Legislation that originally threatened to provide localities with the authority to raise from $100 to $500 the amount charged for an annual license tax for vehicles that do not display current license plates will be amended by the Virginia House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee. Working with Virginia hobbyist groups, SEMA successfully negotiated an amendment with the bill’s sponsor that would totally exempt all vehicles 25 years old and older from the license tax and limit the tax to $100 for all other vehicles undergoing active restoration or repair. 

Parts cars that are stored on private property for fewer than 60 days would remain exempted. Under current law, all vehicles, even those 25 years old and older, are subject to the license tax. Under the amendment to this bill, the exemption for cars 25 years old and older and older represents a new benefit to these car owners.   

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation that would allow vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet an objective noise limit was introduced in the Hawaii State Legislature. Car owners would be issued a certificate of compliance if the exhaust system emitted no more than 95 decibels in a fair and predictable test. If enacted into law, the measure would provide motorists who drive vehicles legally equipped with modified exhaust systems the ability to prove that they comply with the law and would remedy the enforcement policy currently used by police officers in which exhaust noise citations are prosecuted solely based on the officer’s subjective judgment.  

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation that would allow vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet an objective noise limit was introduced in the Hawaii State Legislature. Car owners would be issued a certificate of compliance if the exhaust system emitted no more than 95 decibels in a fair and predictable test. If enacted into law, the measure would provide motorists who drive vehicles legally equipped with modified exhaust systems the ability to prove that they comply with the law and would remedy the enforcement policy currently used by police officers in which exhaust noise citations are prosecuted solely based on the officer’s subjective judgment.  

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation that would allow vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet an objective noise limit was introduced in the Hawaii State Legislature. Car owners would be issued a certificate of compliance if the exhaust system emitted no more than 95 decibels in a fair and predictable test. If enacted into law, the measure would provide motorists who drive vehicles legally equipped with modified exhaust systems the ability to prove that they comply with the law and would remedy the enforcement policy currently used by police officers in which exhaust noise citations are prosecuted solely based on the officer’s subjective judgment.  

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation that would allow vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet an objective noise limit was introduced in the Hawaii State Legislature. Car owners would be issued a certificate of compliance if the exhaust system emitted no more than 95 decibels in a fair and predictable test. If enacted into law, the measure would provide motorists who drive vehicles legally equipped with modified exhaust systems the ability to prove that they comply with the law and would remedy the enforcement policy currently used by police officers in which exhaust noise citations are prosecuted solely based on the officer’s subjective judgment.  

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA is supporting legislation in the West Virginia State Legislature to provide owners of antique motor vehicles with a cap on property taxes paid on antique motor vehicles. The bill was approved by the House Roads and Transportation Committee and will now be considered by the House Finance Committee. West Virginia law defines an "antique motor vehicle" to mean any motor vehicle that is more than 25 years old and owned solely as a collector's item. 

The bill would assess antique motor vehicles for property taxes at their salvage value. That value could not exceed $500. At the most costly rate in West Virginia (approximately 3%), the actual property tax paid by antique motor vehicle owners at the maximum salvage value would be only about $15 per year. 

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA is supporting legislation in the West Virginia State Legislature to provide owners of antique motor vehicles with a cap on property taxes paid on antique motor vehicles. The bill was approved by the House Roads and Transportation Committee and will now be considered by the House Finance Committee. West Virginia law defines an "antique motor vehicle" to mean any motor vehicle that is more than 25 years old and owned solely as a collector's item. 

The bill would assess antique motor vehicles for property taxes at their salvage value. That value could not exceed $500. At the most costly rate in West Virginia (approximately 3%), the actual property tax paid by antique motor vehicle owners at the maximum salvage value would be only about $15 per year. 

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA is supporting legislation in the West Virginia State Legislature to provide owners of antique motor vehicles with a cap on property taxes paid on antique motor vehicles. The bill was approved by the House Roads and Transportation Committee and will now be considered by the House Finance Committee. West Virginia law defines an "antique motor vehicle" to mean any motor vehicle that is more than 25 years old and owned solely as a collector's item. 

The bill would assess antique motor vehicles for property taxes at their salvage value. That value could not exceed $500. At the most costly rate in West Virginia (approximately 3%), the actual property tax paid by antique motor vehicle owners at the maximum salvage value would be only about $15 per year. 

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA is supporting legislation in the West Virginia State Legislature to provide owners of antique motor vehicles with a cap on property taxes paid on antique motor vehicles. The bill was approved by the House Roads and Transportation Committee and will now be considered by the House Finance Committee. West Virginia law defines an "antique motor vehicle" to mean any motor vehicle that is more than 25 years old and owned solely as a collector's item. 

The bill would assess antique motor vehicles for property taxes at their salvage value. That value could not exceed $500. At the most costly rate in West Virginia (approximately 3%), the actual property tax paid by antique motor vehicle owners at the maximum salvage value would be only about $15 per year. 

More information is available. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

	The WD-40/SEMA Cares Foose Challenger raised $115,000 for charity at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction January 20.

The WD-40/SEMA Cares Foose Challenger is used to raising eyebrows, but by the time it rolled off the auction block at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction January 20, in Scottsdale, Arizona, it also raised big money for charity to the tune of $115,000.

This is the third consecutive year WD-40 Co. has partnered with SEMA Cares to build a custom vehicle for a good cause. The WD-40/SEMA Cares Camaro and WD-40/SEMA Cares Mustang also raised money for the same two SEMA Cares charities—Childhelp and Victory Junction Camp—and the three vehicles have raised a combined total of more than $400,000 for those charities.

"On behalf of the SEMA Cares Committee, I would like to extend a special thanks to Craig Jackson and the staff at Barrett-Jackson for their help with the auction, as well as the management team at WD-40," said Luanne Brown, SEMA Board Member and SEMA Cares Committee Chair. "Their hard work not only with the Challenger but with the three WD-40/SEMA Cares vehicles, combined with the creative style and vision of Chip Foose, has exceeded our expectations and will allow us to continue to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children.”

Chip Foose, who designed the custom ’12 Dodge Challenger SRT8, was on hand at Barrett-Jackson to see the vehicle cross the auction block and dropped the hammer to close the auction as the vehicle received the winning bid from Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Alsaud of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Working with Chip Foose, who has used WD-40 Multi-Use Product his entire life, is an honor,” said Tim Lesmeister, vice president of marketing for WD-40 Co. “We’re thrilled his hard work, along with that of our generous build partners, was recognized and that we were able to support such a worthwhile cause.”

For more information about the vehicle build, visit WD40.com/Foose.