Law & Order

California Bill to Exempt Pre-1981 Vehicles From Emissions Inspections Fails to Meet Passage Deadline

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

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The California Senate failed to gain final approval before the June 3 deadline for amended legislation (S.B. 1239) to exempt motor vehicles prior to the ’81 model year from the emissions-inspection requirement.

In a severe disappointment for the old-car hobby, the California Senate failed to gain final approval before the June 3 deadline for amended legislation (S.B. 1239) to exempt motor vehicles prior to the ’81 model year from the emissions-inspection requirement. Under the amended bill, vehicles manufactured after the ’76 model year but prior to the ’81 model year would have been exempted if the owner submitted proof that the vehicle was insured as a collector motor vehicle. This exemption would have been a two-year trial that would have needed to be renewed by separate legislation in order to continue. Current law requires the lifetime testing of all ’76 and newer model-year vehicles. 

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.