Over the years, I’ve remained vaguely aware that automobile emissions regs are different in California. I know certain areas use, or have used, special blends of gasoline, and I know I’ve heard of automakers having “California models.”
Well, I’ve a cousin in the L.A. area to whom I’m considering giving my older car. It just passed the Harris County, Texas emissions/safety inspection, and it is a good car. Can a Texas car go to live and work (and be registered, etc.) in L.A.? Does it need any special smog equipment that it might not have?
If the model makes a difference, it’s a 1985 BMW 735i.
The rules change from time to time, so a big YMMV.
You did not say what year or model the car was, so any thing you read, may be affected by that information.
Anyway look under the hood for the emissions label. (usually white with black lettering) It will tell among other things the size of the engine and any tune up spec for the engine.
At the bottom will be a statement that reads something like
or it will say something like
If it says the first he will probably be charged a one time $300 fee for emissions plus any registration fees to register it the first time. After that no problem.
If it says the second the droid at the DMV will probably try to charge the $300, but will relent if you bitch long enough. At least this was my experience a couple of years ago.
Again when dealing with the California DMV YMMV depending on the phase of the moon, day of the week, what color shirt you are wearing, and if the person you are dealing with had a Big Mac for lunch yesterday. in other words you can never tell.
The $300 out-of-state fee was struck down by a judge a few years back. Everyone who had paid it in the preceding years was eligible for a refund. AFAIK, there are no longer any penalties for registering a non-California emission vehicle in the state. So long as it can pass the local smog test (some areas of the state have stricter rules than others), you’ll be fine.
Hey, thanks Rick! It’s got US and California sticker; since I’d be giving it to her, I can just let my cousin handle the bitchin’.
On preview, I see that’s been superseded. Since we’re under some EPA mandate here, I suspect the emissions test it just passed (by a goodly margin) is one of the tougher ones.