Questions About California Laws

[AudioSi]

Honestly depends on how you drive. I live in SD as well, 5% rear and 15% sides, no front plate. Haven't been pulled since I got my car 7 months ago. As far as mods, I know people will fully built cars that they daily. You'll be fine until it comes time for your emissions test, but its a few years into ownership I think. Intake and exhaust shouldn't be a problem, unless the cop is an ass. You can probably buy a carb sticker online and slap it on the intake. I haven't heard of people having to pop hoods unless they were pulled over for driving reckless.

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[AudioSi]

I’m also t



I am probably going to be there for a few years, not sure how long I would be able to pull off that approach

I did it with my straight piped v8 S4. Had a NC plate and license. I got pulled so many times in that thing just for them to give me a warning since thats all they can do. They can't force you to register it in CA, even if you have a CA license. You can keep your out of state one too, again, they can't force you to get a CA license and tags. Most they can do is try and scare you into it. Long as you registration is valid you're good.

 

[Tev42]

San Diego resident here:
2020 Hatch Sport

Mods:
No front license plate, PRL CAI, Greddy Supreme SP Exhaust

My experience:
When it comes to tint, the front windows on your car are illegal, but I doubt you'll get popped for it. (70% max on fronts, no limit on rears)
Your exhaust should be FINE. If you run a cat back with a catless DP, then it will be pretty loud so you could have issues. But catback alone is quiet enough because of the turbo.

Intercooler and intake are illegal, but the Cobra CAI is in the process of getting CARB certified (according to PRL). I just installed mine and new cars don't have to be smogged for 5 years so hopefully it'll be legal by the time I smog it. The intercooler may not be an issue especially if you don't have the front of it stenciled. But it is TECHNICALLY illegal

I'd say given your mods you'd only get pulled over for traffic violations/possibly for your front tint, but thats a low probability

I read the 2017 SMOG manual and I thought that it said intercoolers are fine. The intake is an issue, but now I’m second guessing the intercooler. Do you have a resource somewhere that says they are illegal?

 

[InhumanFabrication]

I read the 2017 SMOG manual and I thought that it said intercoolers are fine. The intake is an issue, but now I’m second guessing the intercooler. Do you have a resource somewhere that says they are illegal?

I'm not quoting the law when I say that, the only thing I'm going off of is that Greddy advertises their intercoolers as CARB legal and no one else has any documentation stating theirs are CARB legal

 

[Volksparts]

With what you mentioned so far I think you'll be fine just as long as you're not driving like a jackass. I've been doing cars in San Diego for about 25 years now. But yeah the biggest thing is missing a front plate. That's just inviting for them the excuse to check out your car. You can get away with the front side windows tinted but honestly you don't want it too dark or you're just inviting to be pulled over. As far as smog goes from what I've heard it's now 8 years for a brand new car to do your first smog. now I'm not sure exactly what the protocol is for bringing the car from out of state and registering it. It seems to me though that everything you have is carb legal except that intake. And they would only get you on that during smog or if a cop was just doing a random checkpoint during the summer months at the beaches. But again he would have to have other reasons to make you pop your hood.

 

[boosted180sx]

its just safe to assume that anything from the cat forward is illegal in cali lol.

if the cops are unsure, theyd just write you up and send you to the state ref anyways.

 

[Tev42]

This picture is from the SMOG manual and it says the intercooler does not need to have an EO verification (CARB sticker)

 

[Tev42]

https://bar.ca.gov/pdf/2017_Smog_check_manual.pdf

found the full manual online

 

[Tev42]

With what you mentioned so far I think you'll be fine just as long as you're not driving like a jackass. I've been doing cars in San Diego for about 25 years now. But yeah the biggest thing is missing a front plate. That's just inviting for them the excuse to check out your car. You can get away with the front side windows tinted but honestly you don't want it too dark or you're just inviting to be pulled over. As far as smog goes from what I've heard it's now 8 years for a brand new car to do your first smog. now I'm not sure exactly what the protocol is for bringing the car from out of state and registering it. It seems to me though that everything you have is carb legal except that intake. And they would only get you on that during smog or if a cop was just doing a random checkpoint during the summer months at the beaches. But again he would have to have other reasons to make you pop your hood.

My front windows are tinted but they’re not limo tint or anything quite that aggressive. I have been going without a front plate in Baltimore but I just ordered a license plate mount so I can run one for my trip/once I’m out there.

I have read in a few different places about cops checking on cars around beaches. How does this work? Can you refuse to pop your hood?

 

[boosted180sx]

I've been living in socal all my life and had numerous cars that was modified.
if your driving normal, you should be fine as long as you dont have some obnoxiously loud exhaust.
However, how much hassle you have really just depends on the cop you run into.

theres one famous officer over in SFV who pulls over anybody with a modified exhaust and hands them a state ref ticket lol.

as for popping the hood, i'm not 100% sure but i believe they cant legally make you pop open the hood without probable cause. However, that probable cause can be something simple as a modified exhaust. Not sure what they would say if you refuse to do so though.

You are correct the intercooler SHOULD be legal. But, if a cop is anal enough to want to pop your hood, chances are that if he sees anything shiny under the hood without a carb sticker, he will just write you a ref ticket and let the ref station figure it out whether its legal to have or not. I've been hassled before for a stupid shiny catch can on my previous car lol.

The initial reason to get pulled over is usually front window tint, front plate, or a modified exhaust that just branches into more hassle.

best bet is to rock your out of state plate as long as you can lol. I think you only technically have 20 days to register after you move but a friend of mine ran out of state plates when he moved here and got away with it for like 4 years before he ultimately had to get cali plates.

 

[ComradeCivic1312]

First modified car but running only a CAI for now. My front two windows are tinted but nothing aggressive as well. My biggest tip is to have a really vigilant eye when driving aggressively. In the many counties I drive in, I have yet to see somebody with a modded car get pulled over. Not to say it doesn't happen, but I'm not gonna let silly laws ruin my fun ?

 

[USNengineman]

Is this a permanent move or temporary?
My soon to be brother-in-law uses his Wisconsin residency as a workaround for having his modified cars in California. Cars registration and his DL remain issued by WI, so he tells me California CARB and registration laws don't apply.
Could be complete BS, money isn't an issue to him, so who knows. Might be something worth looking into.

they can issue you a ticket if they feel like being a dick head but since your vehicle isnt registered in the state you technically arent bound by their laws but yet you are. if someone gets pulled over in cali (or any state with shitty laws) all you really have to say is "im traveling through", and pray they dont pull you over again. theres no way for them to prove you live in the state unless you tell them. if you have an out of state plate in cali, youre pretty much safe as long as you show respect and dont drive like a dick

 

[USNengineman]

can anyone confirm that you NEED to smog your car in cali if you have out of state registration??
last time i checked you dont have to smog in cali if your residential state doesnt require it

 

[blayed]

Lifelong CA resident.

Tint is not really enforced in CA. If you sit at a busy intersection you can see how many cars have tints. Just dont have a limo tint all around. I have a limo on the back windows, 20% on the front, and 70% on the windshield. If guess if you get pulled over people have been dinged for it but ive been pulled over with a tint and also not been hassled about it. I really wouldn't worry about it

SMOG. This is the big one! New car you have 5 years until smog, after that every 2 years. Smog will be an onboard computer + visual inspection. If you do not have CARB EO parts you will fail. You may find some place that will pass you for cash but you do run the risk of a spot check by a police officer if he asks you to pop the hood. Every mod related to intake and exhaust system up to the catalytic converter MUST HAVE A CARB EO. As of today, these are the only CARB legal mods for the type R (and I think the Si too)

• Mishimoto air intake https://www.mishimoto.com/honda-civic-type-r-performance-air-intake-2017.html (The Si version also has a CARB EO)
• Greddy Intercooler https://greddy-usa.blogspot.com/2020/05/50-state-street-legal-gpp-intercooler_14.html (Si version also has a CARB EO)
• Hondata Flashpro (CA legal edition) (https://www.hondata.com/products/flashpro&filter=7,8,52)

These things will make you fail visual in CA

• Oil catch can
• Turbo Tube (none currently have a CARB EO)
• High Flow Cat
• Catless downpipe
• turbo upgrade
• Any other intake or intercooler that is not included above

Exhaust needs to be below 95dB

 

[onions]

but the Cobra CAI is in the process of getting CARB certified (according to PRL).

More info please! @PRL Motorsports ?

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