulance," to qualify for exemptions. These exemptions apply when vehicles respond to urgent or emergency calls, though returning vehicles cannot use HOT lanes without paying tolls.

To maintain oversight, the bill establishes a certification process requiring fire chiefs, police chiefs, or other agency heads to verify emergency response activities when toll operators request documentation. Toll facility operators must also enter agreements with emergency service providers to establish specific terms for facility use. The legislation preserves operators' ability to implement more stringent policies while ensuring consistent application of exemption requirements across different emergency service providers.