CHP inspection

[Sean]

DMV issued a memo a few years back regarding brake & light inspections that will apply, should it be determined that you need a B&L inspection:

Vehicle Industry News VIN 2011–07 Moving Permits for Brake and Light Inspections

New Policy

Effective immediately, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will issue only

one-day Vehicle Moving Permits (REG 172) if a brake and/or light inspection certificate is required and has not been submitted.

Once the brake and light certificates and all vehicle registration fees (current fees and any fees due within 60 days) have been submitted, a temporary operating permit (TOP) may be issued.

Procedures

To move a vehicle that is required to have a brake and/or light inspection, a REG 172 (valid for one day) may be obtained from a DMV field office. There is no fee for the REG 172; however, the vehicle registration fees must be paid or the vehicle must currently be on planned nonoperation status.

To obtain a TOP, submit the application, the original brake and light certificates, and all vehicle registration fees (current fees and any fees due within 60 days) to DMV, and request the TOP.

Background

To ensure public safety, the department may refuse registration if a vehicle is mechanically unsafe or unfit to be operated or moved on California highways.

Currently a 60-day TOP is issued when brake and/or light inspection certificates are required and have not been submitted. Due to public safety concerns, brake and light certificates must be completed and submitted to DMV before a TOP is issued.

Distribution

Notification that this memo is available online, at

http://www.dmv.ca.gov

under Publications was made via California DMV’s Automated E-mail Alert System in February 2011.

Contact

Call the DMV Customer Communications Section, at (916) 657-6560 for further clarification of this memo. Upon request, this document can be produced in Braille or large print.

 

SOURCE: http://dmv.ca.gov/vehindustry/vin_memos/vin2011/11vin07.pdf

 

The only real impact of this directive is that after getting your SPCNS sequence number, you will effectively need to get B&L first before CHP or BAR. Before B&L, 1-day vehicle moving permit only can be issued; after B&L, 30- 60- or ?-day TOP can be issued. Still, as of early last year, this directive wasn't yet being universally applied.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Sean

[rzempel]

If you don't have an SB100 sequence number, then you shouldn't be going to the CHP for inspection, you do that AFTER you have your SB100

.

 

I'm pretty sure CHP verification can be done before DMV issues a SPCNS number. BAR afterwards only, though.

 

Here's the DMV page about SPCNS: http://dmv.ca.gov/vr/spcnsreg.htm

 

And, FWIW, the state code section about the BAR inspection is in the Health and Safety code, section 44017.4.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=hsc&group=44001-45000&file=44010-4402

 

The Vehicle Code says this about previously registered cars:

4304. Upon application for registration of a vehicle previously

registered outside this State, the department shall grant full faith

and credit to the currently valid certificate of title describing the

vehicle, the ownership thereof, and any liens thereon, issued by the

state in which the vehicle was last registered, except that the laws

of the state shall provide for the notation upon the certificate of

title of any and all liens and encumbrances other than those

dependent upon possession.

4305. In the absence of knowledge by the department that any

certificate of title issued by another state is forged, fraudulent,

or void, the acceptance thereof by the department shall be a

sufficient determination of the genuineness and regularity of the

certificate and of the truth of the recitals therein, and no

liability shall be incurred by any officer or employee of the

department by reason of so accepting a certificate of title.

[Manshoon11]

I don't have all of the documents required for an SB100. I am the 4th owner of this stalker, and it was registered in Illinois and Oregon since 2009.

 

 

I have an appt. on Tuesday with DMV. We'll see.

[nick47]

If you don't have an SB100 sequence number, then you shouldn't be going to the CHP for inspection, you do that AFTER you have your SB100.

Mopho, that might've been true once, but no longer. I just got my VIN plate tacked on by the CHP this morning. They verified proof of ownership, signed off on the paperwork, riveted on a VIN plate, and told me to visit the DMV about getting an SPCNS certificate of sequence. Which I likely won't get until January.

 

Last July I went to multiple DMVs to get a SPCNS. I argued with half a dozen clerks, yelled at several supervisors, and no matter how much I begged and pleaded and told them they were wrong, they flat out refused to get me a certificate of sequence and insisted I first had to go to the CHP. Which I did today. And the CHP confirmed everything the DMV told me.

 

I've read similar accounts from other people arguing with the DMV, so apparently there's a lot of misinformation about this going around.

[TurboWood]

So, where are you guys getting the VIN installed? Why is a new VIN needed when Caterham issues a VIN number?

 

Daniel

[MoPho]

Mopho, that might've been true once, but no longer. I just got my VIN plate tacked on by the CHP this morning. They verified proof of ownership, signed off on the paperwork, riveted on a VIN plate, and told me to visit the DMV about getting an SPCNS certificate of sequence. Which I likely won't get until January.

 

Last July I went to multiple DMVs to get a SPCNS. I argued with half a dozen clerks, yelled at several supervisors, and no matter how much I begged and pleaded and told them they were wrong, they flat out refused to get me a certificate of sequence and insisted I first had to go to the CHP. Which I did today. And the CHP confirmed everything the DMV told me.

 

I've read similar accounts from other people arguing with the DMV, so apparently there's a lot of misinformation about this going around.

 

 

Well when I did it I was told specifically not to do anything before I paid my fees and received an sb100 sequence number or it could screw up the whole process. There was a guy who did it out of order and then had to wait a another year to try again because it got entered into the system wrong.

I also had to present my sequence number to the CHP when I went in for inspection. As a matter of fact, my sequence number is stamped on the VIN plate the CHP put in the car.

 

There is a lot of misinformation and a lot of it comes from the DMV, most DMV's have never even had to deal with this kind of thing. I went to a highly recommended DMV and the first person I dealt with did it wrong and I had to go back and straighten it out.

 

 

 

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[Gherkin]

I just went through this process a few months ago myself and it does need to be:

 

1. DMV

2. CHP

3. Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR)

4. DMV

 

The .pdf linked in post #10 was very helpful and accurate for my experience.

 

I came to the DMV (set an appointment on line) with the paperwork listed in the above mentioned .pdf except for the MSO. I came very organized and that seemed to help compensate for any items I needed to explain. The gal I got at the DMV was familiar with the SB100 program but had only done a couple in about 5 years. She went and got the "binder" with the instructions and took the time to make sure she did everything right. She looked at the invoices for all major components and had a few questions to help her confirm that I had done the majority of the labor on the car. I left with my SB100 paperwork and the papers needed for the CHP and BAR visits.

 

The CHP visit went smoothly as well but took longer than expected while the Officer researched the serial numbers of the engine and trans. If these numbers are difficult to see in a parking lot I suggest you get a close up photo or rubbing to make it easier for the Officer. After confirming the components were not stolen he then asked where I wanted the new CA issued number plate and drilled/riveted it in place.

 

The BAR is where I had my only hiccup. The local ref wasn't sure the car really qualified for SB100 even though that determination is made by the DMV, not BAR. He wouldn't inspect my car until I produced photos of the build and proof of payment for the parts I had invoices for. I was able to get these to him via email and set another appointment where the inspection and paperwork were completed.

 

I was not directed to have a brake and light inspection.

 

My final stop at the DMV was about 10 minutes (with appointment) and I walked out with plates. The whole process took about six weeks.

 

I hope this helps.

 

All the best,

Chris

[sdaddy]

I just went through this process a few months ago myself and it does need to be:

 

1. DMV

2. CHP

3. Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR)

4. DMV

 

The .pdf linked in post #10 was very helpful and accurate for my experience.

 

I came to the DMV (set an appointment on line) with the paperwork listed in the above mentioned .pdf except for the MSO. I came very organized and that seemed to help compensate for any items I needed to explain. The gal I got at the DMV was familiar with the SB100 program but had only done a couple in about 5 years. She went and got the "binder" with the instructions and took the time to make sure she did everything right. She looked at the invoices for all major components and had a few questions to help her confirm that I had done the majority of the labor on the car. I left with my SB100 paperwork and the papers needed for the CHP and BAR visits.

 

The CHP visit went smoothly as well but took longer than expected while the Officer researched the serial numbers of the engine and trans. If these numbers are difficult to see in a parking lot I suggest you get a close up photo or rubbing to make it easier for the Officer. After confirming the components were not stolen he then asked where I wanted the new CA issued number plate and drilled/riveted it in place.

 

The BAR is where I had my only hiccup. The local ref wasn't sure the car really qualified for SB100 even though that determination is made by the DMV, not BAR. He wouldn't inspect my car until I produced photos of the build and proof of payment for the parts I had invoices for. I was able to get these to him via email and set another appointment where the inspection and paperwork were completed.

 

I was not directed to have a brake and light inspection.

 

My final stop at the DMV was about 10 minutes (with appointment) and I walked out with plates. The whole process took about six weeks.

 

I hope this helps.

 

All the best,

Chris

 

This matches my experience last year perfectly. After dealing for weeks with the BAR, they finally let me through after I forwarded pictures of the construction. It turned out they have been on the look out for cars that are constructed commercially (which mine wasn't). These cars do not qualify for SB100.

[nick47]

Yes, it's the BAR that determines if and how your car will be registered under SB100, not the DMV.

 

Things are definitely different now, or maybe it's just in my area. The CHP and DMV both insisted it was CHP first, then SPCNS certificate. Maybe they decided they were giving out too many certificates to people who couldn't prove they owned their car.

[Mondo]

It may be that people were getting the cert and then just sitting on it (ensuring they have a number though the car might not be built that year).

Doing the CHP first would ensure the car is ready for the cert and doesn't deny someone else who's car is ready... speaking from experience on the waiting an extra year in 2008.

[Sean]

Mopho, that might've been true once, but no longer. I just got my VIN plate tacked on by the CHP this morning. They verified proof of ownership, signed off on the paperwork, riveted on a VIN plate, and told me to visit the DMV about getting an SPCNS certificate of sequence. Which I likely won't get until January.

Why wait until January? A call to DMV should determine if numbers are available, and last year at this time there were still some available.

 

Last July I went to multiple DMVs to get a SPCNS. I argued with half a dozen clerks, yelled at several supervisors, and no matter how much I begged and pleaded and told them they were wrong, they flat out refused to get me a certificate of sequence and insisted I first had to go to the CHP.

I could make a suggestion here, but it is already pretty obvious.

[Gherkin]

I received my SB100 number in April at my first DMV visit, it was #121. The clerk said that in recent years it hasn't been unusual for them to not issue all 500.

 

Chris

[nick47]

Sean, I'm not the argumentative type, and in fact I was my usual pleasant self when I first arrived at the DMV, and for at least a couple of hours after that. But when a million forum posts have told you that you MUST get your SPCNS certificate before going to the CHP, and clerks at the DMV who know nothing about the SB100 program are reading from a book and telling me that under no circumstances will they call Sacramento until I've gotten a VIN assigned by the CHP, it gets a little frustrating. To say the least. In retrospect, even though they knew almost nothing about SB100, they were right and I was wrong. Which is what I get for trusting anything on the Internet.

[rikker]

Wow,

I hate going to the DMV ( for anything, so I really feel for what you have to go thru in the Golden State, damn, that is mind blowing).

I never really understood ( being a well travelled UK implant) why there was no nation wide standard for drivers licenses and registrations and so on in the US, ( yeah i know it is a bunch of dif states.. but).

So if a car like a 7 was originally registered in a lax (easygoing) state, lets say it was a brand new build bud was titled as a 1967 Lotus 7, would the CA DMV accept that without any more hoops?

Footnote:

One of the things that was really tough in UK was having a wheel/tyre/tire sticking out past the body work of the car, yet that is often seen here, and when it comes down to custom car/hot rods or bikes I see vehicles on the road that I am amazed got legal.

The other laughable thing is that the only thing that many states seem to focus on is emissions without any car inspection or safety standards for brakes ,lights, tires and so on like the UK MOT.

[TurboWood]

My only exposure to MOT is from watching Top Gear, but it definitely looks more thorough than anything a dealership would even do in the US.

 

I suspect it's tied to the slippery slope of control that lawyers would fight in the US. It would be difficult to pass a law where the government determined if a car was safe. Even when you think about emissions, it's a very rough audit. It really only detects failed equipment, but can't detect significantly modified vehicles. For gasoline most emissions are in the first 30 seconds of startup anyway which isn't measured.

 

Daniel

[TomF]

Washington State is phasing out emissions tests, dropping them entirely by 2020. They say the air quality has improved hugely, car makers are now adopting such strict standards (largely under pressure from CA, mind) that it's no longer worth the administration costs of testing. Not that the Zetec has ever had any emissions problems (I have a full-length exhaust and cat), but every time I've gone for a check they've screwed up the paperwork in one way or another and it takes multiple phone calls to sort out.

 

The MOT in the UK is very stringent. They check for a wide range of mechanical and electrical problems and any rust on the chassis will fail you. I had an R33 Skyline in the UK and we had a lot of hassle because they wanted to see the rear-wheel-steer working. It took a lot to persuade them it only kicked in at >40mph and >0.5g cornering - it's not there to make parking easier!

[Manshoon11]

DMV says CHP has all of the authority. DMV is going with CHP to make it a spec construction. They said no path forward at their level.

[Manshoon11]

Today's highlights

 

 

Sacramento said "what's SB100"

me, " senate bill 100"

Sacramento, "why'd you call us?"

Sacramento, "call BAR"

 

DMV, "Your car isn't eligible for smog exemption, talk to CHP, BAR and DMV Sac. See if CHP will change the paperwork back to 62' Lotus."

yada yada

" You can't be driving that, it's bad for the environment."

 

Bar, "you need SB100. Go back to the DMV and apply for one."

me ," what if I don't have build receipts etc..."

Bar, "let me check.......... you should be ok."

 

 

 

Believe me...... I tried to do this as nice and polite as possible. In the end, being told No 15 times from the desk person and their supervisor ends this round in the DMV's favor.

 

 

California: 4

Me: 0

 

I think it's time for a different DMV office. :puke:

[nick47]

I feel your pain, Manshoon. What makes it worse is everyone saying how easy SB100 is. Here's what worked for me. DMV form, REG 124. The DMV filled out the DMV USE ONLY section with "NEEDS VIN/SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION". The CHP filled out the rest when they assigned me a VIN.

[MoPho]

 

I think it's time for a different DMV office. :puke:

 

 

When I did mine, the Thousand Oaks DMV was on the highly recommended list. There was a female manager there that was known as the "SB100 lady" and she took care of everyone.

But on the other hand this is internet advice so can't be trusted

 

 

 

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