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    1. #1
      Join Date
      Sep 2014
      Location
      Sun City West, AZ
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      672
      Country Flag: United States

      California modified exhaust anf excessive noise laws

      I'm sure by now that everyone has heard or have read about the "New" California Exhaust Law(s) that took effect on January 1, 2019. There are three Vehicle Code statutes that applies to vehicles with excessive noise and/or modified exhaust on vehicles that are registered in California. To be clear on what is real deal here, the statutes (27150, 27150.2, and 27151 CVC) on excessive noise and modified exhaust are not new. These statutes have not been amended since 2003. What has changed is what enforcement document is going to be issued by a law enforcement officer. As of this year, the enforcement document no longer can be a "Fix-It Ticket" where you can have any law enforcement Officer sign it off and you mail it back into the issuing agency. Now, you will be issued a "Notice To Appear" (regular ol' citation) that you must correct and have the correction certified by a license smog station and be issued a certificate of compliance, and no doubt, there will be a fine for that citation when you go to court. How much, I don't know, that will depend on the court where the Notice To Appear is cited to.

      Now, you know if a smog station is going to issue a certificate of compliance, they no doubt will probably check not only the noise, they more than likely will at least do a visual inspection of the entire exhaust and emission systems for compliance of all components. I wonder what are they going to do with cars that have engine swaps. In the past, they always required the systems that either was how the car came equipped from the factory or what the engine came equipped with from the factory if the engine year is later than the car's model year.



      That might mean any engine emission systems that consisted of a, Electronics (ECM), Cat, Vapor, and/or Air Pump, will have to be equipped with that engine regardless if the car, regardless the car's model year, is exempt from a biennial smog inspection. So, will the LS swaps in older cars without all the original emissions systems for that engine cause a problem in getting a certificate of compliance. Hmmm, I bet it will.

      Thoughts and Opinions are welcome.
      --
      Kenny Mitchell
      [email protected]


    2. #2
      Join Date
      Apr 2001
      Location
      The City of Fountains
      Posts
      15,971
      Country Flag: United States
      Move out of California.

      Andrew
      1970 GTO Version 3.0
      1967 Cougar build
      GM High-Tech Performance feature
      My YouTube Channel Please Subscribe!
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      Dr. EFI
      I deliver what EFI promises.
      Remote Holley EFI tuning.
      Please get in touch if I can be of service.

      "You were the gun, your voice was the trigger, your bravery was the barrel, your eyes were the bullets." ~ Her

    3. #3
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      San Jose, CA
      Posts
      523
      1975 and older cars are smog exempt in CA - this doesn't change. there is no smog check required regardless of what engine is in the car.

      But not sure how this may impact engine swaps in 1975+ cars.

      And move out of CA does seem like a pretty solid suggestion the way things are going here!
      Problem is a lot of other states seem to follow what CA does as far as smog rules and such.
      1971 Camaro - 406 / T56
      2016 Camaro SS convertible
      2018 Colorado 4x4

    4. #4
      Join Date
      Dec 2010
      Location
      Fredericksburg, VA.
      Posts
      3,155
      Country Flag: United States
      The way I understand it 75 and older cars being exempt is only applicable if the engine is also older than 75. What Kenny said above is that the emissions test is based on the latest year be it the car or the engine year. So take a first gen Camaro with an LS swap for example, it would appear that such a car would fall into the engine year category emissions requirements. This is how confusion gets started on the internet. Does anyone have an actual state statute that can be posted here for reference?
      Steve Hayes
      "Dust Off"
      68 Camaro

      Given sufficient initial acceleration, even pigs can fly!

    5. #5
      Join Date
      Jan 2006
      Posts
      385
      Country Flag: United States
      I've never had to smog my '71 Camaro since about the mid-90s when that pre-75 exemption went into effect.

      though these days with the way California is going (to hell in a jandbasket), i wonder how much longer until these cars are just outlawed altogether.

    6. #6
      Join Date
      Aug 2005
      Location
      Hamilton, NJ
      Posts
      4,291
      Country Flag: United States
      Scott from NJ.

      Vent Windows Forever! ...

      Feather-light suspension, Konis just couldn't hold
      I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors

    7. #7
      Join Date
      Nov 2018
      Location
      Oregon
      Posts
      230
      My wife and I almost moved to California last year from a really good job offer I had. I was really worried about the car laws and so glad we didn't move there after this new law.
      I feel bad for car enthusiasts that live in California.

    8. #8
      Join Date
      Sep 2010
      Location
      corona,ca.
      Posts
      1,078
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by andrewb70 View Post
      Move out of California.

      Andrew
      The weather is too nice to leave.
      Bonzohasen,the link clears up the confusion.
      Thank you.
      72 chevelle.

    9. #9
      Join Date
      Apr 2001
      Location
      Central CA USA
      Posts
      6,108
      Country Flag: United States
      The first citation should be free of fines, since there is no way to have your car pre-tested. You have to be cited first, only then you are allowed to make an appointment with the referee.
      Last edited by David Pozzi; 01-13-2019 at 11:52 PM.
      67 Camaro RS that will be faster than anything Mary owns.

    10. #10
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      San Jose, CA
      Posts
      523
      With a pre 75 car with a later model motor - how would the DMV ever know that the car has a newer engine ? They never need to see or test the car because it is exempt.
      1971 Camaro - 406 / T56
      2016 Camaro SS convertible
      2018 Colorado 4x4

    11. #11
      Join Date
      Sep 2014
      Location
      Sun City West, AZ
      Posts
      672
      Country Flag: United States
      Actually, I am moving out of California. The cost of living outside of California will give me more money to spend on go-fast parts.
      Quote Originally Posted by andrewb70 View Post
      Move out of California.

      Andrew
      --
      Kenny Mitchell
      [email protected]

    12. #12
      Join Date
      Sep 2014
      Location
      Sun City West, AZ
      Posts
      672
      Country Flag: United States
      DMV will never know. But, if you get cited under the new law change for excessive noise and/or modified exhaust, you will have to get a certificate of compliance from a smog station regardless what year your car is or exempt from the biennial inspection. Do you think when you take your car to the smog inspection station for that certification of compliance on the noise violation they are not going to have a blind eye on the emissions devices and systems?
      Quote Originally Posted by c4racer2 View Post
      With a pre 75 car with a later model motor - how would the DMV ever know that the car has a newer engine ? They never need to see or test the car because it is exempt.
      --
      Kenny Mitchell
      [email protected]

    13. #13
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      San Jose, CA
      Posts
      523
      ya - that becomes the slippery slope doesn't it? I don't like it. Wonder if you can just pay the fine and nothing else.
      1971 Camaro - 406 / T56
      2016 Camaro SS convertible
      2018 Colorado 4x4

    14. #14
      Join Date
      Oct 2010
      Location
      SLC
      Posts
      590
      Just another law that's overly ambitious but difficult to enforce. Unfortunately when laws are created that the vast majority of the population will break, the law becomes discriminatory whether intentional or not.

      Just like the speed limit. every one is breaking it, so its up to the officer to pick who he likes the least. So, try to stay under the radar if your exhaust is capable of being loud. .......even if its stock.
      Zach

      1970 Mach 1 build - Half-Breed (pro-touring.com)

    15. #15
      Join Date
      Jan 2006
      Posts
      385
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by nokones View Post
      DMV will never know. But, if you get cited under the new law change for excessive noise and/or modified exhaust, you will have to get a certificate of compliance from a smog station regardless what year your car is or exempt from the biennial inspection. Do you think when you take your car to the smog inspection station for that certification of compliance on the noise violation they are not going to have a blind eye on the emissions devices and systems?
      i can just picture it...

      "I'm sorry sir... you need to remove that engine that's producing 1/10th the emissions of the original engine, and then put the original engine back in".

      the ironic thing is they should be applauding us for updating the engines in these old cars. Even my Miniramed Gen1 SBC is getting 28-29 mpg on the highway now.
      1971 Camaro
      GM HT383, MiniRam EFI, AFR heads
      "8-speed" trans (700R4 + Gear Vendors OD)

    16. #16
      Join Date
      Jun 2012
      Location
      South Lyon, MI
      Posts
      1,217
      Country Flag: United States
      That's one more reason I live in Michigan. No emission checks. No exhaust system checks.

    17. #17
      Join Date
      Oct 2018
      Location
      San Jose, CA
      Posts
      523
      the weather is pretty comparable between MI and CA from what I understand too!!

      1971 Camaro - 406 / T56
      2016 Camaro SS convertible
      2018 Colorado 4x4

    18. #18
      Join Date
      Oct 2010
      Location
      SLC
      Posts
      590
      Quote Originally Posted by ULTM8Z View Post
      i can just picture it...

      "I'm sorry sir... you need to remove that engine that's producing 1/10th the emissions of the original engine, and then put the original engine back in".

      the ironic thing is they should be applauding us for updating the engines in these old cars. Even my Miniramed Gen1 SBC is getting 28-29 mpg on the highway now.
      I'm thinking common sense is not part of the equation. What a world it would be if it was.
      Zach

      1970 Mach 1 build - Half-Breed (pro-touring.com)

    19. #19
      Join Date
      Feb 2016
      Location
      SoCal
      Posts
      475
      I really dont think that the muscle car group is going to get messed with. More just the riced out Hondas and such, you know, the Fast and Furious type cars. I mean how many of you have had a cop pull up beside you and then gave you a thumbs up? Its happened to me a couple times. How many riced out Hondas would get the same treatment? None.
      1970 VW Bug - Just your average mid engine Bug
      Track toy - 06 Evo - E85 and lots of boost
      Newest track toy - 2021 Supra

    20. #20
      Join Date
      Dec 2005
      Location
      TuoCo, CA
      Posts
      992
      Country Flag: United States
      Quote Originally Posted by Bugzilla View Post
      I really dont think that the muscle car group is going to get messed with. More just the riced out Hondas and such, you know, the Fast and Furious type cars. I mean how many of you have had a cop pull up beside you and then gave you a thumbs up? Its happened to me a couple times. How many riced out Hondas would get the same treatment? None.
      I guess we’ll see what happens outside good guys events this year. Will be an easy way for cities to score a cops annual salary in a few hours.
      Steve
      '68 Camaro - SBC, TKO600, 3.73 Moser 12-bolt, Speedtech, ATS-AFX, Hotchkis, Forgeline, Ron Davis and C5 brakes (Kore3), Holley Terminator TBI.
      Check it Out Here

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