Texas Street Rod and Custom Vehicle Bill Signed Into Law - Urgent Legislative Alert (Update)

After an effort that stretched into two legislative sessions, SEMA model legislation (H.B. 890) to create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles (including kit cars and replicas) and provide for special license plates was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry. Slated to go into effect on September 1, 2011, the new law defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The law also allows for the use of non-original materials and creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. In addition, the law only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title and exempts them from the state's emissions inspection program.