California Modified Exhaust Ticket

[onecrazyfoo4u]

So I moved to socal 2 months ago, and I just got my first ticket for a modified exhaust and for past due registration, since I'm still registered in Idaho. I don't see how they can do that, since my plates and title are still in Idaho and all current. I'm selling the car anyways, so hopefully I won't have to pay for the past due registration crap.

Anyways, how does it work in cali, do you have to go to court for something stupid like this? There's no fine on the ticket, how much do modified exhaust tickets usually cost? Is there any way of fighting this, I had no clue that it was illegal to modify the exhaust in cali. Will a ticket like this put points on my record or increase my insurance? Any help is great!

[Touge noob S13]

Its a "fix it" ticket basically you got cited for exhaust and if he catches you again you can face a fine.

[89twoforty]

All of my fix it tickets came with prices. If you 'fix' the ticket (throw the stock exhaust back on), it's only $10.

I just paid $20 for 2 tickets (cracked windshield and no front plate).

I don't have the papers anymore, but something should come in the mail.

[Dittoz7]

It's Their Way Of Welcoming You!

[onecrazyfoo4u]

It doesn't say fix it anywhere, I think it's an actual citation. In the 'repairable' column, it's marked 'no' next to the modified exhaust. So, I think it's just a straight up fine, which is bull. So I just have to wait for a fine in the mail, or do I have to go to court too?

He had me stopped for like 2 minutes, didn't do a dB reading or anything, just said "You can't have a big bazooka on back like that, it's illegal!". Eat my d!ck ***, I'm from Idaho, and we can do whatever the hell we want there!

[hitm4n666]

yhis is y i love little rhody!

[SCCoupe]

that's bull, unless of course your exhaust note is over 95dbA loud.

read here...

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27151.htm

[EviL inside]

why in the hell would you move TO kali?

on a side note, do they ticket the deafening harley crowd the same? i would put up with getting a ticket here if they would stop all those rich-urban-bikers living out some bad-boy fantasy with bone-rattling exhausts and 100 year old technology.

[gregfarz78]

Wait they can ticket people out of state for exhaust? Thats bull****... cali FTL

[zoneoneoni]

Well, they call it KKKalifornia for a reason I guess. :/ Same with Amerikkka. Oh wells.

[phreezer]

Here in Washington State, I got a $140 ticket for modified exhaust, no warning ticket, straight to the fine with no priors.

I was going 30 in a 35mph and he needed a reason to pull me over cause I probably looked suspicious. Funny thing is, I was on my way to church

[StandardProspect]

why in the hell would you move TO kali?

on a side note, do they ticket the deafening harley crowd the same? i would put up with getting a ticket here if they would stop all those rich-urban-bikers living out some bad-boy fantasy with bone-rattling exhausts and 100 year old technology.

i never understood that either. those things are so damn loud and they can just drive around all day worry free.

maybe its because they come from the factory with that loud of an exhaust.

either way that post made me laugh

[onecrazyfoo4u]

I know it's gay....I moved to cali just cause of a job offer, a kick *** one at that, just too good to pass up. I was planning on selling my car anyways, because I didn't want to deal with trying to smog it, and all the bull**** cali laws.

That's the thing that pisses my off, he pulls me over for exhaust, whens theres a highly modified mustang in front of me, loud as ****. And of course there's bikes, and a corvette that passed as we were 'talking', way louder than my setup. I have straight 3", just a muffler, but I don't get on it around here, too scared of getting pulled over.

It's just discrimination against the 'import' crowd.....they're always after us for some reason.

[89twoforty]

That's lame. It would be worth your time to do some reading, you can probably get out of it. Especially seeing as how you just moved here.

It's up to you. If you feel it's worth taking the time to read up on it and fight it, go for it.

If not, suck it up and pay.

I'd be willing to bet that you can get off without paying a fine though.

*Edit*

If you still have all of your emissions crap, you shouldn't have much of an issue passing smog here. Other than your exhaust obviously. If you want to keep the car it might be worth it to spend a few bucks picking up a stock exhaust and other OEM parts to get it to pass.

Congrats on the job, and good luck.

[Touge noob S13]

Just get rid of your fart can and get a nice dual tip, problem solved.

[89twoforty]

Agreed. Dual tip ftw. Unless you own or deal with 240s, most people couldn't tell the difference between OEM and a nice dual tip.

[bloodspread]

I had to go to court for my ticket, it was the biggest waste of 2hrs in my life. the judge looked at me and asked why I was there for a "fix it" ticket, I wanted to know the same. I took off of work and school to take care of the ticket, change the exhaust back to stock, and take it to the referee. I sold that car because it was just getting too much attention from police and criminals alike. im going a different route with my project.

[onecrazyfoo4u]

Well we never had to smog or inspect or any of that crap in Idaho.....just go pay them $40, and get your plates, that's all there was to it. And I've heard what a pain it is to try and pass a sr20 here. I'm not even gonna bother, much easier to sell it and get something 'legal'.

I might fight it, just cause I am out of state, and don't know these laws like the back of my hand. It's just obsurd that you can get pulled over for something as simple as an exhaust, especially when I'm not getting on it or anything.

I'm definitely going to fight the past due registration citation....of course it's past due, it's currently registered in Idaho. Why would I go register it here when I have 6 months left on my current tags?

How much are the fines for an exhaust ticket, in the $100's or what?

[Pr0xyPirate]

i got one a couple of days back in the keys florida. F@cker followed me for 2 miles before he pulled me over and told me my exhaust was illegal so i ask him how it was illegal he says i cant have a modified exhaust it has to be stock so i tell the jackass that it can be aftermarket as long as it isnt louder than stock. he being a giant douchebag gives me a ticket anyway ( oh side note you expect me to believe that every cop knows the stock db of every car on the street) any ways a week later my godfather who is a fellow highway patrol comes over and i tell him about the ticket. he knows the guy who gave me the ticket and calls tha *******. apparently the guy has a mustang with a modified exhaust that is 3 times as loud as my car so my godfather tells him that if he ever sees him on the street with that car hes gonna have the car towed so the guy will stop being a d@#khead.

[onecrazyfoo4u]

Do you guys think that just putting the stock muffler on there would quite it down enough to get past? Or would I have to put back on the stock exhaust pipe, cat, and downpipe as well?

Anyone selling a stock exhaust in socal???

[S13_love]

that sucks man, i would have to agree the some of the earlier posts and get a dual tip if anything, but yeah cops do discriminate against the "import" kind of cars. Here where i live, i dont think a modified exhaust ticket even exsists, the only reason u would get one up here (if they did exsist) is if you pissed off a cop in a really bad mood

Also I feel bad for you cali. people, you guys have to go through so much b******* for cars and stuff, and up here in montana, pretty much this whole modifying cars, and racing (i dont think there ever has been a street or track racing death...yet) is pretty much unmolested. Pretty much all that stuff is a cops lowest priority here...its awesome

[Cone Junky]

I have been citied for the same thing and it was obvious profiling. Apparently if you have an import with an exhaust, you're one of those midnight racers

Anyway, all you need to do is bring it to a referree to get it signed off. Unless you are over 95dB (very doubtful) you'll get it signed off and pay a $10 paperwork fee.

BTW-I don't blame you for selling the SR, it's a big hassle to register a car with a motor that was never offered in the US.

[Touge noob S13]

Do you guys think that just putting the stock muffler on there would quite it down enough to get past? Or would I have to put back on the stock exhaust pipe, cat, and downpipe as well?

Anyone selling a stock exhaust in socal???

I'll trade you if you want

[onecrazyfoo4u]

Not really looking to trade, just want something to temporarily pass the ref.

Don't think I'm gonna go that rought though, I'm going to plead not guilty and do the court by mail thing. Most people get them dropped when they fight the ticket by mail.

[ddgsxr504]

I have been living in California for over 9 years now and my car has been registered in Mississippi the entire duration only because I am in the military. Police of anytype do not have authority to cite you for having a modified exhaust if it is registered in another state legally and the registration is current.

If you don't intend to become a Cali resident (driver's liscense & registered voter) then they are in the wrong. You can go to court and have the citation thrown out. Now this will only work if you are in compliance with Ohio law regarding smog and vehicle modifications. Residency is about intent, if you plan on not staying in Cali then for all they know you are a visitor. It seems higly unreasonable that visitors to Cali would have to adapt their car to Cali laws for how ever short their duration of visitation would be.

Current legislation for CALIFORNIA enacted by Gov Gray Davis back in 2001, now remember this applies to California residents.

95 db limit law:http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=60311

Noise limit testing law:http://www.semasan.com/main/main.aspx?id=60106

The reason most people get jacked by the police is because they don't know the law or they are too lazy to fight it or both.

Cali exhaust lawhttp://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27151.htm


Modified by ddgsxr504 at 12:19 PM 9/18/2008

[onecrazyfoo4u]

Thanks for the good info, the only problem is I am intending on staying here. We just moved here because of a job offer, and bought a house. I didn't know you were required to register within 10 days of moving here though, that's just obsured. I was planning on keeping my Idaho tags until they expired. Plust I'm selling the car anyways.

The ticket was actually for modified exhaust, not because of noise level, just because it was modified (which I guess is illegal in Cali). I'm planning on doing the trial by mail thing though to fight it. I hear that's the best thing to do if you want a decent chance at winning.

[AGMags]

Thanks for the good info, the only problem is I am intending on staying here. We just moved here because of a job offer, and bought a house. I didn't know you were required to register within 10 days of moving here though, that's just obsured. I was planning on keeping my Idaho tags until they expired. Plust I'm selling the car anyways.

The ticket was actually for modified exhaust, not because of noise level, just because it was modified (which I guess is illegal in Cali). I'm planning on doing the trial by mail thing though to fight it. I hear that's the best thing to do if you want a decent chance at winning.

Hey Bro,

Lived in Cali my whole life (23 years). Dealt with "fix it/modified" tickets since I got my first car at 16. I had an eclipse, and would get pulled over ALL THE TIME for car being to low, modified exhaust, **** hangin from my rear view mirror, anything you can think of, I've probably got cited for. I know it sucks, but cops to profile, and if your car is lowered, tinted and has exhaust, might as well make it easy and pull over when you even see a cop. haha.. Every "modified ticket" was in other words a "fix it" ticket. It'll only be $10...

Forreal, it shouldn't be a big hassle. My neighbor has a Miata with Headers/Exhaust and that shiet is loud. His car is registered in New Mexico (where they have no smog laws), so everytime he get pulled over, he says he's here visiting and cops really can't do nothing (as long as your registration is valid in your home state). He's been here for 6 years now, and he's never regirstered his car in Cali, he just re-registers every year in NM, so he can do what he wishes with his car.

Anyway, most likely, if you just put on a stock MUFFLER (don't worry bout the rest of the piping) you can go to any cop and get it signed off and pay 10 (without going to court). If you go to court, you may have to go to state ref.

Hope that helps. IMHO, I'd just change your muffler, get the ticket signed off and pay the $10. Its alot less hassle than going to state ref.

On a side note...

why in the hell would you move TO kali?

Why not? We got the best looking girls, the best weather (no hurricanes, tornados, blizzards... just your earthquakes), and it is the wealthiest state in America.

I could do without the rise in residents. We are getting a lil over-populated in the big cities...

Anyway, good luck with your situation. Congrats on the new job. And I hope you enjoy Cali!

[onecrazyfoo4u]

Yeah, I've heard that it could be a fix it ticket, but he marked 'no' in the section that asks if the citation is correctable or not. I suppose I could try, but that means I have to track down a stock exhaust and pay for it.

I thought it'd just be easier to fight it since I'm an out of state registered car, and Idaho doesn't have any stupid modified exhaust laws. What is a state ref though? Is that some guy you go see at the smog shop? If I did that, I'd probably have to get a cat put on it too. It's just alot of crap to have to buy.

I was tempted to say I was just visiting, but then I saw somewhere that giving false info to a cop can be a $1500 fine if busted! Anyways, thanks for the good info!

[rsdans240sx]

In washington it is technically illegal to have a exhaust that is louder than stock although all the cops that I have talked to say that as long as it isn't too loud you won't get bothered. Basically they told me that if it wasn't louder than a harley not to worry. So I put on an HKS exhaust, Hi-Flow cat, 2.5 piping all the way with a HKS Mulffler at the end. I drove it aorund for months going past cops everywhere without any of them even looking at me but one day a cop pulled me over and gave me a $500.00 ticket for a modified exhaust but he said that if I fixed it to bring it back to him within two weeks and I wouldn't have to pay anything. So I unbolted my muffler ghetto bolted a quiet muffler on there showed it him and then went back to the way it was before and I havn't had any problems since then.

[ddgsxr504]

The ticket was actually for modified exhaust, not because of noise level, just because it was modified (which I guess is illegal in Cali). I'm planning on doing the trial by mail thing though to fight it. I hear that's the best thing to do if you want a decent chance at winning.

If you read the vehicle code regarding exhausts there are only two reasons for an illegally "modified" exhaust.

1. It either no longer passes smog (test pipes or CAT removal)2. Exceed the 95 db limit.

By the cop citing you for a "modified" exhaust he was stiicking you with one or both of those codes. You can have a hot pink exhaust with diamond in lays as long as they meet those 2 prerequisites.