Registration in California is fairly straightforward. There are a number of steps that have to be taken, some forms that have to be filled out, an inspection to go through, and I have found that it's always best to bring down everything you can possibly imagine when registering your car. Be over-prepared. Be organized. And don't forget to bring your checkbook.

California Vehicle Code, as it relates to replicas, reads "...Section 580. A "specially constructed vehicle" is a vehicle which is built for private use, not for resale, and is not constructed by a licensed manufacturer or remanufacturer. A specially constructed vehicle may be built from (1) a kit; (2) new or used, or a combination of new and used, parts; or (3) a vehicle reported for dismantling, as required by Section 5500 or 11520, which, when reconstructed, does not resemble the original make of the vehicle dismantled. A specially constructed vehicle is not a vehicle which has been repaired or restored to its original design by replacing parts..."

Technically, if your car was built by a manufacturer (for instance, Shelby American, Inc. claims to be a licensed automobile manufacturer (Shelby Series One)) then you can't register it as a Specially Constructed Vehicle; and these cars should meet all of the criteria form the DOT for a brand new car (like SRS/air bags, 5 MPH bumpers, seat belts, anti-lock brakes, anti-intrusion beams, and - most importantly - they should have brand new engines with all the necessary smog and noise abatement equipment on them).

You have to have built your car, or had it built for private use by someone other than a licensed manufacturer or remanufacturer.

What California Is Looking For

First and foremost, the DMV isn't looking to keep your car off the road. I'm sure that if you could drive it, they'd license a tree. What they are interested in is getting their fees. This is the most important part of the whole license process, and the part that seems to throw up the most red flags. Red flags are bad. How you can avoid getting in any trouble is to be able to five an accurate number when asked how much your car costs. Don't say it's been in storage for years. Don't say you got it for an absurdly low amount of money. The DMV - contrary to every counter person I've ever had to deal with at any of the local offices - isn't stupid. Bring receipts, documents that show how, where and for how much you purchased parts for, etc. A good median line for Cobras is between $25,000 and $50,000. Be prepared to pay title, tax and licensing fees on that amount.

The Hoops You Must Jump Through To Get Registered

As scary as it is, if you are prepared, you can pretty much fly through the registration process. California registration is moderately easy. Just make sure that you have all of the necessary documentation with you and ready, when you go to the DMV.

Initial DMV Visit: Make sure you've emptied your bladder before you go, this will be the longest trip. It's also the most important trip, since it will set up your car in the DMV computer. Do have everything in order. Do have your receipts. Do pay close attention to what the clerk is entering into the computer in reference to your car. They have been known to make mistakes. While these mistakes can usually be corrected, I personally dislike spending too much time in the DMV, and since I'm registering a car that is open to interpretation depending on the attitude and knowledge of the clerk I just want to put on one show and then retire.

If you can, schedule an appointment. If not, don't come in with a chip on your shoulder. Be cheerful and happy to have spent most of the day in line. Don't tell the clerk how to do their job.

You'll need to have an "Application for Registration" and a "Statement of Facts" form filled out. Both of these forms are available from the DMV. On the "Statement of Facts" form, make sure you fill out the "Vehicle Construction Statement as well as the back of the Statement of Facts form.

In order to get a VIN number into the computer, you must bring down the Manufacturers Statement of Origin (the "MSO" which should have been generated by the kit manufacturer and shipped to you with your kit). The MSO should have all of the information necessary to generate a VIN number for your car. If you do not have an MSO, you must set an appointment and TOW your vehicle to a CHP inspection station, where they will inspect your car and affix a VIN plate to it. You cannot get the car registered until you have a VIN number.

On the Statement of Facts form, make sure you mention that you built the car.

Now get out your checkbook and write a big fat check.

This will complete the first step, and you will now have a registration number as well as a VIN number for your car. Make sure you read the registration, and that it states that you have a "SPCN" vehicle.

At this point, you still can't drive the car on the street. However, with the VIN and registration, you can (after paying your fees) get a Temporary Operating Permit. You will need this to complete the rest of the steps.

Visiting the CHP

Set an appointment to visit the CHP. They will look over your paperwork, and make sure that you have a VIN number attached to the car. If your VIN number isn't affixed already (you can have this done; get a VIN plate, take it to an engraver, get the number put on it, attach it to the chassis of the car). The CHP will confirm the plate and your paperwork (make sure that you bring everything with you, and if the car does not have an Temporary Operating Permit, make sure you TOW the car to the CHP), and sign off on your DMV form.

Visiting the BAR (Bureau of Automotive Repair)

This is the most dangerous part. Getting the BAR referee to check out your car. The Referee is the one who decides if your car is smog legal, and what equipment it must have to be able to be licensed for the street. To even get an appointment, you must have a VIN number. Once the great and powerful BAR sees you, your car will get a sticker that says all kinds of things about it. This will allow future smog inspections of your vehicle, if necessary.

Ideally, you're reading this before you have dropped a large amount of cash on a shiny new engine for your car. There's a common misconception that if you're using a pre-1974 block that your Specially Constructed Vehicle is smog exempt. That's not exactly true. While it's true that under the current law you will not be subject to the biannual smog inspection, your car does have to have all of the equipment that came on it for the year of the engine when you first go to register the car. The engine that you can use in a SPCN car has to have been originally installed in a passenger car or light truck that was approved (by the BAR...go figure!) for sale and use in California. The engine MUST have all of the smog control devices that were used on the California Vehicle the engine came out of, and these devices must be intact and operational. Period. If you do not have all of these items, you will fail, and your car will not be assigned a BAR number. Here are some guidelines for equipment that came on California-model vehicles, as well as their applications:

1955 and Newer: Closed crankcase (PCV, Sealed filler Cap, Air cleaner to C/Case hose).

1966 and Newer: Exhaust Emission Controls (Air Cleaner, Carburetor, Distributor, Air Pump, EGR, Vacuum valves, ECU, Sensors, etc.). Pretty much everything related to the operation of that big air pump we call an 'engine' is considered an emission control device. Your car, when it gets it's BAR number has to have all of the STOCK devices intact and operating. You cannot change carburetors, air cleaners, distributor, etc. STOCK. I can't stress this enough.

1970 and Newer: Evaporative Emission Controls (Gas tank, Gas Cap, vapor separator, valves, charcoal canister, etc.). The inspection will include everything right down to the gas cap...make sure it's there, if it came on the original California car.

Your car will have to pass smog inspection for the year of the engine. The year of the engine is established by the year the block was made. The Referee has all kinds of information at his disposal that will allow him to establish the year the block was made. The year of the engine block is what the BAR uses to establish the equipment requirements your car will have to meet.

Further, just because the block came out of a California-registered car that doesn't necessarily mean that the block is legal, either. The block had to have been approved for sale in California. Cars that came in from out of state and were registered here may not have engines in them that were approved for sale in California. These engines are not for use in SPCN cars that are to be registered for the first time in California without being retrofitted with the necessary pollution control devices that were used on that engine in California the year the block was manufactured. So a good safety tip, when looking for your donor car, is to make sure the emission sticker under the hood says the car was approved for sale in California.

Additionally, no mixing and matching of parts is allowed, although sometimes parts from newer models are California approved for replacement of older systems (you will have to have factory documentation or California Air Resources Board Approval notices before these systems are approved for use in your vehicle). All of the emission control pieces have to be for the specific engine that you are using. However, if your vehicle is using a 1970 or newer engine, the gas tank can be from any California vehicle that had an approved evaporative emission control system.

I recommend getting a 1965 or older block. That will certainly speed things along.

Having read all that, here's what will actually happen:

The Referee will do a very thorough Smog Check and inspection of your car. If you pass it, your car will be issued a sticker (which the BAR will affix to your car...make sure they put it on a part of the car that doesn't come off alot. They like to put it in doorjambs. See if you can get it put on the chassis. If you lose this sticker, you have to go through this entire process again!!!), with a bar code that will allow any Smog Check station to do the Biannual smog check - as may be required - for your car.

If you fail the test, do not leave just yet! The Referee will tell you exactly why you failed, and can even give you a list of what you need to do to get the car to pass the inspection. The BAR Referee is the person who makes the decision about your car, so he is the best source of information on what it will take to get your car to pass. Additionally, make sure that when you have to get a re-test that you go to this same BAR Inspection site and have all of the things the Referee listed corrected. The BAR Inspection site must give you one free re-test . Use it wisely.

Next Stop, Brake & Light Inspection

This is a fairly simple inspection. If your lights work, your brakes work, and you don't have anything wacky happening with your car, you will pass. This test can be administered at any Brake/Light inspection shop. Make sure you get a certificate.

Final Destination: The DMV...Again

If you're got this far, you've done far better than I did the first time I registered a kit car. What you need to take back to the DMV for final registration is:

Application for Registration form (including CHP VIN verification)
Statement of Facts form (including statement that you built the car)
BAR Certificate
Brake and Light Inspection Certificate
All of your Receipts
Proof of Insurance (not necessarily on the car, but proof that you do have insurance)
Your checkbook (they seem to like this part).

You will then be issued your license plates, tags and registration. Your Certificate of Title will come within 60 days from Sacramento.