The bill of sale was March 1st. That's the date the contract was completed and the money given. At the end of the process, the salesperson was holding the temp registration paper, already in the clear adhesive tape holder (ready to be attached to the windshield). Of course, there was no car to stick it to, so it went back into the file. The day after (on 3/2) I called them to get a copy of that registration application, as I needed it to submit with the sticker app. It was a little bit of a hassle, but they finally faxed it to me. My application for the stickers was submitted to DMV on 3/6, and DMV date stamped it 3/8. They rejected it around that time, so there was at least a week delay from the time the vehicle sale was completed and the date DMV rejected me. I assume DMV registration is electronic, so why at least a week passed is beyond me.

The reject note was sent back to me... but from 3/18 to 4/5 I was away on vacation. Thus another 2 weeks were wasted! Oh well.