I just got a Tab Renewal Letter for my wife's FX45. This was in the notes:
"If you are thinking about buying a new car, be sure it is California emissions compliant! Washington law requires model year 2009 and newer to be California emissions compliant to be registered in this state.
http://www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistration/cleancar.html"

WHAT THE HECK???

 

Tony, it's a GOOD thing the Holden is an '08.

 

That would be an interesting state supreme court case.

 

So, if I am reading this right, if I were to buy a 2010 anything from someone on the East Coast and ship the car out here, if the car isn't a California Emissions car I cannot register it?
Are the cars on my local lot California Emissions cars?
Made me think of Dave Smith. Lot's of people buy cars over there, are they CARB?

 

is this really much of a problem? can anybody here even name a post 2008 car sold in the US thats is not 50 state emission certified?

 

Exactly...this is no BIG Deal..as a matter of fact the State, as always, words things poorly..

What the intent is (we Dealers were advised 3 years ago), is that ALL cars MY 2009 and newer MUST be 50 state emissions compliant. Just about every "Manufactured car into the USA is NOW 50 state compliant (including California) for a few years now.

Where this will be a problem is "Kit" cars for example, that some one builds OR cars that are brought into the USA and re-assembled here, like the BOW, some SKYLINES etc etc..they are not and will not pass the "visual" inspection of CATS both primary and secondary.

It is REAL simple to make sure you are in compliance. ALL cars THAT are 50 state compliant will have a DOT/EPA sticker affixed in the motor compartment area advising the car is 50 state compliant. If the car has the sticker you are fine, no worries.

WHAT will be a problem, is if the State goes one step further, as California did, and requires ALL cars less then 15 years old to be compliant and PASS a emissions test, that will eliminate a lot of cars, some earlier Lambos, Ferrari's...a lot of super cars. I do not see that happenng, that's why California had their OWN emmissions standards starting quite a few years ago, back then there where TWO diffferent emissions placed on EVEN USA built cars, those for California and then the other 49 states. Those cars, the one's for California were know to carry approx 15 HP less then the other 49 state compliant cars.

An example, from the cars I know, a 2001 Lamborghini Diablo, USA car WOULD be 50 state compliant, where its "cousin" car, just North in Canada, same year etc etc, IS NOT California Compliant, only 49 state compliant and COULD not be registered in California. The fix then, and still today, if you had such a car, AND you were living in California...register it in Montana, Oregon, Alaska, Maine with the LLC companie's they have in those States.

AND of course, remember this is still ONLY for cars in Washington registered n the three counties that require EMission testing, King, Pierce and most of Snohomish. That is why a LOT of folks living in these three counties have their cars registered at their "summer" home in say Whatcom, Kitsap, Clallum counties etc etc..BUT I do know the stae is working on ALL 39 Washington counties to be EPA emissions compliant by 2015. The Federal roads act and money is the driver for this change. The issue is the State does not have the funds to provide for all these testing locations, so I think the solution will be just like California, where small independant shops will be "sub-licensed" by the state to be Emissin inspection stations. After all there sure is not much call for a "HUGH" 4 bay State emissions building in say Klickatat County or so many other sparsley populated Counties in Eastern Washington.

 

Thanks Roy! Very insightful!

 

^ I didnt know any of that thanks for sharing!

 

and even this, most kit cars are based on a donor platform, usually an older cheap platform, so prolly pre 2009, so again, typically this is not an issue

and skylines (R34 and older) were always tricky to register in the US, but again, those are also pre 2009, so its not impacted by this


yeah, this would suck...

 

I am in rural Pierce County and do not have to have my Emissions checked.

I thought I read in the paper that they are considering doing away with emissions testing all together as the failure rate now days does not warrant the huge expense of having the testing in the first place.

 

Correct, there has been movement to stop testing as of 2015 due to the cost to the State, a loosing venue, all about the money

 

My permanent residency is in Seattle Washington where we own a home. We also have a rental we keep in San Diego and spend a good deal of the year down there.

I found a good deal on a used Porsche 911 down here in Socal and I have a question regarding the California emissions standard and Washington state's emissions testing requirements for registration.

Would a 2002 Porsche that was manufactured to be CARB compliant be required to go through a Washington State emissions test in order to be licensed in Washington State?

Here's the scenario, we are down here in Socal right now and want to buy this 2002 911 Cab. We won't be heading back up to Washington for a few months though, not sure exactly when. The dealer told me that all Porsches have been manufactured to be CARB compliant for several years so this 2002 would be compliant. The reason this is important to me is that since I don't plan on driving it back to Washington any time soon, I'd like to be able to register it in Washington online and then have the tabs, plates and papers forwarded to me down here. But this will only work if the car, since it's already supposedly CARB compliant (even though it's 2002) would not be required to go through Washington State emissions testing.

The only specific information I've been able to find on WA's DOL website is this, and it's unclear whether or not a pre-2009 CARB compliant car requires emissions:

Frequently asked questions- Do vehicles certified to California emission standards have to be emission tested?

No. The Washington State Legislature exempted 2009 and newer vehicles that are California certified from emission testing.

 

Roy,

Thanks for the insights...great reading and knowledge for us.