Gordonc-ga,
Prior to answering your query a brief review of relevant legislation is necessary.
The United States Department of Transport, established by act of
congress on the 15th October 1966 has an overall goal, to ?serve the
United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and
convenient transportation system that meets?our vital national
interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people?.
To this end (as far as vehicles are concerned) the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been mandated (under Title
49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety) to
issue Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and regulations
that manufacturers of motor vehicles must comply with. These are
written in terms of minimum safety performance requirements,
protecting the public from the unreasonable risk of:
-Crashes occurring as a result of the design, construction or
performance of motor vehicles.
-Death or injury, in the event crashes occur.
See here for exact standards and regulations applied to vehicle manufacturers
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/standards/FMVSS-Regs/pages/TOC.htm
Beyond this individual states then have jurisdiction.
See here for the applicable Californian Vehicle Code
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=veh&codebody=&hits=20
The State of California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is charged
with administering the code. It requires that any vehicle be
registered:
-For residents, within 10 days of purchase.
-For residents vehicle from other state, within 20 days of purchase
(Note that Californian residents are prohibited from importing,
purchasing, or leasing a new vehicle from another state, unless the
vehicle was manufactured for sale in California and the Environmental
Protection Agency label certifies the vehicle has California smog
equipment. California considers a new vehicle to be any vehicle with
less than 7,500 miles on the odometer at the time it is purchased and
it is further prohibited to purposely drive the vehicle solely to
reach the 7,500 mile mark).
-For non-residents vehicle currently registered in another state,
within 20 days of the date they accept employment or establish
residency in California.
-For non-residents vehicle last registered in another state, within 20
days of the date entering California.
Anything outside the code runs the risk of attracting financial
penalties. This can even go to the extreme of purchasing a vehicle
that doesn?t work! In this case a ?Certificate of Non-operation? needs
to be obtained (even if the vehicle is sitting in your own backyard or
driveway) unless it is stored in a private garage that the general
public doesn?t have access to.
However a vehicle if hauled (no contact with the road) is exempt from
the registration process.
In the situation described in your query it is necessary to contact
the DMV directly (1-800-777-0133 available 24/7 with operators
available between 8am-5pm Monday to Friday) so exact requirements can
be obtained.
Failing this a helpful source that provides a checklist of
requirements (including forms needed) can be found here
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/about/checklist_top.htm
Now having gotten down where the law comes from and whom it applies
to, lets look at pre-production vehicles and what can be done with
them.
Pre-production vehicles are produced and driven under NHTSA authority,
by vehicle manufacturers (with manufacturer tags, slang term being ?MF
tag?) with the ultimate intention of building better cars. They do not
have a stamped Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) (the link page to
the DMV refers to this term) instead a manufacturer exemption sticker
should appear under the hood. Reaching production the bulk of the
vehicles have been destroyed by the process (safety/performance
testing etc) with the balance then dismantled or placed into Museums,
with a handful reaching private collectors (without warranty etc).
Trade in the vehicles occurs, but outside of a Museum they are most
likely seen at ?shows? only. See here for a website that covers the
subject with search ability (& forum on concept cars) by
manufacturers, year models
http://files.conceptcarz.com/make.htm
To register one in California should be straight forward if it has
been registered elsewhere at any time (see previous link to DMV). If
it hasn?t things will be more difficult if they take the view that it
may be mechanically unsound (and under the states code they are the
ultimate arbiters on that point).
Note that some previously successful registrations have occurred when
the vehicle has been regarded as a ?specially constructed vehicle?
(follow DMV link to ?Register a specially constructed vehicle?).
Lastly a vehicle in California needs to have a licence displayed or
alternate (permit issued by the DMV) at all times.
Hoping these comments have been of assistance. |
