Moving to California

[judgementday03]

Hey Guys,

Hoping someone out in California can help me out and give me some good news. I'll be moving out to the Santa Barbara area from NJ in a few weeks. I have a 2003 Cobra with full bolt ons, including headers and off road x-pipe. In NJ I have the car registered as a collector vehicle, so I'm limited in mileage per year, but I don't need to go for emissions. I tried calling the DMV and can't get a straight answer. Does California have any kind of registrations like this where I would not have to worry about emissions? If it doesn't, how are you guys with modified cars passing emissions each year? Do you just know a shop that's willing to look the other way if you don't throw any codes? I'd hate to have to go back to stock every year just to pass.

Thanks, any info is appreciated.

 

[CV355]

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but you're moving to California.

I do not live in CA, but I can tell you that nanny states with strict emission laws can run audits on emissions tests and any forced codes, disabled O2s, can result in substantial fines. I used to live in CT, which is like California-lite, and had several acquaintances wind up with large fines for using MIL eliminators or forcing codes through the ECU. I somehow wound up with a CA-spec Mustang GT (CA ECU) and it somehow got through emissions with O/R pipes with no forced codes. Never figured out how.

As for avoiding emissions, CT required a vehicle to be 25+ years old to be exempt from testing- probably something similar in CA. There was no other type of registration to be exempt, however, there were cases in which repairs were conducted and vehicles still failed- these gained some kind of exempt status but I'm not sure on the process. Seemed sketchy.

Some people utilized a service like Staab to have out of state registration in a state that does not require inspection or emissions testing. I do not recommend this as some states consider this to be tax evasion, and having an out of state tag long-term is a good way to draw unwanted attention. I had one friend get busted for this in CT. The same nasty politicians that claim this hurts local economies by avoiding property tax are the same ones registering their yachts (John Kerry) and such in other states to avoid the same taxes.

http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/troubleshooters/Full-Court-Press-On-Out-Of-State-Plates-339515522.html

 

[ON D BIT]

Headers and off road xpipe will not pass emissions test and will not be registered...
Need to put oem back on.

 

[Screw-Rice]

Hey Guys,

Hoping someone out in California can help me out and give me some good news. I'll be moving out to the Santa Barbara area from NJ in a few weeks. I have a 2003 Cobra with full bolt ons, including headers and off road x-pipe. In NJ I have the car registered as a collector vehicle, so I'm limited in mileage per year, but I don't need to go for emissions. I tried calling the DMV and can't get a straight answer. Does California have any kind of registrations like this where I would not have to worry about emissions? If it doesn't, how are you guys with modified cars passing emissions each year? Do you just know a shop that's willing to look the other way if you don't throw any codes? I'd hate to have to go back to stock every year just to pass.

Thanks, any info is appreciated.

https://www.svtperformance.com/foru...live-in-california-why-dont-we-leave.1143839/

 

[nxhappy]

some cars cannot be registered at all. Look under the hood at the emissions sticker. it MUST say california compliant.

also, you cant have long tube headers. and your midpipe has to have cats. and your intake has to be CARB certified....yep, it's a nightmare. That being said....start talking around to find a smog guy that will help you out if you catch my drift.

 

[RedVenom48]

Stupid car laws are one of the big reasons I left.

You can have an out of state car brought in. It must pass the visual inspection. STOCK or CARB approved: intakes, exhaust manifolds, superchargers, catalytic converters. Tune must be STOCK or CARB approved. People have been failed because of a non OEM oil catch cans installed. Dead serious. Must pass OBD monitors

Emissions test for registration comes up every two years.

Im not even bullshitting you: It may be a smart investment to buy property in Arizona, just across the border and register your car there. Like an acre lot somewhere and put a mailbox on the property. Only Phoenix Metro and Tucson Metro have smog checks. Even then, all they do is check for ANY kind of catalytic converter and check for OBD monitor readiness tests.

Outside of Phoenix and Tucson there is NO smog check. Would California be upset? Yes but **** them. You legit own property in a non smog county in AZ and register there, they cant do shit. I believe you can also carry an Arizona state ID card as well. Id keep your license in CA.

 

[CGLhawk260]

Sounds like a huge headache. I would consider trading in or selling the car.

 

[Dirks9901]

Don't move to California. Place is cancer.


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[Uncle Meat]

WOW! Moving from one craptastic location to another. You enjoy self abuse?

U.M.

 

[judgementday03]

Thanks for the info everyone. Not looking good for the cobra making the move out there as is. I'm hoping to get out there and make a friend at a smog test facility. If that doesn't work, you'll be seeing it for sale on here.

 

[510paesan]

You maybe able to register it as non-op and keep it as "off-road only"

As far as collectors vehicle registration goes California has nothing like that. There are smog exempt counties in the state but you will be no where near one.

Hold on to your wallet and don't let go


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[BlueSnake01]

As a fellow Socal Resident, dont bother with that car. Love CA weather and……. thats probably it. Well there's more stuff to love LOL but you have to deal with traffic and crap like that which can be annoying. If you lived by San Diego, you could’ve gotten away without the emission crap.

 

[josephcostello]

I failed smog because of my k&n air intake, that should tell you all that you need to know.


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[Pribilof]

Yeah, say goodbye to that car before you move to CA. Not worth the $$ and hassle of moving it from NJ to CA just to not be able to register it and then have to sell it out of state.

 

[DHG1078]

Stupid car laws are one of the big reasons I left.

You can have an out of state car brought in. It must pass the visual inspection. STOCK or CARB approved: intakes, exhaust manifolds, superchargers, catalytic converters. Tune must be STOCK or CARB approved. People have been failed because of a non OEM oil catch cans installed. Dead serious. Must pass OBD monitors

Emissions test for registration comes up every two years.

Im not even bullshitting you: It may be a smart investment to buy property in Arizona, just across the border and register your car there. Like an acre lot somewhere and put a mailbox on the property. Only Phoenix Metro and Tucson Metro have smog checks. Even then, all they do is check for ANY kind of catalytic converter and check for OBD monitor readiness tests.

Outside of Phoenix and Tucson there is NO smog check. Would California be upset? Yes but **** them. You legit own property in a non smog county in AZ and register there, they cant do shit. I believe you can also carry an Arizona state ID card as well. Id keep your license in CA.

I agree with most of this, but you should have an arizona license, too. CA/CHP is cracking down hard on out of state plates. There is even an anonymous website to report cars with out of state plates that you believe to reside in CA.

Only way to pass emissions is an illegal smog (highly not recommended due to huge fines and prison time) or put it back to stock/carb compliant. I think non CA emission compliant vehicles can pass CA smog, but they have to pass CA standards, not 49 state standards. So it isn't a guarantee. Good news is in CA, 2000 and newer vehicles don't go through a sniff test any more. Its only an OBD check and a visual. I would definitely do more research on if your non CA car will pass CA smog though.

I know people who have property in both Arizona and CA. Wife lives in arizona with arizona plates, husband in CA with CA plates. Sometimes the husband borrows the wifes car and he keeps copies of his wife's DL and any other paperwork he feels proves its legit when he gets pulled over. AZ registration is really common with CA residents to circumvent CA registration and smog fees. CA doesn't like it.

One of my coworkers had TX plates on his 240Z. He had an imported japanese spec motor and ECU which was never certified for the US. Had TX plates for a long time in CA. One day he bragged about it to some people online, one of which he thought was a cop, and within 7 days he had a notice from CHP that he had to take his car to a state referee to inspect his car and he had to have it registered in CA in 30 days or whatever it was. He sold the car because he couldn't afford to fix it in time.

 

[Sonic605hp]

Commifornia....

 

[ur bittn]

I failed smog because of my k&n air intake, that should tell you all that you need to know.
Strange mine always passes, you have to show the little number plaque though

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[gimmie11s]

Meh.

Find a good smog guy.

 

[DHG1078]

Meh.

Find a good smog guy.

That form looks like its only for smog exemption when transferring a title.

 

[gimmie11s]

Yeah.. i edited my post because its a little more involved than i originally typed...

easier to find a smog guy.