DMV came knocking on the door...good old days over ?

Arkansas passed this law last spring, with the help of SEMA
Arkansas Enacts SEMA Street Rod/Custom Vehicle Bill Into Law

Arkansas joined the growing list of states to enact SEMA model legislation to amend the vehicle titling and registration classification for street rods and create a classification for custom vehicles.. The bill was approved by the Arkansas State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Beebe. Under the new law, a street rod is defined as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. Importantly, kit cars and replica vehicles will be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. Arkansas joins Virginia, Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana and Rhode Island as states that have enacted similar bills into law.
The new law allows for the use of non-original materials, provides for special license plates and permits the use of blue dot taillights. In addition, the measure exempts street rods and customs from a range of standard equipment requirements and emissions controls (only that equipment required in the model year that the vehicle resembles). Vehicles titled and registered as street rods and custom vehicles may only be used for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, etc. and not for general daily transportation.
“The new law recognizes the unique nature of these vehicles as hobbyist cars,” said SEMA Vice President, Government Affairs Steve McDonald. “For many vehicle enthusiasts in Arkansas and throughout America, building, maintaining and enjoying their vehicles is a favorite pastime. This law represents an opportunity to acknowledge their commitment to the hobby and to protect it for future generations.”

The new law is the product of months of consultation with state legislators, regulators and the local hobbyist and business community. Arkansas State Representative Johnny Key, the bill’s sponsor, remarked, “It’s been great working with SEMA and its member businesses in our state. We’ve managed to craft and pass a piece of legislation that inserts common sense into titling and registration for customs and street rods to the benefit of the hobbyist community statewide”

“Backed by the hard work and perseverance of Representative Key, we are extremely gratified that Arkansas has joined the list of states that recognize street rods and customs as distinct classes of vehicles,” McDonald added. “The new law offers the benefit of also including qualifying replicas and kit cars in these specialty vehicle titling and registration classifications.”
The model bill will continue to be pursued by SEMA in states that either don’t have registration classifications for these vehicles or have laws that are lacking in some way. SEMA efforts are ongoing this year to work with the state legislatures in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Nevada on this initiative and to add others to that list in the coming legislative sessions.

 

Rich - this happened to a friend near Charlotte recently. I posted about it here :North Carolina Looking at Titles of Old Cars vic

 

And what if he brings his buddies from OSHA, the Fire Marshall and building inspectors with him?

It's an "inspection" so it would be best to cooperate. If you raise the ante, they'll raise the penalty. Best to play nice.

 

as crazy as our government is getting, its damned important to know what the laws are so you can protect yourself from the police Go here-------------->
http://www.flexyourrights.org/

Then vote for Ron Paul as our next President

 

they cannot come into a secured area and start digging around. the can knock on your door and ask, there is no crime in that, and no obligation for you to grant them access.

 

I would also consider that when they come back with State Police and warrant and the local towing company to take vehicle in for a inspection . Most states are exempt from damage due to this .

 

never comply with the DMV coming to your door. that is bad...... tell them to get off your property, NOW.

cant believe they are turning into cops.

-scott noteboom

 

In NC the DMV enforcement officers are indeed cops. Most of the inspections are either DMV enforcement officers or State Troopers.

 

But the states make you jump through hoops on that. Get an old title, and you are done. Create a new title, and you have to have paperwork like it was a 7-year tax audit. I can't even find my car keys on most days, let alone a receipt for the radiator hose.

If they would make it easy to register and pay taxes, I wouldn't worry about an original title.

 

or rather, does it make a plopping sound when it drops if your not there to hear it?

 

Also, if it's registered as a 2004(just for sake of argument) it will have to comply with emissions laws, safety regs (read:airbags) etc. applicable to a 2004 vehicle.

Now not only has Boyd built screwed up cars, he's screwed up building cars for the rest of us.

Jay

 

Boyd was doing what everyone else was doing. You can't blame him for the new laws. California has morphed into a tax machine to pay for all the undocumented citizens. Cars were seen as a way to create new felons, and rake in the cash.

If it wasn't Boyd it would have been someone else.

I know at least five people who have just done the same thing Boyd did, and they have no problems in their state.

California needs the law to put all the mexicans through school, and give them free health care.

That's the only difference.

 

First and foremost, I believe in a very small government and hold our personal and civil rights sacred.

But since y'all have got your panties in a bunch, have we considered this scenario?

1. The DMV director screws up and abuses his position.

2. The govenor tries to quell the situation by ordering a review.

3. Some civil servent with at least half a brain suggests that it would be unfair to require all the owners of these registered cars to drive them in to the DMV for inspection. Said civil servant suggests that the DMV gets off it's ass and politely visit each of the car owners and do the job they should have when the law abiding citizens first filed their titles.

From what I read in the first post. The DMV inspector left a business card at the door asking him to call. Could there have been a more polite way to notify him? I don't think so. Maybe before we get all loopy and cry "the redcoats are coming!", we should let this play out and have the gentleman who began this thread post again with an update. Then if treatment is unfair we circle the wagons and start shooting.

Just a suggestion.

 

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I beg to differ. OSHA has no authority at all in a private residence. They can only "inspect" a place of business.
The fire marshall, MAY have some authority, but he also better have a sworn complaint to back it up.
Same goes for a building inspector. If the house was "signed off" at it's last remodel or build, it's legal, and a "sworn complaint" by the DMV officer would be a lie. After all, he wasn't in your house to witness the "violation", was he?

Roger

 

They have a similiar policy in SC for motorcycles. any new contruction need to be reg as new constuction of the current year, which means HIGH taxes. kinda sucks.

 

Contact your state legislators and put them in touch with SEMA,
on the model legislation that was talked about earlier, a Lot of them in state house and senate would love to sponsor and pass new "inert" special interest legislation, A lot of states are jumping on the bandwagon and no one wants to be last.

SEMA wants to keep us building cars in our garages, (and for some guy's having them built in pro shops) they want to sell there parts and products. Face it guys if pro active legislation isn't put into effect to protect Hot Rodding, we are looking straight down the barrel of more government interference, and as soon as environmentalists take notice of us were heading for big trouble, (they already know how to work the government), The time is right for us to try to protect Hot Rodding, and unfortunately it seems pro active legislation is the only key.

 

Interesting thread. Ask, why is there such a thing as a title in the first place? Wasn't this to stop the theft and resale of vehicles? Now being used by states for "other" things. Sound like registering your guns?

Years ago I built a Speedway LoBoy and used the papers of origin to title and register the car. Got a copy of the lemon law in the mail. Got to thinking that I could sue the car builder (myself) and get my money back in exchange for the car. I would turn the car over to the builder (myself). Run that one thru the courts!

 

Wasn't there a bill that just got shot down that the "environmentalists" sponsored in Cali? Something about having to I/M ANY vehicle 15 years old or older. I read it here somewhere. IIRC SEMA had a large part in shutting it down.

SEMA is indeed our friend, I can't begin to guess how screwed up it would be if the well being of our hobby (and some people's business) were left up to politicians and bureaucrats.

Looking forward to hear how this turns out. Hope it is something closer to the second scenario posted (the one about it being done this way as a courtesy). But then 'hope springs eternal' doesn't it?

 

I'll follow all the rules when they follow all the rules. Simply rolling over and doing what's asked to avoid making them do what they are legally required to do is the first step towards giving up your rights as an American and a property owner. (whether they are real or physical properties. And yes there is a difference in the law. If you don't know the diff, learn it.)

 

I remember reading in a mag somewhere that there were some inspectors spotted at a couple of car shows in Cali right after the Boyd mess went down that were doing exactly that. Can't remember the publication.

 

Please allow me to table another question... I like to build period rods as a bunch of us here do. Could an argument be made that a 50's period correct rod should be considered an antique as well?

 

I'm going to eventually build a T roadster, and today I take possession of the 401 Buick that will provide the power. Just for safety's sake I'm getting a bill of sale for this engine, the body, the chassis, etc; I don't like suprises;...especially from the state of Illinois! It could be said the good news is that this procedure enables the state to prevent theft of vehicles;.....or an excellent source of future fines and revenue!

 

True, but it sure is a good way for every state to to make sure they get the sales tax on that car every time it's sold from the time it's manufactured to the time it's scrapped, and this is O/T a little,...

You buy a new car for 25K and you pay the sales tax on that amount,... you sell it 3 years later and the next guy pays 15K for it,...and he pays the tax on it again, than 10K, 6K, 3K than finally 1.500.00 bucks,....

The government has just collected taxes on $60,500. off of that $25,000 car,.... don't seem right to me.

 

I thought it was "Does the Pope shit in the woods"

 

So am I. Heavily.

Chris

 

I am nearing up on this being my problem. I am building a 30 coupe on deuce rails, 32 shell, etc. Anyway come to find out the state of NC had a problem with the some shady stuff (glass cars getting titled as factory, basically the same stuff Boyd got hassled for) getting pushed through the DMV by internal officials. Somewhere down the line these shady activities hit a whistleblower and it was all over. Now a lot of people in NC are having to deal with the aftermath. Really sucks, but what are you going to do? I guess this is one of those things that SEMA may be able to help out with.

 

We pay taxes on licensed vehicles. The taxes are paid to the county which the vehicle is registered in. I have a few project cars that are not licensed and therefore not taxed. My 34 is taxed based on an antique value of $3000. That makes it the lowest taxed vehicle I own. Sure I could ask for a revue of the tax value but why do I want to pay more? I could list the future projects on my taxes as well assigning them the same $3k value or I can let the county count them as potential scrap metal.

 

Oh come on.. Maybe Boyd is an asswipe but I wouldnt put all the blame on him. Do you even realize how many cars are running around out there with lets say 1932 titles and glass bodys.. Im helping .. Boyd didnt start the trend . Its being going on for a long time.. Boyd just got his ass caught. I still think its just a money deal.. It ass has to do with tax dollars. We havent seen any of the bull shit
Here in michigan yet but the way they keep taxing us id bet it will happen in the future. For now fuck em...
Dave

 

I think the big difference is that "Boyd" does this for a living. Most of us just do a car for personal use, not resale (or auction in Boyd's case since almost everything his company builds ends up being auctioned) I don't think the DMV of any state really worries too much about me or you building one car for our sanity or enjoyment, we just get caught up in the broad wording of some lawmaker's bill. That is where SEMA can help in getting the wording of laws correct as possible to protect individual's rights. Right now all we can do is check BEFORE we build and keep the required paperwork so there won't be an issue come registration time. Much easier than just yelling and kicking because we didn't check things out.