Re: differences between a certification test, and a "smog check"

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Monday, Jul 14, 2003, at 10:08 US/Pacific, John D. Fox wrote:

> George - actually, when you want to import a car to the US for road
> registration and use ( not a race or show exemption), no matter where 
> it
> is going, you need to show either type compliance ( that the car model 
> you
> are importing has been federally certified for safety and emissions ( 
> this
> is the big long 72 hour test)), or you need to post a bond and state 
> you
> are going to DO this test, present results, and then get the bond back 
> -
> or they deprt the car later and keep the bond.
Yes, I know. However, if you were able to bring the car in as personal 
property, all of that is waived, and the only smog compliance that one 
has to worry about is the rather cursory state one. The problem is that 
this personal property exemption is very difficult to take advantage of 
because the circumstances for claiming it are very narrowly proscribed. 
As I understand it, each American citizen is allowed ONE exemption per 
lifetime. I.E. each of us can bring-in one non-compliant vehicle. 
Unfortunately, you would have to live overseas for some amount of time, 
and have bought the car for use as personal transport, (so I've been 
told) before you can bring it in under this rule.

But I also understand that there is another way. Apparently, the DOT 
has something called a "Show and Display" exemption. This allows one to 
bring-in a non compliant vehicle and keep it, and register it for the 
street, as long as one puts less than 2500 miles per year on the car. 
What I don't know is whether or not they 'keep tabs' on these vehicles 
and their milage once the car is here. I can't imagine the government 
having enough manpower, or being efficient enough, to do that so I'll 
be looking into it.


George Graves
'86 GTV-6 3.0S
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