True or False: California Registration restrictions on 128

JohnIreland

JohnIreland

Low Mileage
I was chasing two cars...a 1971 in the UK, and a 1972 near Modena. Then a friend told me about a section of the CARB (California Air Resources Board) rules that makes registering in California, imported Fiats model years 1968 through 1975 (and other makes) that were not originally sold in the US. I know that under the 25 year law, the federal law allows them to be imported...but registering them in California seems to be a problem. I've requested information on this from the CARB but so far have received no response. At the same time, I passed on a car registered in CA but that was imported into the US from Italy just 3 or 4 years ago.

So...does anyone have a solid answer about registering one in California?
 
My understanding is that if that model was never sold in the States, it can't be registered in California... But we did get the 128 sedan, so should be ok? My friends Dad brought one in 2 years ago, wasn't a problem, but something might have changed. I haven't checked recently..
 
JohnIreland said:
I was chasing two cars...a 1971 in the UK, and a 1972 near Modena. Then a friend told me about a section of the CARB (California Air Resources Board) rules that makes registering in California, imported Fiats model years 1968 through 1975 (and other makes) that were not originally sold in the US. I know that under the 25 year law, the federal law allows them to be imported...but registering them in California seems to be a problem. I've requested information on this from the CARB but so far have received no response. At the same time, I passed on a car registered in CA but that was imported into the US from Italy just 3 or 4 years ago.

So...does anyone have a solid answer about registering one in California?
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There are a few good writeups about this floating around. According to the below links, 1967 and earlier cars are easy. 1968 through 1974 are a pain in the rear. 1975 and newer are a different pain in the rear.

https://www.importavehicle.com/california-buyer

https://www.importavehicle.info/2013/04/direct-import-vehicles-1975-or-newer.html

https://motoiq.com/vehicle-importation-understanding-the-25-year-old-rule/2/
 
Lowtechprime said:
My understanding is that if that model was never sold in the States, it can't be registered in California... But we did get the 128 sedan, so should be ok? My friends Dad brought one in 2 years ago, wasn't a problem, but something might have changed. I haven't checked recently..
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Was that California where your friend's dad registered the car?
 
JohnIreland said:
Was that California where your friend's dad registered the car?
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Yes...
Brought in from Belgium and registered in California in September 2020..
tmp_cb0f5cf3-082a-4893-9155-6933c3f22899.png


Just read through the info and you're right, it is still very confusing... I suggest trying to contact DMV directly and ask some questions...
 
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Lowtechprime said:
Yes...
Brought in from Belgium and registered in California in September 2020..View attachment 83742

Just read through the info and you're right, it is still very confusing... I suggest trying to contact DMV directly and ask some questions...
Click to expand...

Well this does give me hope. But governments don't have to follow the rules, they can make them up as they go along.
 
My deepest thanks for everyone's comments...especially Lowtechprime. I think the fact that I had the picture you shared and the date, helped the California Air Resources Board find the relevant information they needed. I received their reply this morning and while there are a couple of steps to take, the car should be accepted without any problem. I'm made my offer to the seller and hope it is accepted within the next few hours.
 
JohnIreland said:
My deepest thanks for everyone's comments...especially Lowtechprime. I think the fact that I had the picture you shared and the date, helped the California Air Resources Board find the relevant information they needed. I received their reply this morning and while there are a couple of steps to take, the car should be accepted without any problem. I'm made my offer to the seller and hope it is accepted within the next few hours.
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Excellent 😊


Bernice
 
The missing step is that CARB is only half the equation. Since the 128 was sold here, if it came from another state you would have clear sailing and it wouldn't raise an eyebrow. But if you are going to go to DMV with importation paperwork, you may or may not run into a problem. They have been known to request a certification letter from the manufactuer stating that the vehicle you are attempting to register meets all federal MVSS standards for the date of manufacture. Getting that letter is never going to happen because even though it's a model sold in the US, the one you are trying to register is a European model. If you are lucky and DMV never asks for anything, Sacramento has been known to hold up the works by requesting it too. If you ask DMV for clarification, you will get as many differing answers as the number of people you ask, and it all ultimately depends on the clerk that actually processes your paperwork anyway. My suggestion is to use an experienced DMV service to handle the transaction. The know what to say, what not to say, and their longstanding relationships with the DMV clerks are very much worth paying a couple of hundred bucks for.
 
I can only say that the car imported from Belgium did not suffer any issues with DMV or CARB, and was driving around with full California registration and plates since it arrived in September of 2020. That car was just sold and is now in Texas. According to my contact with CARB,
I simply call them up, they give me (if they can find them) a couple of names of places to check out the car for emissions. She thought they wouldn't be able to find anyplace to do that old a car, and so then CARB gives an exemption, and you go on your way. If the car you import does not have seat belts, that may be required by DMW...but that is not hard or expensive to do...and I won't drive without them anymore. More difficult would a be a US sold 49 state car without all the CA emissions equipment, getting approved in California. And example would be a 76 Alfa Romeo Alfetta that had its fuel injection replaced with carbs, and didn't have the other stuff including the cat converter. In small rural counties you might get away with it, but not in Southern Cal., or the Bay area.
 
Strangely, that same man(my friends Dad) brought in an 850 sedan a few years earlier and after a 4 month struggle could not get it registered here.. He ended up having to sell it to someone out of state... I don't know however, what California's issue with it was...
 
jimmyx said:
The missing step is that CARB is only half the equation. Since the 128 was sold here, if it came from another state you would have clear sailing and it wouldn't raise an eyebrow. But if you are going to go to DMV with importation paperwork, you may or may not run into a problem. They have been known to request a certification letter from the manufactuer stating that the vehicle you are attempting to register meets all federal MVSS standards for the date of manufacture. Getting that letter is never going to happen because even though it's a model sold in the US, the one you are trying to register is a European model. If you are lucky and DMV never asks for anything, Sacramento has been known to hold up the works by requesting it too. If you ask DMV for clarification, you will get as many differing answers as the number of people you ask, and it all ultimately depends on the clerk that actually processes your paperwork anyway. My suggestion is to use an experienced DMV service to handle the transaction. The know what to say, what not to say, and their longstanding relationships with the DMV clerks are very much worth paying a couple of hundred bucks for.
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You just need a friend in Vermont. Once it is registered by a Vermont resident you will have a proof of registration. They don’t title anything older than 15 years there so you will be bringing the past registration and bill of sale to the DMV.

It used to be even easier but they now require the owner of the vehicle to have a Vermont physical mailing address, a PO Box won’t do.
 
kmead said:
It used to be even easier but they now require the owner of the vehicle to have a Vermont physical mailing address, a PO Box won’t do.
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Recently someone posted that the Vermont "loophole" had been closed. I guess this is what they meant?
 
Circa 1970, you could register a car in Alabama via mail with no verification of anything. It was popular with car thiefs as you could make up a new VIN number and tag, register it in Alabama, and use that to register in a state of your choice. I'd be surprised if things were still that loose there.
 
dllubin said:
Circa 1970, you could register a car in Alabama via mail with no verification of anything. It was popular with car thiefs as you could make up a new VIN number and tag, register it in Alabama, and use that to register in a state of your choice. I'd be surprised if things were still that loose there.
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From what I found in the past, the Vermont system that Karl discussed is (was) the only 'easy' state left in the US to do this without actually living in that state. Unless somewhere else has changed to be more lenient than it used to be (which is very unlikely). Otherwise there are other states where you can get a new title fairly easily IF you happen to live there.

The Vermont system had been the same for several decades but wasn't widely known. However the internet eventually made it more common knowledge. I'm sure that created a lot of abuse of it, resulting in their policy changes.
 
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