Bringing an Out-of-State Bike into California

[Mr. G]

Iv'e done this a number of times using the Auto Club (AAA) to get the registration.

Make sure the out of state title is corectly filled out and signed by the seller. You will fill out a DMV bill of sale form at the Auto Club.

Less than 7500 miles, make sure the emissions label reads California or 50 State certified. They check two instances of the VIN (stamped at steering head and a stick on label) and the engine number, I give them cash and I walk out with my tag.

More than 7500 miles, same program but they look for a Federal or 49 State emissions label.

I just brought another one in from New Mexico 2 weeks ago so this info is current.

Make sure all labels and numbers are easily visible for the examiner.

I have no experience with vehicles from out of the country.

[sixer]

Originally Posted by MojaveGS

My neighbor (both in Army) just registered his bike in California. It was born and raised in Bayern, I will ask him.

If your in the Military, the DMV has a different set of rules.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures...militaryvr.htm

[dmrrallen]

Hey KLRscumbag,

1) Are you military transfering into CA?
2) Do you have current registration on your bike from either your last duty station or home of record?

CA could care less about emissions on a MC (I'm in Santa Barbara County...home of the Eco-Nazis) and if your registration is current, they care less about your VIN. If you are Military you can roll on your valid out-of-state registration as long as it's valid (yes, you can keep renewing it out of state if you want)

When I got here my Sportster (yes, I was a loud pipe guy) was due registration and I didn't want to hassle with going through Michigan to renew. I didn't even have to bring my bike in to DMV, just did a title and registration transfer.

[blown9746]

KLR I moved here about 6 months ago and all I did was take my bike and title to aaa. They verified vin, engine #, and mileage above 7500. I pd my money and walked out with a tag.

[RaffyK]

Originally Posted by blown9746

KLR I moved here about 6 months ago and all I did was take my bike and title to aaa. They verified vin, engine #, and mileage above 7500. I pd my money and walked out with a tag.

Interesting my AAA office that has a DMV sub-office wouldn't. They sent me to the larger DMV office for VIN verification and registration.

[Marc]

I moved this into the western regional forums.

[Mr. G]

I just brought in a Mercedes from Virginia. When I went to register it at the AAA they told me they couldn't because I bought it from a dealer. They now only register out of state vehicless when they are yours or you bought it from a private party.

I ended up at the DMV in Thousand Oaks and was verified and registered within a 1/2 hour.

[HighAlpineDrifter]

Dealing with this nightmare now. Using logic and reason at the DMV is the quickest way to an aneurysm.

f you are moving to California from another state, you may register a new federally certified vehicle in California if it was first registered by you in your home state, or for military personnel, in your last state of military service. When applying for vehicle registration in California, you must provide evidence of your vehicle’s previous registration and that you were a resident of the other state when you acquired the vehicle.

Arguing this rule got me nowhere even though I had it printed out in front of them. The other main issue is that I have a 49 state bike with less than 7500 miles on it. Even though I purchased it used in WA and had it registered there and lived there, even though I had it registered in another country, even though (according to the California Air Resources Board people that I've talked to) a lot of motorcycle stickers don't even mention California, I still get a big fat no. Even though CARB says my bike is ok based on my EPA sticker. Jeebus. I hate California and I haven't been here more than two months.

[dtp]

If it's true what you say and it is currently registered in Washington in your name and you are a new California resident and it has a valid EPA sticker that says "on-road" and NOT "off-road" then you should be OK.

If all of the above check out, then go to another DMV office and try again. But, if it's a former off-road bike that was converted with a dual-sport kit, you are not going to get a plate. If it's currently registered out of the country, as you mentioned it was in the past, your chances are slim-to-none unless you go through a very, very complicated import procedure that is totally not worth doing for a motorcycle because you could just go buy a new one for the amount of money it will cost.

[HighAlpineDrifter]

It's a Triumph Speed Triple I bought in WA so it's a US bike with the EPA sticker. The sticker just fails to mention anything about CA (neither compliant nor non-compliant). The guy from CARB said a lot of bike manufacturers do this (do I believe him or not?) So it wasn't an importation really, more like a repatriation. I'm just very tired of trying to argue with the DMV who only seem to know one answer: No. The guy at CARB explained why they're like that but it's frustrating as all hell.

[itsatdm]

When a manufacture intends to introduce a new family of engines into the US they must notify the EPA. They then conduct an emissions test of the proposed engine. They send the results to the EPA and get approval to intro the bike and the manufacture applies the sticker to the standards approved. Either US only or US including Ca. The format of the sticker is specific.
http://www.epa.gov/oms/regs/roadbike...ooteralert.pdf Thats a 2005, but they still look similar.

You do not need to apply the 7,500 mi rule if you bought the bike new and registered it in Washington while living there. It does not apply to buying it used and doing the same unless you were in the military at the time. If it has the 7,500 miles, you can bring/buy a used 49 state bikes if it has the 7,500 mi. At least that is how I read it. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures...cts/ffvr29.htm

Good luck

[HighAlpineDrifter]

Originally Posted by itsatdm

I do not know why your sticker does not say that. Is there a chance that it was originally an out of country bike, that got registered in Washington? Did you buy from a service man?

Bought it from a guy in WA with 600 miles on the ticker who bought it in WA from the dealer.

Originally Posted by itsatdm

If you relocated to Ca., the 7,500 mile BS on a 49 State bike does not apply. It is legal as long as it meets 49 state emissions.

This is what I don't get. I'm sitting here looking at exactly the same crap and I every tine I walk in there they say no regardless of how I argue with them. It's pissing me off.

[squish]

Originally Posted by HighAlpineDrifter

It's a Triumph Speed Triple I bought in WA so it's a US bike with the EPA sticker. The sticker just fails to mention anything about CA (neither compliant nor non-compliant). The guy from CARB said a lot of bike manufacturers do this (do I believe him or not?) So it wasn't an importation really, more like a repatriation. I'm just very tired of trying to argue with the DMV who only seem to know one answer: No. The guy at CARB explained why they're like that but it's frustrating as all hell.

If it's CARB compliant it will have a sticker that says so. it will also have a closed fuel vapor system, of which the charcol canister is the easiest thing to see.

If it is not a 50 state bike, there will be no CARB sticker. These CARB stickers include a date and model family number.

It's going to very very hard to get a late model 49 state bike registered in the state if it has below 7500 miles...

[HardWorkingDog]

Originally Posted by HighAlpineDrifter

...This is what I don't get. I'm sitting here looking at exactly the same crap and I every time I walk in there they say no regardless of how I argue with them. It's pissing me off.

Sounds like what you're doing should be allowed by the dmv. As someone else posted, have you tried going to a different dmv office? My experiences there have shown that it's very much dependent on the random nature of the particular clerk that you wind up with. It may not work, but seems worth a try. How close to 7500 miles are you? Can you just go on an ironbutt ride and get it in that way?

[FlyingFinn]

Originally Posted by RaffyK

Interesting my AAA office that has a DMV sub-office wouldn't. They sent me to the larger DMV office for VIN verification and registration.

Right.

Nor Cal and So Cal AAA are different organizations.

The southern CA AAA does handle out-of-state imports, the northern CA AA does not. Period. They really do have totally different rules about it.

Look at the location of all the folks above who are saying "go to AA, that's what I did".... all southern CA. Because there it is possible to do that, here in the north that doesn't work.

--
Mikko