[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by solus

Its not an exemption... its the fact that I don't have to register my car in CA. Emissions testing is done before you register your car. CA DMW will not even see my car. I won't ever have to walk into a CA DMV. My car is register in WA and my license is WA. So, if I get pulled over... the cop sees WA plate, WA registration, and WA license. So unless my car is obviously not in compliance with ANY emissions standards (and to a normal cop they have no idea) then I should not be cited. If I am cited, the court will know that my vehicle did not comply with California emissions standards because its not registered in CA.

Otherwise every joe blow driving through CA would be pulled over and required to get CARB testing...

for example... here in WA, my car is register in Kitsap county, no emissions testing required. Pierce county (the county next to mine) requires emissions testing... I drive through pierce county every day. No problems, I actually live in pierce county and had my car registered in kitsap county, still no emissions testing.

So, while there is no exemption per se we are able to circumvent the emissions requirement because it is based on your registration not where you actually live. Due to being military I am able to claim residency in another state (WA) and register my car in WA. I'm also able to obtain a license from WA... therefore, upon registration no emissions testing is required. (because its registered in WA)

I'm not sure where people are confused. If you have an out of state license, out of state plates, out of state registration then you are only required to meet the emissions standards of your state of registration.

A civilian who moves to CA is REQUIRED to obtain CA residency after a certain amount of time. A military member is not require to do that... thus... registration in another state.

Military member who are residents of CA (have CA license, CA registration, CA plates, and a home of record in CA) DO have to abide by emissions testing standards of CA, otherwise they won't be able to register their vehicles... of course you can always change your residency when you go to your next duty station (outside CA).

clear?

This is true and applies to military dependents whose residency is the same as their spouse's. Like in my case, I moved to CA from AZ after we got married, but my wife's official residency is is MI. If I had not switched official residency to MI as well before we got married, I'd have to register my car in CA and get a CA license. As it is, I got a MI license and registered my car in MI. Thus, I do NOT have to do the CA registration thing. It's federal law. My wife is a lawyer, so she looked up the specifics pretty carefully.