I recently bought a Euro spec E12 528i from an out of state buyer and brought it back to CA.
This weekend, I received a letter from the CA DMV regarding registration of my 81 Euro Spec E12 528i.
In the DMV letter, it stated that:
Before registration can be completed, the following items are (is required).
-Certificate of Conformance issued by a laboratory authorized by the CA Air Resources Board (CARB)
-Copy of the documentation showing the modification costs
-Additional fees will be due for license fees based on the modification costs
They told me that my car is a direct import vehicle and since it wasn't registered in CA prior to May 31 1988, is why I need a letter of Certificate of Compliance.
As you are aware, I bought the Euro spec 528i in Washington state in NOV and brought it back to CA. I went to DMV office in SLO to ask them what I needed to do to register the car. They told me since it's a gray market car, it has to go to the Referee for an inspection and to pass his smog test. I had a new cat, O2 sensor installed, major tune up and took it to the Referee right before XMAS. The referee gave my 528i a very detailed visual inspection to ensure the 528i was in compliance. After the visual test, it went through the smog test at the referee station and passed in flying colors and the 528i was issued a smog certificate. Since it's a gray market car, the paperwork to transfer the title went to Sacramento. Then this weekend I received the letter from DMV.
This morning, I called up DMV and they told me to contact CARB about the certificate of conformance. DMV said they can't do anything regarding registration of my 528i until CARB issues a certificate of conformance. I called up CARB and they told me the car has to go to an idependent lab to have them do a test and if I pass, they will issue me a certificate of conformance. I was also informed that this test is very expensive ($2-3K). I explained to CARB that the car recently passed the smog test in DEC at the referee station and was issued a smog certificate and a CA BAR sticker was put on the door frame of the car. I also informed CARB that the car was originally in CA in the early 80's. CARB said once it left CA, it's essentially starting over. I was also told that the car should have never gone to a referee station, DMV gave me wrong info, I should have been directed to go to the testing lab first. I told CARB that where the DMV told me to go. The smog referee told me the car was grandfathered into the system since it was originally in CA in the 80's (it was in the data base that the referee accessed).
They (CARB) didn't want to hear my arguments. They told me that they have the rules in place to dissuade people from bringing in gray market cars to CA. I may have to go back to DMV to request all of my paperwork (they took my WA state title when I submitted my paperwork and smog certificate to the DMV on this car in order to get a CA title) so that I can sell the car out of state if I can't get this issue resolved soon.
Have anyone ever heard of such BS? I did what DMV told me to do and now I may be screwed. Any ideas on how to respond to the DMV or CARB? I'm looking for anyone who's been there, done that in regards to thier experiences in bringing a gray market car into CA from out of state. My E12 has been federalized (both DOT and EPA) but I don't have any DOT/EPA paperwork. The car has been through multiple owners over the past 28 years, so where the paperwork went to, who knows. DOT is not an issue since the car is over 25 years old.
Last week I went to DMV and transferred title on the 85 Euro spec E28 525e that I bought recently in Santa Barbara with no problems. The only difference, the E28 never been registered anywhere but CA (original CA blue plate E28). It was imported into CA at the height of the gray market era in 85 and has been in CA since then. Talk about catch 22.
Gordon
_________________
G-Man
91 318i 4 door M42 (GF DD)
89 325i 4 door 5 speed M20 (RIP) now a parts car
86 325 2 door M20 eta (youngest daughters DD)\
85 525e M20 Euro spec (new toy)
81 528iA Euro spec, time warp
74 2002tii M10 (many mods)
70 E3 2800 M30 Euro spec, stock
96 4Runner (parts hauler)
This weekend, I received a letter from the CA DMV regarding registration of my 81 Euro Spec E12 528i.
In the DMV letter, it stated that:
Before registration can be completed, the following items are (is required).
-Certificate of Conformance issued by a laboratory authorized by the CA Air Resources Board (CARB)
-Copy of the documentation showing the modification costs
-Additional fees will be due for license fees based on the modification costs
They told me that my car is a direct import vehicle and since it wasn't registered in CA prior to May 31 1988, is why I need a letter of Certificate of Compliance.
As you are aware, I bought the Euro spec 528i in Washington state in NOV and brought it back to CA. I went to DMV office in SLO to ask them what I needed to do to register the car. They told me since it's a gray market car, it has to go to the Referee for an inspection and to pass his smog test. I had a new cat, O2 sensor installed, major tune up and took it to the Referee right before XMAS. The referee gave my 528i a very detailed visual inspection to ensure the 528i was in compliance. After the visual test, it went through the smog test at the referee station and passed in flying colors and the 528i was issued a smog certificate. Since it's a gray market car, the paperwork to transfer the title went to Sacramento. Then this weekend I received the letter from DMV.
This morning, I called up DMV and they told me to contact CARB about the certificate of conformance. DMV said they can't do anything regarding registration of my 528i until CARB issues a certificate of conformance. I called up CARB and they told me the car has to go to an idependent lab to have them do a test and if I pass, they will issue me a certificate of conformance. I was also informed that this test is very expensive ($2-3K). I explained to CARB that the car recently passed the smog test in DEC at the referee station and was issued a smog certificate and a CA BAR sticker was put on the door frame of the car. I also informed CARB that the car was originally in CA in the early 80's. CARB said once it left CA, it's essentially starting over. I was also told that the car should have never gone to a referee station, DMV gave me wrong info, I should have been directed to go to the testing lab first. I told CARB that where the DMV told me to go. The smog referee told me the car was grandfathered into the system since it was originally in CA in the 80's (it was in the data base that the referee accessed).
They (CARB) didn't want to hear my arguments. They told me that they have the rules in place to dissuade people from bringing in gray market cars to CA. I may have to go back to DMV to request all of my paperwork (they took my WA state title when I submitted my paperwork and smog certificate to the DMV on this car in order to get a CA title) so that I can sell the car out of state if I can't get this issue resolved soon.
Have anyone ever heard of such BS? I did what DMV told me to do and now I may be screwed. Any ideas on how to respond to the DMV or CARB? I'm looking for anyone who's been there, done that in regards to thier experiences in bringing a gray market car into CA from out of state. My E12 has been federalized (both DOT and EPA) but I don't have any DOT/EPA paperwork. The car has been through multiple owners over the past 28 years, so where the paperwork went to, who knows. DOT is not an issue since the car is over 25 years old.
Last week I went to DMV and transferred title on the 85 Euro spec E28 525e that I bought recently in Santa Barbara with no problems. The only difference, the E28 never been registered anywhere but CA (original CA blue plate E28). It was imported into CA at the height of the gray market era in 85 and has been in CA since then. Talk about catch 22.
Gordon
_________________
G-Man
91 318i 4 door M42 (GF DD)
89 325i 4 door 5 speed M20 (RIP) now a parts car
86 325 2 door M20 eta (youngest daughters DD)\
85 525e M20 Euro spec (new toy)
81 528iA Euro spec, time warp
74 2002tii M10 (many mods)
70 E3 2800 M30 Euro spec, stock
96 4Runner (parts hauler)
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