Cal. Veh. Code § 9556
Whenever any person or organization authorized by the department under Section 4610 receives an application for renewal of registration accompanied by the proper fee and endorses a receipt or validates a registration card or potential registration card in respect to the application for renewal of registration prior to midnight on the date registration expires in any year, the application and payment of fees shall not be deemed delinquent or subject to penalty, except that the person or organization so receiving the application and fees shall transmit the application and fees to the department as promptly as practicable in the immediate course of business.
This section shall become operative on March 8, 1976, unless a later enacted statute, which is chaptered before March 8, 1976, deletes or extends such date.
Ca. Veh. Code § 9556