Episode 07: McGuires Registration Services
In this episode of the Small Business Voice, Jeanette Forni is joined once again by co-host Cassandra Augusto, publisher of Neighbors of East Turlock, for a conversation that is equal parts practical and eye-opening. The topic: DMV services, registration laws, and the one local woman who has built an entire business making sure Central Valley residents — and their vehicles — stay on the right side of the law.
The featured guest is Stacy McGuire (now Stacey Acevedo following her recent marriage), owner of McGuire Registration Services, located at 8425 East Monta Vista in Denair. Stacey has been in business since 2012, originally learning DMV processing work through her mother. As a stay-at-home mom looking for income, Stacy stepped in to handle all of their DMV paperwork — and discovered she had a real talent and passion for it. When COVID hit and the DMV essentially shut its doors to the public, Stacy's business took off. She is now listed on the DMV's own website as a licensed third-party provider, holding an occupational license and keeping actual license plates and registration inventory on hand at her office.
The conversation covers a wide range of DMV-related issues that most people don't even realize exist until it's too late. Jeanette and Stacy discuss the growing problem of fraudulent DMV websites that collect payment and personal information but never deliver tags — a particular danger for elderly residents who may not recognize a fake site. Stacey's in-person, same-day service eliminates that risk entirely. She even shares a story about a young man who called her while pulled over by a police officer with an expired registration — she processed it on the spot, texted him a photo of the new registration, and he was on his way.
Stacey also walks through the many services she provides beyond basic personal vehicle registration, including out-of-state title transfers, boat and trailer registrations, motorcycle and off-road vehicle tags, RV registrations, and full fleet management for businesses with multiple vehicles. She works with dealerships directly, picking up their paperwork on a weekly schedule and processing title transfers so that buyers are properly listed as registered owners — a problem Jeanette knows firsthand from her insurance work, where customers sometimes discover months later that a dealership is still listed as the registered owner of a car they've been driving.
Jeanette also shares important information for listeners about new California laws affecting drivers — including license plate readers now being used to cross-check insurance in real time, automatic registration suspension when insurance lapses, and embedded HOV lane sensors on major freeways that can issue automatic tickets and even HOV lane suspensions for tailgating.
Stacey is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Saturday appointments available by request. She also offers phone and Apple Pay processing for customers who can't make it in person, mailing tags directly to their door. For customers with mobility challenges, she comes right out to the vehicle — making it essentially a drive-through DMV experience.
Reach Stacy at 209-603-5749 or visit her at 8425 East Monta Vista in Denair.
Left to Right: Host Jeanette Lorentz-Forni, Guest Stacy Azavedo, Co-Host Cassandra