California smog law question.

[Motorhead350]

I am 90% certain I will be moving out to CA early next year. I will be taking my Marauder and Blazer with me. I understand that both my vehicles have illegal modifications because they pollute more than they did from the factory. I think I can get away with the vehicles there if I keep the Illinois plates on them. This would mean they would have to go by IL's laws and not CA. I know you can add performance products to a car, but 2003 and even 1990 is too new.

The only issue I would have is I would have to drive each car back every three to four years for admission testing to keep getting stickers for the plates. They are both also under my dads name and not mine... for a number of reasons. So I figured both of them being in CA under my dads name in Chicago would bypass the smog laws in CA because they would still be IL registered vehicles. He could send me the plate stickers in the mail.

Would this work or is there more to it?

Thanks in advance.

[justbob]

Just wanted to say........

[gdsqdcr]

By California state law, you have thirty days to register your car once you claim residency.

[takedown]

I guess Dom won't be claiming residency.

[Motorhead350]

Originally Posted by gdsqdcr

By California state law, you have thirty days to register your car once you claim residency.

They are not to my name. So by law they are not mine. This is why I am questioning this.

Thanks Bob, doubt I will be around for long though.

[PonyUP]

If the car is in California, it will have to be registered in California. I lived in San Diego and they are sticklers for this. If you get pulled over (And you will Dom, cause it's you, and welcome back) when you show the California License, they are going to wonder why you have Illinois plates. Not only that, registering a car in a state that the car does not reside is fraud, and you could be asking for a whole lot of trouble

[Motorhead350]

See this is where it get's confusing. If a car is registered in another state to avoid the laws of the state that it's in, it's fraud right? Well being that they aren't under my name if I get pulled over I can say my dad let me borrow the car until I can get one. Then I see it the game is won. If they run the plates they will see them under my fathers name and not mine. The name will be linked back to Chicago and there is nothing they can do... unless I get pulled over multiple times by the same police officer.

To make my cars go by the law I would have to remove my blower, headers and high flow cats on my Mercury. Hooker headers on my K5 and probably change the engine. The original had 210 horsepower and the current one has 350. Even if I had the time or money to change these back to stock I wouldn't do it.

Is there any legal way I can get these cars in CA besides keeping the IL plates on? Not sure how legal that is, but being that they go to a different owner in a different state, I don't see what violation could be written against me. In the end it is true, I am borrowing the car and truck... until my dad decides to sign them over to me. They are more than paid for by me BTW. I just don't want them under my name. Gotta wait until I am 26 or 27 when my rates would go down...

Martyo and LEOs can you chime in please?

[dohc324ci]

Dom where in CA you planing on living? Northern or southern? You could take it to a state referee and see what they say to do if you fail the smog test. The referee stations can do the visuals and sniffer tests but can pass you if you have all your smog equipment and pass the sniffer.

Just make sure both cars have all smog equipment and your cats and go from there. Jdennings002 moved here last year IIRC With a Vortech and LT. He was very creative lol but there are ways to get by..,

[MMarauder03]

Originally Posted by Motorhead350

See this is where it get's confusing. If a car is registered in another state to avoid the laws of the state that it's in, it's fraud right? Well being that they aren't under my name if I get pulled over I can say my dad let me borrow the car until I can get one. Then I see it the game is won. If they run the plates they will see them under my fathers name and not mine. The name will be linked back to Chicago and there is nothing they can do... unless I get pulled over multiple times by the same police officer.

To make my cars go by the law I would have to remove my blower, headers and high flow cats on my Mercury. Hooker headers on my K5 and probably change the engine. The original had 210 horsepower and the current one has 350. Even if I had the time or money to change these back to stock I wouldn't do it.

Is there any legal way I can get these cars in CA besides keeping the IL plates on? Not sure how legal that is, but being that they go to a different owner in a different state, I don't see what violation could be written against me. In the end it is true, I am borrowing the car and truck... until my dad decides to sign them over to me. They are more than paid for by me BTW. I just don't want them under my name. Gotta wait until I am 26 or 27 when my rates would go down...

Martyo and LEOs can you chime in please?

I have 2 points from about a year ago, bought my MM about 4 months ago and am 19, everything is in my name, and my FULL COVERAGE with FULL GLASS and 500 dollar deductable is only 101.32 a month through Allstate.

[Motorhead350]

It would be in southern California. I am not sure if the law would be any different from one part of the state to another.

I was just told any performance modification at all is illegal. Both my vehicles are full of mods. I just don't know how to get by. I don't wanna give up the plate on the truck ever. We've had it for over 20 years.

There has to be a way.

[Ms. Denmark]

I don't know Dom....but I'm thinking it might just be easier to man up and do what the rest of the California crowd does. Just register the cars? Good luck.

[Motorhead350]

Originally Posted by Ms. Denmark

I don't know Dom....but I'm thinking it might just be easier to man up and do what the rest of the California crowd does. Just register the cars? Good luck.

They be would illegal then... from what I understand.

[Ms. Denmark]

Originally Posted by Motorhead350

They be would illegal then... from what I understand.

We can't always get what we want. (sounds like a song LOL)

[Motorhead350]

Originally Posted by Ms. Denmark

We can't always get what we want. (sounds like a song LOL)

Rolling Stones You Can't Aways Get What You Want.

My car's response... if you can make out the words. Lyrics do have potty mouth if you look them up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIqbd...feature=avmsc2

1:50 mark... "You ain't ....... changing me!"

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Motorhead350

See this is where it get's confusing. If a car is registered in another state to avoid the laws of the state that it's in, it's fraud right? Well being that they aren't under my name if I get pulled over I can say my dad let me borrow the car until I can get one. Then I see it the game is won. If they run the plates they will see them under my fathers name and not mine. The name will be linked back to Chicago and there is nothing they can do... unless I get pulled over multiple times by the same police officer.

To make my cars go by the law I would have to remove my blower, headers and high flow cats on my Mercury. Hooker headers on my K5 and probably change the engine. The original had 210 horsepower and the current one has 350. Even if I had the time or money to change these back to stock I wouldn't do it.

Is there any legal way I can get these cars in CA besides keeping the IL plates on? Not sure how legal that is, but being that they go to a different owner in a different state, I don't see what violation could be written against me. In the end it is true, I am borrowing the car and truck... until my dad decides to sign them over to me. They are more than paid for by me BTW. I just don't want them under my name. Gotta wait until I am 26 or 27 when my rates would go down...

Martyo and LEOs can you chime in please?

In the end, it's still fraud no matter how you try and explain it. Laws are laws....they are what they are Welcome back