State Ref...

[Defiant]

What about being registered in a county that doesn't require smog? I live in a county right now while going to school that requires it and I'm very skeptical of getting pulled over and being given a fix-it ticket, but on the same thought my parents live in a county that doesn't require smog so I just have my car registered there. Can I still be pinched?

So far as I know, that cheat works so long as the car's registered to that address. What, is Mendocino still in the clear?

 

[cdale]

I don't know about Mendocino County. My parents live in Sierra County. I go to school and live in Santa Rosa but I'm registered through them.

 

[99XGsX]

I got a ref ticket about two weeks ago from Antioch P.D. with the little white sticker on back and everything (CVC 27156b). Anyway, everyone differs on if you just pay the fine, the state ref thing goes away. To me, it doesn't make sense, especially since the back of the sticker says that your car cannot be driven on roadways until in compliance (CVC 24004). Why would people make such a big deal about the state ref if all you had to do was pay the $350 fine..?? Again, it doesn't make sense. So anyway, I'm just trying to confirm this or not. Has anybody just payed the fine and then been stopped again with nothing being said by the officer...??? My fear is that I pay the fine, think its okay to drive my car, drive it, then get pulled over, towed and impounded because I didn't clear the state ref citation. Wouldn't it stick to your license plate # that it's not allowed to be driven on roadways...???

There is no way I'm returning it to stock, it's not an option, so any and all help would be appreciated!!!

 

[2GeNTSi]

Well $350 is a lot of money, I went back to stock when I got pulled over and then paid a total of $100 (maybe not even) after everything was through with. I'm not sure what's the point of just paying the fine though because the whole reason you got the ticket is because you broke some law, but then you can just get it paid off and continue to break the law?

Thats odd though, my friend told me a couple of months ago that in any future cases, the car would be towed or something like that...maybe it's just a scare tactic by law enforcement, who knows.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

when you have cams, big turbo, 3" turboback, fpr, injectors, fmic, etc.. not the basic first mods.. it becomes a pain to remove, put back, remove put back.. in which case.. paying the fine might be a better choice for others.. i think thats what he is trying to say..

but i mean.. if the only mods u have are ic pipes, catback, and t25.. then yea no problem..

i hear some state refs are real strict and everything must be stock.. if thats the case.. better yet in my case.. id pay the fine just to avoid removing everything.. because once everything is off.. i prob wont want to put it all back again..

ahh owning modified vehicle in cali.. guess ill stick to the crotch rocket for speed..

 

[Justin_Bailey]

so i came back to look at this post and I'll tell you guys what happened... I put everything in my back to stock in my engine bay, well almost... I left the boost controller tucked in there. Left my downpipe and high flow cat on and most of my cat back.. I slapped on the stock axle back part of the exhaust.. sounded stock and took it in. I mentioned my car was a Talon TSI FWD. My car was so low that the ref said he couldn't get it on their dyno and said I'd have to put stock springs in and come back. I went home trying to figure out what to do but the ref called me back and said "I didn't realize your car was AWD. Bring it back." so I did and he just gave it the sniffer test, db meter test on the exhaust, and hardly looked at anything in my engine bay... Either this was the dumbest ref, or the coolest ref ever and cut me a break... mind you this is the second time I've been to a ref...

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

thanks for getting back to us after 4 years

mind telling us which ref station this was. and hope we don't have to wait another 4 years for the reply bro

 

[SmalltownDSMer]

That's crazy, usually they have their microscope handy when looking under the hood..

 

[50trimmed1g]

Sell the car. Then buy it back

 

[EventsCo21XL]

My time at the State Ref was really chill. Although I had to take my front bumper off in order to get on the rollers . The 2 guys that helped me even gave me the tools to take the bumper off.

Granted I only left my CARB AEM short ram on there, I switched my exhaust to a axle back from a GST and even had another resonator welded in to quiet the car down even more (NT only has 1 resonator stock vs Turbo models having 2 standard right?_. I took the header off as well. Everything that doesn't have a CARB number will have to come off and also they will pull the CARB number and actually go online to confirm the exemption for that part. They were able to find my CARB number even though the sticker was half shredded off from rubbing on somthing.

Car passed with flying colors. Paid $8.25 for the Smog and my certificate. If anyone has any questions about Ref, feel free to ask me.

Also the place I went to was a Community college in Alameda. Real nice people there.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

Sell the car. Then buy it back

Please elaborate on this method. I know about this loophole soemtime ago if your car got impounded for 30 days.

How would this apply if you get a ref ticket.

You have the ticket that has to be signed off by the REF. The fine if not to see the ref and just pay it off is $400+. If the car is sold, smog still has to be done to transfer the vehicle.. Once you try to do this at any old test only smog station, won't it be flagged to go to the REF?

 

[Defiant]

the ref called me back and said "I didn't realize your car was AWD. Bring it back." so I did and he just gave it the sniffer test, db meter test on the exhaust, and hardly looked at anything in my engine bay...

Implausible. California's smog machine works off the VIN and communicates directly with the State database. You might be able to find a dumb tester, but he can't get you a smog check for an incorrect VIN.

 

[GsxEcutioner]

which galant is yours? sucks, just pay for the ticket?

 

[Jdog]

I took my car in with the aftermarket Cat-Back that I had custom made and I also had the CARB approved K&N filter on it, it passed with flying colors, but sometimes thats one of the most nerve racking experiences of your life, waiting for them to pass it.

 

[Justin_Bailey]

Implausible. California's smog machine works off the VIN and communicates directly with the State database. You might be able to find a dumb tester, but he can't get you a smog check for an incorrect VIN.

I figure the ref cut me a break or he was really bored and wanted something to do... I dunno.. but i got thru it with flying colors... anyway, this ref was at the Wyotech center in Fremont on Warm Springs Blvd.... The first time I ever went to a ref was with my VR-4. Amazing huh, the sleeper got caught and i had to put everything to stock to pass that one at the ref at Evergreen College...

 

[50trimmed1g]

Please elaborate on this method. I know about this loophole soemtime ago if your car got impounded for 30 days.

How would this apply if you get a ref ticket.

You have the ticket that has to be signed off by the REF. The fine if not to see the ref and just pay it off is $400+. If the car is sold, smog still has to be done to transfer the vehicle.. Once you try to do this at any old test only smog station, won't it be flagged to go to the REF?

Well, if the car has been smogged within the past 90 days it won't need to be renewed. I just sold my car but I'm not buying it back.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

Well, if the car has been smogged within the past 90 days it won't need to be renewed. I just sold my car but I'm not buying it back.

again please elaborate on how this can be done for someone who has been reffed?

you have to sell the car, so seller is supposed to smog the car.

So before you sold the car, you already got caught, got a ticket that says must be signed off by the REF... CORRECT?

now if you were to sell your car and go to any ol' smog station (shady or not), did the machine throw up any flags when VIN was entered saying he can't smog cause it has to be at the ref?

now assuming it didn't and you got the smog passed (under the table or not), you sell the car to your friend or something..

you STILL have that ticket for when you owned it, and if you dont get it signed off by the state ref the fine is (from what i've seen) MINIMUM $400.

so my question is what do you do about that? or do you have to go to court and tell the you sold the car? If this is the case, won't the new owner get stuck with your "dirty laundry" or if you were to buy it back, wont it have any records etc.

elaborate please

 

[50trimmed1g]

Okay, this is all I know and I'm not a cop so there might be some flaws. I passed smog when I bought my car in February. I got a ref ticket in march. Now, I know that if you sell your vehicle within 90 days of passing smog with it, it does not need to be smogged again by you or the new owner. So I sold my car in april, which was 81 days since passing smog which means I didn't need to have it smogged and the new owner doesn't either. Now, when I go to court I will tell the judge that I sold the car, it was a pile of crap and I bought it with the mods and I got tired of all the negative attention. I'm hoping he will lower or eliminate the fine. You see, the officer suspects a car has modified emissions, but he needs the ref to verify that. How can a court penalize you with a mod. emissions ticket if it has never been proven. That is the notion I'm going off of with this. I hope this helped.

 

[RedTurboEclipse]

That helps tremendously. So I guess we just wait and see what happens with the fine. Let us know how that goes. Obviously your scenario is not a good simulation but it helps to see what would happen with the fine AFTER you no longer have the car.

What I'm curious is what would happen if it was pass the 90 days. And you had to smog it at any ol' smog station because you were selling the car.

The "perfect" outcome for this "loophole" to work is that you get a ref ticket. you "sell" your car to your friend, but you are allowed to smog it at any station (of course with the mods on). No flags are thrown up this entire process. Once the courtesy letter comes in, you go see a judge and say you sold the car. Ticket is thrown out. Buy your car back from your friend for $10 a month later or so. You'd be spending at most cost of smog + registration fee. Sure beats removing mods esp if you got a lot or the $400-500 fine.

 

[Defiant]

If you got the ticket while you were the registered owner, the court can still fine you. And these days, they probably will.

 

[50trimmed1g]

If you got the ticket while you were the registered owner, the court can still fine you. And these days, they probably will.

I have a question because you are very savvy in this field. When an officer gives you a ref ticket, is it because he is uncertain of your car's legality? Because if that is the case, how can you be fined for something that hasn't been proven. What if I take a picture of my engine bay to court and say that the officer saw my painted stock bov and reffed me for a legal mod? Do you have any advice?

That helps tremendously. So I guess we just wait and see what happens with the fine. Let us know how that goes. Obviously your scenario is not a good simulation but it helps to see what would happen with the fine AFTER you no longer have the car.

What I'm curious is what would happen if it was pass the 90 days. And you had to smog it at any ol' smog station because you were selling the car.

The "perfect" outcome for this "loophole" to work is that you get a ref ticket. you "sell" your car to your friend, but you are allowed to smog it at any station (of course with the mods on). No flags are thrown up this entire process. Once the courtesy letter comes in, you go see a judge and say you sold the car. Ticket is thrown out. Buy your car back from your friend for $10 a month later or so. You'd be spending at most cost of smog + registration fee. Sure beats removing mods esp if you got a lot or the $400-500 fine.

I'll let you know for sure what happens come mid June. I'll try to find an answer to your question also.

 

[racer66]

i had state ref before, they made me remove my gauges inside the car, front mount, adjustable bov, and a silencer in the exhaust and it goes through a smog test as well.

 

[slvrDsm]

Man.. When i walk into the state reff they all look at me.. and go ERIC!! how you doin!!? hahaha.. been there 3 times.. They also made me take out my guages.. Even if they dont work.. they cant be visable. then had to take out my turbo timer.. but they did not even care about the intercooler.. Its a LEGAL mod

 

[SmalltownDSMer]

So far as I know, that cheat works so long as the car's registered to that address. What, is Mendocino still in the clear?

Yes sir

 

[mccurdy]

I just got a state ref ticket in san jose.

Is there a way i can just pay the fine and not have to go to the state ref???
If so, whats the fine amount usually?
I just got the ''modified intake'' code

Hey Guys,

I jsut got screwed with a state ref ticket for modified intake.
Anyone here have any experience with dealing with the state ref??

I had a buddy who got a state ref ticket once, but he just peeled the sticker off the back of his ticket, got the fixit ticket for his license plate signed off, and the judge bought it.

Basically, I want to know if I can just pay a fine to bypass the state ref (since its checked as non correctable) or if i'll be forced to still go and still pay the fine.

Also, im trying to sell my car. How would that play out regarding the state ref ticket?

Thanks for the help.