Letter for US Emission Standard for Imported 3.0 CSI

Farzad Arjmand

Farzad Arjmand

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Does any one know how to get letter of certification for US Emission for my imported 73 3.0 CSI California DMV asked me to provide , BMW of North America is not providing it to me sayin this vehicle is too old ! were do I get this letter to register my car ...Thank you
 
Register it in Montana or Vermont, don't drive it much, and then after 1-2 years you can transfer registration to CA.

Try Bennett law office in MT.

Or, do you have a relative out of state? Register it to them?

CSI's were never emission certified for the US, so you can't get a letter from BMW saying it is.
Only carb coupes were sold new in the US.
 
I would think California would refuse to register a gray market car directly imported into California from that era.
 
From California DMV

How do I register a NON-USA or "Grey Market" car in California?
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Vehicles first sold, or vehicles intended for sale by their manufacturers outside the United States are called NON-USA or "Grey Market" cars. Greymarket cars are typically not able to be used or registered in California. The following information lists the minimum requirements to register a greymarket car in California:
If the Model Year of the vehicle is:
1967 and older: no modifications and testing are required to register the vehicle in California.
1968 to 1974: California does not recommend the purchase or importation of these years of NON-USA vehicles, even if currently registered in another state. These vehicles require compliance with USEPA requirements in effect on the specific date of 11/15/1972. This provision when written, was considered by the California legislature as a gradual phase-out of very dirty "non-collectable" types of imports, as this specific requirement was understood to become increasingly difficult to meet. Today, this requirement, while not impossible to meet, would require testing expenses and modifications that far exceed most vehicles value and would make little sense from a collectors standpoint to attempt. Some limited exemptions apply to individuals moving to California with vehicles of these years registered in their home state for at least a year before moving to California. Contact us for more information.
 
Your one chance of registering a gray market coupe directly imported into California is if it came in from Canada.
 
There is a EPA qualified lab in Santa Rosa.
As far as I know they have never approved a coupe.
And really expensive to try.
as noted by Craterface- try Montana for 2 years.

from experience-

Avoid Clark County Nevada.
Yuma Arizona is good.

Out-of-State Vehicles | Department of Transportation

How to title and register your out-of-state vehicle
azdot.gov azdot.gov

whatever you do- don’t give your title to DMV
 
One downside of an out of state registration is if you get stopped for any reason and hand the police officer a California Driver's License, he/she is going to ask you what is up with the out of state plates. You better have a good, believable explanation...and they've heard them all.
 
Slightly off topic but I would definitely not deal with CA DMV...... here is my experience for a lost drivers license:

1) Took written test....failed by (1)
2) Re-took written test.....passed
3) Took my 300d (clunker) for driving exam -- everything checked until we got to my drivers window (broken)..... could not even begin the drive test.
4) Borrowed my roommates then 'new' 3 series sedan -- showed up for the test and......'oh this is not your car....' then you can't drive it on the test
5) Finally re-applied for my old license in my home state and transferred it at the DMV

Total time 6 weeks ......

So CA DMV in 1-word is a (nightmare) and I echo others to stay away from any heavy interaction as they seem to be in their own world.

My .02 cents and very much diverting from the thread -- but hey a little entertaining maybe :)
 
sfdon said:
I would think California would refuse to register a gray market car directly imported into California from that era.
Click to expand...
Don, can I throw a hypothetical at you? My CSi was gray-marketed into CA in the 1980s, changed hands once, but was always titled in the state. Sold to me in 2011, moved to IL, titled here, and restored with a new engine. Does this car now fall into the black hole of CA emissions and can never cross the border again?
 
There is an exemption for an out of state car titled in your name moving into California in your name.

"Some limited exemptions apply to individuals moving to California with vehicles of these years registered in their home state for at least a year before moving to California."

Does it have the California sticker in the car still? (engine bay, door jamb)
That's a plus.
 
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