California has enacted a major change for classic and collector-car owners. Governor Gavin Newsom signed State Bill 1392 at Jay Leno’s Garage, beginning a phase-in of smog check exemptions for qualifying vehicles as new as model year 1985.
1985 Vehicles Gain Classic-Car Exemption
State Bill 1392, backed by Jay Leno and automotive aftermarket industry group SEMA, changes the year used to define vehicles eligible for California’s classic and collector-car smog check exemption.
Vehicles built before 1976 have been exempt from smog checks and most emissions regulations since the 1990s. Newer vehicles have been subject to periodic emissions inspections, including when a vehicle was sold to a new owner.
Under the new law, an additional exemption will gradually extend to vehicles as new as model year 1985. The exemption will not apply automatically to every vehicle from that period.
To qualify, vehicles must be insured as collector vehicles, generally meaning they cannot be the owner’s only vehicle, or they must be driven fewer than 1,000 miles per year.
The new limits do not apply to vehicles built before 1976, meaning the existing rules for those cars remain unchanged.
Jay Leno Supports the New California Law
Jay Leno said the legislation preserves California’s classic-car heritage and noted that the state’s car community had been waiting for the change.
“The Governor stuck with this legislation through the last couple of years to preserve California’s classic car heritage, and that’s rare,” said Leno. “The car community has been waiting on this for a long time, and they notice when someone follows through.”
Senator David Cortese, a co-author of the bill, said the legislation was designed to recognize collector vehicles while maintaining California’s clean-air requirements.
“California can protect clean air while also recognizing the historic and cultural value of collector vehicles. SB 1392 establishes a carefully limited exemption for cars that are preserved, driven sparingly, and maintained as part of California’s automotive heritage.”
Two More Automotive Bills Signed
At the same event, Governor Newsom also signed Assembly Bill 2541 into law. The legislation created a license plate intended to honor the heritage of lowriders in California.
Lowrider culture has faced strict state restrictions that sought to ban lowriders and suppress the culture and its traditions.
State Bill 1069 was also signed at the event. It gives aftermarket parts manufacturers an expedited review process when seeking state approval.
That approval, issued in the form of an EO number, is required before an aftermarket part is emissions legal in California.
Together, the three measures signed at the event address collector-car smog exemptions, lowrider heritage and the state approval process for aftermarket parts.
