buying car out of state and registering in Calif.

I think in CA, you must have CAT converter or you won't pass smoke check? Correct me if I am wrong.

 

You need a clear title, smog check and pay the registration fees and taxes. Pretty straight forward. I bought mine in Texas, got the smog, went to DMV and was in and out in about 15 minutes.

 

I have done this many times.

Smog: for a 328 and 348, the car needs to be all 50 states compliant, have that federal sticker, have all original smog equipment (Cats, proper exhaust, injection instead of carbs, stock air filter boxes, air injection pluming). It has to pass a smog test with the engine running on a dyno at 2 speeds. You are responsible for all repairs to get it to pass smog. There is no limit to what you have to spend. Without passing smog, you cannot register the car, or re-title the car, or drive the car in the state of California. You will end up selling it outside of california if that is the case.If the car has no smog issues and you have passed smog at a test station, then you visit at the DMV is much easier.

Registration: Within 10 days of bringing the car in with the intention of operating it in California, you have to register it in California. That includes paying the fees, paying any sales tax (around 8-9% of the car), getting smog, and passing a VIN visual inspection. This means you may go to DMV twice, or maybe three times on that car. They will take your money even before you pass smog, and issue you a temporary (up to 30 days) operating permit so you can drive it around for smog and repairs.

Tax: If you take delivery of the car outside of California, and have kept the car 1 year outside of California before you bring it in, then no sales tax is due. Any sales tax paid to another state is a credit toward california sales tax. So no double taxation of single transaction.

 

Yelcab, some things have changed. I went through this last year. Here are my suggestions to make your life easy.

1. Before you go to the DMV, the car needs to go through a VIN Verification. If you know any cops, they can do this for you and the form is on the DMV Website. If you have a AAA membership, a AAA DMV Specialist can also perform the VIN Verify. I have a AAA membership for the DMV benefits alone. No waiting, better service.

2. Car must pass smog, obviously. I would first get a pre-test done to see where you are at so you don't score a gross polluter. as yelcab said, you better have a 50 state car or you are going to have big problems. Make sure that the car is also not a euro car, or again, big problems as you'll have to get a BAR Certificate. If the 50 state emissions sticker is missing, the smog tester probably won't touch the car. If the federal safety placard is not
there, you won't get through VIN verification.

3. There is no way around paying the use tax (sales tax) unless you have already paid it to another state and can prove it (unlikely). To avoid the use tax you will need to own the car outside of the state for at least one year, but, and this is a huge one, the car has to be registered out of state for that year. So you'll need to change your license, residency, etc. unless you can get to Montana or Wyoming and have property there. The best you can do is a bill of sale with a low purchase price because the car is currently not running.

All in all, it becomes more of a pain with older cars.

 

If I remember correctly, there are 2 stickers. One says that this car meets all Federal Standards, is normally found on the door jam. The second sticker in the engine compartment says this car meets emission for California.

 

What are the stickers look like?

 

One in the engine bay, riveted onto the passenger side heat shield forward of the shock. That's the 50 state emissions.

Federal safety is in the driver door jam on the a-pillar . . . this on the 355 that is. Not sure about 328

 

Bought a 348 from Virginia and registered in CA.

Passed smog and showed up with title at DMV (made a reservation).

Inspector said nice Mustang and looked for VIN numbers on chassis, steering column and door jam. They all matched and he signed it off.

Got a Ca title 6-8 weeks later.

5 years ago.

No pre VIN verification needed.

Kai