SAS California Registration

I registered a new, unfinished SAS replica with CA DMV on Jan. 4, 2012, using the SB100 method.  Check the thread on General Non-technical for Jan. 6, 2012, titled CA SB100 registration, or something similar.  I have no knowledge regarding a previously-licensed replica.  PM me if you need more info.  Regards, Jim

I agree with Jim that SB100 is the way to go with an SAS car.  I do not believe that a previously owned and registered in another state SAS car has been re-registered in CA to date by a non-original owner.  If you go SB100, I am sure Steve at SAS can provide any backup paperwork that may be required.  The difficulty with these things is that each situation seems to be a little different and requires a slightly different wrinkle.

Only newly-built replica cars are required to undergo SB100 registration. Only the first 500 cars are allowed to be registered each year. SB100 registrations can take place only on the first day after New Year's day, and on no other day. You should scope out a DMV that is well-versed in the process. Some DMV offices have no clue as to what SB100 is (at least that was the case when I registered my car in 2007), so due diligence is required. There is often one DMV clerk who really knows how to "git 'er done."

You should ask if there is such a person and talk to them a month ahead of time so that you know exactly which counter to go to and make sure that the person is not going to be on vacation, etc. Get there well before the office opens and sit in a chair right in front of the door if you have to. I did all of the above and had no trouble.

DMV will also require a physical check of the car, a check by a facility (gas station, etc.) that checks and aligns headlights to see if your lights work properly. The DMV guys that checked my car had no idea what the car was, and gave it only a cursory check before giving me the okay. Make sure the horn, lights, brake lights, etc., all work, and you need to show the DMV inspectors that you know what all the controls are for, how the turn signals work, etc. You should also know where the frame/engine number are located and be able to show the inspector those numbers. I did this all five years ago, so I might have left something out here, and the rules might have changed.

In any event, draw up a check list so that you know in which order you need to proceed, and which papers (including current auto insurance) you must have in your hand before you go to DMV for the final SB100 registration. In the meantime, the DMV offers temporary registration so you can drive the car to the various checking facilities without your getting ticketed for driving an unregistered car. The entire process is not difficult if you have done your homework and are prepared.

I wrote up a comprehensive paper on the entire process a few years ago on Spyderclub. Check out the archives there for more info. Go to "non-technical," and then to Search; type in SB100. Also check out http://grahamshotrodshop.com/about.html for a list of documents  you need to get from the builder of the car. Yeah, it's a pain in the rear to go through the process, but once you get your SB100 registration, you never have to get the car smogged. You just pay your yearly registration and insurance....and that's IT!!

As for out of state cars, IIRC, if you buy one used, you must show evidence that you drove it for at least 7,500 miles out of state after you purchased it. This means you must show gas receipts under your name, etc., that shows that you actually drove the car 7,500 miles. The policy's intent is to discourage people from going out of state and buying a car to bypass California's rules on their low-smog engine requirements. This rule may have changed, but this is the way it used to be.

Thanks for the input, gents.  The car is currently registered in Nevada as a 2006 vehicle w/ ASVE (assembled vehicle) on the clear title.  Title shows over 25K miles (used donor car mileage) on it, so the 7,000 mile limitation should be no concern.  Anybody else have input on how to get this car legally into California?

If you have been the owner for more than 7,500 miles, you should have no problems with CA registration. If you have questions, merely call DMV in Sacramento and/or get your reg questions answered at the DMV website.

A few small details:  California DMV doesn't refer to the process as "SB100", which is the CA Senate bill that authored the legislation.  They call it "specially constructed vehicle" registration.  I asked the DMV clerk about SB100 registration, and got a blank stare--not a good feeling.

The SB100 process is an altenative process.  No cars MUST register using this process, it's an option to register in this manner, so that you avoid future smog checks.  CA can register as many as 500/year.  Even if you never use the SB100 process, you can still register your vehicle normally.  The beauty of SM100 is that you never have to have smog checks again.  You do go to a smog check site once for a baseline reading, then you're all done.

You can register your car on any day of the year, as long as there are at least one of the 500 permits available.  Only the Sacramento office keeps tabs on how many permits remain, and they don't seem to be offered sequentially.  Depending on demand, the 500 available permits may last days, weeks, or months.

In 2011, cars were still being registered with SB100 in August, according to website reports.  You should do your own research on other sites as well, so that you have input from many sources.  The CA DMV site has a section on "specially-constructed vehicles", but reading the VC sections can be frustrating.  The Cobra replca sites are VERY good on the process, with several beginning-to-end blogs from guys who walk you through the entire process.  Some of them have registered cars from out of state.  It wouldn't hurt to do a "scout ant" trip to your nearest DMV to get the lay of the land.  Some of the Cobra sites list knowledgeable DMV employees/offices.  Good luck!

All good points, Kelly. The DMV people sometimes are not always up to speed on the laws, and IMO they should know about SB100. Sadly, many are not. As you also pointed out, a specially-constructed vehicle can be registered without going through the SB100 process, but it ensures that the owner will have to have the car smogged just like any non-replica car every two years.