bxb40

My friend considers moving to San Francisco from the East coast. As I heard that CA has stricter emissions, do cars from other states pass emissions in CA so you can register them? Appreciate your input if you have - or know someone who - brought in CA a car from another state.
Thanks in advance.

PS my friend does not have a RX8 but a '02 Chevy Tracker, if it matters.

juikster

I also have an oportunity to move to cal. but not sure what to expect with an outsider vehicle..

robertdot

Lucky for you guys, I JUST dealt with all that junk. I moved from Alabama about 7 months ago. Here is the gist (but you can get more info from: the ca dmv), assuming you have a license to drive in your state and you own your RX-8 outright (though if you don't fill one of the two assumptions, the notes below will be pretty close to the same):

Once you get a job (or do something that makes you a resident, like voting), you are supposed to get a license and register your car w/in 20 days.

Before I get started, I learned one thing about my local DMV (Van Nuys): Get an appointment online, and go EARLY. I figured most people would be like me and try to get there early so as not to miss work. I was wrong. At 8AM, not many people are there. Also, you can find your local DMV and, on at least some of them, see the current wait times to figure out when is best to go. The only problem is that you can only do one thing per appointment. So, you may have to get your license on one day, and register the car on another.

To get a license, you need your out of state license, social security card, and birth certificate (or passport or another acceptable document).

This is relatively painless. You will be required to take a written exam, as well as the standard thumb-print-and-picture stuff. Basically, when they call your number, you go to the desk, give them your info, fill out some stuff and pay ~$25 bucks. They get your thumb print, take your picture, have you sign your card, and send you to the test area. The test people give you a test. After you take it, they grade it. If you fail, you can study some more and take it again. You can fail three times before you have to pay again. The test is pretty easy, though I suggest you read the handbook for minor differences in traffic law (2004 version, since the 2005 version is "in development"). Important to note: If you have both a motorcycle AND drivers license, you can both take written test for ~$24, and not have to take the driving test for either! Once you pass, they put a hole in your old license, and give you a temporary one (that is on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, which was weird for me). If you have any questions about the process, I'll be happy to answer them.

To register your car, you need the following (official list here):
1. Your current out of state tag (to be turned in).
2. Your title to be turned in (a replacement will be mailed).
3. Smog certification, which costs about $40-$50 (More later).
4. The REG343 form (Download here).
5. Your car for physical inspection of mileage, modifications, etc.
6. Money (my car is one year old and cost $235 to register)

I live about a mile from the place I got my smog check. You can search Google Local for a near by smog checking facility by searching for "smog check" and your zip code. Most places are "Test Only." That basically means they can only test your car, and they can't offer advice on where to fix it if something is broken.

Basically, all they do is put your car on a dyno, hook stuff up to the ODB-II port, and stick a sensor in your exhaust. They then get your car up to various speed and measure the readings. A thing to note: The RX-8 ODB-II stuff is new; sometimes newer than the readers they have. This causes a problem, which causes the tech to have to do a "manual override." I had to get it done twice since the guy who did mine didn't notice until it threw the error, which was too late.

Since I was so close to my test facility, I drove around for 15 minutes at the top of the RPM range in whatever gear I was in to make sure the cat got good and hot. The whole process takes about 15 minutes and costs $40 - $50. Your report is sent to the DMV, and, if you fail, you usually get a free re-test. So, make sure your cat is on your car or you WILL fail. If you are running stock, you will pass.

After you pass your smog test, set an appointment at the DMV. When you go, make sure you have all the stuff I listed above (and all the better if you fill out the form from the Internet). On the DMV site they mention a mileage certificate, which they didn't bug me about. I can only assume that is part of the vehicle check process, which is done after you check in your appointment.

The vehicle check is pretty easy. They look at the sticker on the door jam, check your mileage, and look at the sticker under the hood (it's on the slanted part, so if they can't find it tell them to look further back).

The forms are pretty easy to fill out if you own the car out-right. The scary thing is that they take your title and tell you they'll mail you the new one. They also collect your old plate, unless you are going to "mail it back" for whatever reason. They have screw drivers if you don't. They gave me my plates AT the DMV. Some people I've talked to said they mail them in "a couple months."

Other They do give you two plates. The second IS for the front. Do you HAVE to put it on? Legally, yes. But I drove around w/ an Alabama rear plate (no front) for 7 months and never had a problem. Many of the local RX-8 club guys don't have one and have had no problems. Your call. If you get busted, you get a fix-it ticket, which you can either be paid off, or you can fix it and they void the ticket after you show them that it is attached.

Basically, I just answered all the questions that I wanted answered but had no one to ask. If you have any more questions, fell free to ask, and I'll do my best to answer them based on my experience.

bxb40

Thank you a lot, Robert, excellent details, I'll pass them to my friend ! Enjoy California !

Nubo

It's better than it was. They used to charge (on top of the normal fees) an extra $300 if your vehicle didn't have a "california emissions sticker".

"No sticker? Three hundred bucks please. Welcome to California. NEXT"!

This was finally reversed a couple of years ago. It was challenged and found to be unconstitutional. The CA bureaucrats wanted to appeal but then-Governor Gray Davis, to his credit, stayed the appeal. End result was refunds to people who had paid this "fee", with interest.

rodmeister

I live in Los Angeles and bought an RX-8 in Las Vegas. It was a headache to register in California. Several trips to DMV - they will tell you about requirements one item at a time, not all at once. DMV will require a smog certificater certificate, so you get the certificate, return to DMV, then they will tell you about a CHP inspection. Return to DMV and they'll say they need another certificate, receipt or record. This could go on for three or four trips.

I think all cars imported to the US meet California Smog standards, but don't have the required sticker, so you will need to get it smogged. BTW, that took two trips because some smog station can't test rotaries - so I was told by the first smog check station.

Then a trip to a designated CHP station for verification of VIN number, even though my car was new and and I had all the paperwork from the Nevada dealer. You must make an appointment since they are backlogged three weeks to a month, but my CHP office refused to make my appointment by phone. If you're unlucky, the inspecting officer will be sick and you will have to reschedule.

If you're lucky that's it.

AvatarQAZ

Let me throw this situation at you:

If I were to have my residence in Pennsylvania, have the car registered there, have my license there, would I be required to pass CA emissions if my permanent residence was not in CA... but I moved there?

Riccio

Actually, if you have the DMV VID Verification form, (Page 2 of Reg 343 - see Robert Dot's entry above) any traffic duty police officer can verify it for you.

My mechanic for one of my non-rotary engine cars is an Azusa Motorcycle Officer (Rank of Sergeant) and he has filled out the DMV VID verification forms on my two out of state used vehicles (both RX-7s) I purchased and brought into California. This can also be done at DMV - but you may need an appointment.

The only time, as far as I know, that you have to go to the CHP is when you are trying to license a salvaged vehicle - then, CHP is the one the verifies stuff like brake lights, etc.

djantlive

If you live in CA longer than 2-3 consecutive weeks, you are required to register the car in CA. If you don't and cops stop you, you'll get cited. If you live in a large city, you may be ok as cops can't keep track. I had CA plates in NYC/NJ for 2.5 yrs, never an issue and didn't have to smog it since the car was operated outside of CA. I even kept CA insurance as NJ/NYC insurance was almost 2x the price. Best thing when you use out of state license is you probly won't need to pay for parking citations. I racked up over $500 ($55-85 a pop).

plugot

You would be required to get a CA license. You can continue to drive the car with PA tags but if you're stopped by the cops and produce different state license and registration, you will be cited. If your car has over 7500 miles on it, and you register in CA, you must pass the Federal requirements which may be less than CA. You will still need to get a smog check though. I don't know if all RX-8s are CA compliant. I assume for the relatively low number of imports that it would make sense to meet CA standards which is now also the standard in some NE states as well.

robertdot

'8's are compliant with CARB standards.

9kNback

Yea sorry this is kinda off topic but speaking about emissions. Do any of you guys know if they're making that greddy turbo emissions legal for Cali? One of my friends had to uninstall his 300zx non-emissions legal twin turbo upgrade after he got it smogged. Just wondering if greddy is working on making it carb legal. I emailed them but no response so far.

robertdot

NOTE: Much of the following is based on hearsay from other RX-8 Club members.

They will release an emissions legal turbo if there is enough demand. I don't think there will be. It's a vicious cycle. They give us a turbo (incidentally, the one made for Japan, where there area apparently no emissions requirements). We don't buy it because we'd rather have an emissions legal turbo. They won't make an emissions legal turbo if we don't buy alot of their initial turbo offering. No one gets what they want, and we go nowhere. Granted R&D costs money, but good market research makes more.

rXter

Just got off teh phone with CA DMV. If your 8 has less than 7500 miles on it and it is not stickered as a 50-state vehicle YOU CANNOT REGISTER IT IN CA. Meaning, you can't bring it in. Unf#$%^ing real. It's like another country out there.