Street Rod and Replicar Registration Part I

If there was ever a word that strikes fear in a street rodder it is registration. The time has come for understanding your position and that of your Department of Motor Vehicles' (DMV).

Within the past several years there doesn't seem to be a day that passes in which someone doesn't call or write to the STREET RODDER offices asking for advice on how to register their street rod. In the "old days," that wasn't too tough of a question to answer, and still isn't for the majority of street rod owners. However, the problem does appear to be growing with "ground-up construction" or what the DMV calls specially constructed vehicles. Of course, should you have an original car (or have a car with a valid vehicle identification dumber [VIN], you are in pretty good shape), but what about those of us who do not? The answer has never been a simple, clear-cut response. Obviously, the state you live in has a great deal to do with the answer. More and more states have or are adopting legislation that is often referred to as "Street Rod" license laws, which makes titling, registering, and licensing your street rod a much simpler task. And then there are those states that just haven't figured it out, and then the "contest" is on. California is one such state where walking through the paces of titling, registering, and licensing your street rod can run the gamut of: "no freaking way," "you have got to be kidding," or if you're lucky, "difficult but not impossible."

This story is intended to be the first in a series of articles that will address as many of the pertinent topics as possible on this subject. Remember, there are 50 states and for the most part 50 different ways to register your street rod. Thanks to the efforts of street rodders, SEMA, and the SEMA Action Network (SAN), state legislators are continually educated to the benefits of addressing head-on the advantages of working with street rodders to help them work within the law.

Here's a typical letter that we receive at the STREET RODDER offices: "For the past several years I have been reluctant to build a hot rod from scratch due to the hurdle of registration. I keep waiting for the article and it hasn't popped up yet. Everyone I ask always says it is very difficult (especially in California) and they always have the go to this state or that state and it is simple. "Well, I'm in California, not Idaho or Nebraska or Ohio ... I'm in California. So, without saving every single receipt and trying to prove the car is worthy on the road to the DMV, what do I do? And how does any other hot rod builder get past this? Is there a smog issue since it will be a new car? Hopefully someone on your staff can research, or if you know, give us the secret."

It should be stated whenever possible that we assist readers with as much information as possible, and oftentimes we can get them started and they are able to take it from there. Our experience with our own cars and working with the local DMV tells us you are still going to need receipts and a briefcase full of forms filled out; again, it isn't as bad (well, almost) as one would imagine. While each state has different names for the required forms, there are some items you can just about guarantee you will need. In performing the research for this story it was found that each state examined has a Web site on which all of the necessary forms exist and can be downloaded and printed in the comfort of your own garage!

Now, herein lies one of the stumbling blocks for many street rodders. Should you find yourself building a street rod from the ground up, it was common practice in the old days (yes, the old days) to register the car as a Model T, Model A, etc., when in reality the car should have been registered as a specially constructed vehicle. To further confuse everything, the local DMV saw no issue and would work with rodders and produce the registration required. For whatever reason, many rodders want a title that states their car is something from the past when it isn't. If we rodders can get over this stumbling block and accept the fact that our scratch-built roadster, coupe, etc., is a 2006 special construction vehicle, life will be better for all of us.

Back to the subject at hand--some receipts you will need are bills of sale for major components (assuming you are building your car from scratch) that include the engine, transmission, frame, and body. Obviously, if you have purchased a rolling chassis, make sure your receipt reflects this. Ever wonder what a rolling chassis is by definition? Here is the federal standard:
"Incomplete vehicle means an assemblage consisting, as a minimum, of frame and chassis structure, powertrain, steering system, suspension system, and braking system, to the extent that those systems are to be part of the completed vehicle. That requires further manufacturing operations, other than the addition of readily attachable components, such as mirrors or tire and rim assemblies, or minor finishing operations such as painting, to become a completed vehicle." You are probably sorry you asked, but there you go. Generally speaking, these receipts are part of the paperwork for a form titled (or something like this) a Statement of Construction. Something you can't find in the paperwork (at least we couldn't) are photos of the car under construction and completed when you go to the DMV. At least in California they find this comforting for some reason.In California, and some other states, you will be assigned a VIN for your specially constructed vehicle and this number looks nothing like VINs you are familiar with. Once you have shown receipts, filled out the proper paperwork, and paid your fees (ah, you knew that was hiding somewhere), you are given (again, in California and other states) a form that is titled an Application for Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Plate (commonly referred to in California as a Blue Plate) that comes in triplicate and must be filled out and signed by the DMV and brought to your Highway Patrol (or equivalent) before final inspection and assignment of the new VIN. (Next month we will cover this phase.)Next in the form hit parade is the Statement of Facts. It is this form that typically addresses such issues as tax exemption (or not), smog exemption, transfer of title, statement for vehicle body change, name correction, and this form, too, has a brief statement of facts required.

You will also want paperwork that is titled Application for Title or Registration. This form has the usual name, address, etc., of the owner and any other lien or titleholder to the car, mileage (if any on the odometer), and cost of construction. It will also ask for a VIN, but since you don't have one, you will move onto what should be the last form--Verification of Vehicle. OK, this is arguably the most important of all the paperwork since you do not fill it out. It is completed by an authorized DMV representative, licensed vehicle verifier, authorized auto club, or peace officer. And just for good measure, your state may also require that the Highway Patrol (or your state's equivalent) verify the paperwork, the car, and assign a VIN.

It should also be noted that it isn't only street rodders who are (or should be) concerned about vehicle registration. We contacted Rory Carroll of Hagerty Insurance and asked him for a quote, as street rod registration will have a major impact on his business as well.

"The biggest challenge we face in dealing with street rods is people are just unsure how to classify cars that often use parts from a diversity of sources," he said. "When the body, frame, and engine are all from different sources, it's often unclear to the layman exactly what 'box' these kinds of vehicles fit into.

"One solution we have always supported has been to allow owners to title street rods as the model that the body most closely resembles and register them under a special registration class specifically for rods and customs," Carroll said. "The challenge we face within the hobby is that a lot of legislators introduce important pieces of legislation before they think about how it might affect street rods."

Next we went to SEMA and the information they have is both incredible and mind-boggling. When all is said and done, it will take an organization like SEMA to help our industry navigate the "treacherous waters" known as street rod registration. "For too long, misunderstanding of California's complex vehicle registration laws has created confusion among state hobbyists," said Steve McDonald, SEMA's vice president of government affairs. "Certain hobbyist vehicles, including those that could be classified as specially constructed, may be erroneously titled or registered."

He continued, "Consequently, owners may have paid reduced registration fees and avoided emissions testing requirements. [The] documented policy [of California's Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR)] for specially constructed vehicles should help clear the way for the many owners who fail to receive one of the 500 yearly Senate Bill 100 sequence numbers to properly title, register, and smog check these vehicles."

Of course, all isn't doom and gloom. There are a number of states that already have street rod license laws that treat the hobbyist very well, the most famous of which is the Wisconsin's Hobbyist Plate celebrating its 30th year. Other states that have "seen the light" and have enacted what is often referred to as the SEMA Model Street Rod/Custom Vehicle Bill are Montana (2005), Illinois (2002), Missouri (2004), Rhode Island (2004), Maine (2005, partial), Hawaii (2004, partial), and California (2001, partial). Other states where this legislation is pending (and may be passed by the time you read this article) are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Virginia, Colorado, Oregon, Tennessee, and Florida.

"Backed by the hard work and perseverance of legislators around the country, we are extremely gratified by the growing list of states that have embraced the SEMA model legislation and now recognize street rods and customs as distinct classes of vehicles," McDonald said. "These new laws offer the added benefit of also including qualifying replicas and kit cars in these specialty vehicle titling and registration classifications."

There are other states where a street rod license law is already in place, such as Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada for example. Other states have Antique Plates, such as Alabama, which allow street rods, and, Alaska, which has a Custom Collector Vehicle that includes street rods. Another style of plate is the Modified Antique Motor Vehicle, which accounts for street rods in Connecticut, and Georgia has an Antique, Hobby, or Special Interest Vehicle plate. Now some of these Antique and Custom Collector plates have restrictions (most impact the amount of miles a street rod can be driven in one year) and it is the hope of hobbyists and SEMA that the laws will be broadened, but for now these laws are workable.