California SB 712 that proposes a new 35 year rolling exemption from emission testing passed the California Senate Appropriations Committee last week on a 5 - 1 vote, but will be amended as follows:
Provide a smog check exemption for a motor vehicle that meets the following criteria:
o The vehicle is at least 35 years old.
o The vehicle has been issued a “Historical Vehicle” special identification plate.
o The vehicle is insured as a collector vehicle.
The complete committee report (two pages) is here:
As of this writing, the actual text of the bill with the above amendments is not yet posted online.
As you may recall when this bill was presented early this year it included a requirement for "collector car insurance". That was removed in March, but is now back in. It remains to be seen how this plays out as I do not believe there is a specific legal definition of "collector car insurance policy".
"Historical Vehicle" license plates have been around for some time. Going back about 20 years '76-up model year HV plate cars did not require biennial emission testing, however, there was no statutory authority for this. It was an error the way the DMV computers were programmed, and the software was modified about eight years ago to require emission testing on all '76-up cars. The basic algorithm is odd VINs require emission testing in odd years and even VINs in even years.
Historical Vehicle license plates don't seem to have much popularity and are fairly rare. They are white with red letters. "Historical Vehicle" is spelled out on the left side of the plate and the right side has three digits and a letter. The actual license number in the DMV database and on the registration certificate is, for example, HV382N.
A little known benefit of HV plates, even for pre-'75 cars, is a reduction in VLF (vehicle license fee, often referred to as the "car tax") that is based on the value of the car. This rate is currently 0.65 percent, but has been as high as 2 percent in the recent past. For example if you buy a new car for $50,000 the VLF is $325 for the first two years, then drops by 10 percent each year as the vehicle's value is depreciated linearly by 10 percent each year until it reaches i10 percent of the purchase price and remains there as long as you own the vehicle.
The same applies if you buy a vintage car for $50,000, but if you license it with HV plates, the VLF is TWO DOLLARS per year regardless of what you paid for it. This will obviously yield a significant reduction in licensing fees over the years.
There is a one time fee of $25 for HV plates. Normal basic license fees and any other fees other than the VLF will be the same as your other vehicles.
Here's the application form pdf on the CA DMV Web site:
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/upload...3/reg17a-1.pdf
The form's name is REG 17A (REV. 11/2017) and what you sign up for is as follows:
"I certify that I understand these plates may only be placed on a motor vehicle manufactured after 1922, which is at least 25 years old and is of historic interest. I also certify that I understand that the vehicle for which these plates are issued is primarily driven in historical exhibitions, parades, or historical club activities."
Note that the operative word here is primarily. It doesn't preclude pleasure drives, maintenance drives, or any other drives that are not specifically related to the stated uses.
CAUTION: BEWARE, there is an earlier version of REG 17A on the Web, REV. 7/2011, that replaces primarily with ONLY. DO NOT USE THIS FORM. Only download the form from the DMV link listed above, and verify that it is the REV. 11/2017 version.
Another outcome from the Appropriations Committee is that if the bill becomes law, it won't be effective until January 1, 2027. At that point 1992 and prior model years will be exempt, and then 1993 in 2028, 1994 in 2029, and so on.
I believe the next step is a California Senate floor vote. I don't have a time frame, but I will report back when I do. At that point we need a full court press for passage. This bill appears to have significant bipartisan support and momentum, but California car enthusiasts and supporters, whether you own an affected vehicle or not need to contact their California Senator and plead for passage of SB 712.
Duke
Provide a smog check exemption for a motor vehicle that meets the following criteria:
o The vehicle is at least 35 years old.
o The vehicle has been issued a “Historical Vehicle” special identification plate.
o The vehicle is insured as a collector vehicle.
The complete committee report (two pages) is here:
As of this writing, the actual text of the bill with the above amendments is not yet posted online.
As you may recall when this bill was presented early this year it included a requirement for "collector car insurance". That was removed in March, but is now back in. It remains to be seen how this plays out as I do not believe there is a specific legal definition of "collector car insurance policy".
"Historical Vehicle" license plates have been around for some time. Going back about 20 years '76-up model year HV plate cars did not require biennial emission testing, however, there was no statutory authority for this. It was an error the way the DMV computers were programmed, and the software was modified about eight years ago to require emission testing on all '76-up cars. The basic algorithm is odd VINs require emission testing in odd years and even VINs in even years.
Historical Vehicle license plates don't seem to have much popularity and are fairly rare. They are white with red letters. "Historical Vehicle" is spelled out on the left side of the plate and the right side has three digits and a letter. The actual license number in the DMV database and on the registration certificate is, for example, HV382N.
A little known benefit of HV plates, even for pre-'75 cars, is a reduction in VLF (vehicle license fee, often referred to as the "car tax") that is based on the value of the car. This rate is currently 0.65 percent, but has been as high as 2 percent in the recent past. For example if you buy a new car for $50,000 the VLF is $325 for the first two years, then drops by 10 percent each year as the vehicle's value is depreciated linearly by 10 percent each year until it reaches i10 percent of the purchase price and remains there as long as you own the vehicle.
The same applies if you buy a vintage car for $50,000, but if you license it with HV plates, the VLF is TWO DOLLARS per year regardless of what you paid for it. This will obviously yield a significant reduction in licensing fees over the years.
There is a one time fee of $25 for HV plates. Normal basic license fees and any other fees other than the VLF will be the same as your other vehicles.
Here's the application form pdf on the CA DMV Web site:
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/upload...3/reg17a-1.pdf
The form's name is REG 17A (REV. 11/2017) and what you sign up for is as follows:
"I certify that I understand these plates may only be placed on a motor vehicle manufactured after 1922, which is at least 25 years old and is of historic interest. I also certify that I understand that the vehicle for which these plates are issued is primarily driven in historical exhibitions, parades, or historical club activities."
Note that the operative word here is primarily. It doesn't preclude pleasure drives, maintenance drives, or any other drives that are not specifically related to the stated uses.
CAUTION: BEWARE, there is an earlier version of REG 17A on the Web, REV. 7/2011, that replaces primarily with ONLY. DO NOT USE THIS FORM. Only download the form from the DMV link listed above, and verify that it is the REV. 11/2017 version.
Another outcome from the Appropriations Committee is that if the bill becomes law, it won't be effective until January 1, 2027. At that point 1992 and prior model years will be exempt, and then 1993 in 2028, 1994 in 2029, and so on.
I believe the next step is a California Senate floor vote. I don't have a time frame, but I will report back when I do. At that point we need a full court press for passage. This bill appears to have significant bipartisan support and momentum, but California car enthusiasts and supporters, whether you own an affected vehicle or not need to contact their California Senator and plead for passage of SB 712.
Duke
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