Direct Import(or Gray Market) vehicles are vehicles that were manufactured outside the United States for which the original manufacturer did not obtain California or Federal certification. The EPA normally covers direct import vehicles under the ICI program, but if a vehicle is going to be registered in California, it needs to meet the California Direct Import requirements.

Any vehicle 1975 or newer needs to meet these standards otherwise it is not legal to register it in California. A vehicle model year 1975 or older doesn't need a smog in California. So there is actually a 1 year gap between the two rules. 1974 or older needs to meet Federal import standards. 1975 would need to meet direct import requirements, but then would not need to be smogged after the initial direct import requirements are met. Frustratingly confused with dates yet?

For the NHTSA any vehicle over 25 years old is FMVSS exempt. For the EPA, any vehicle over 21 years old, and in its original configuration is EPA exempt, however California has its own requirements.

When you start on the process of obtaining a California title, at some point you will get a letter from the Foreign Titling Division in Sacramento, informing you of what has to happen in order to get California registration. In the case of the vehicle below, it was just for "title only" as the vehicle is going out of state.



Direct Import (DI) (a.k.a. "Gray Market") Vehicles
New DI "California Certification and Compliance Test Procedures for New Modifier Certified Vehicles" (PDF - 316K)http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onroad/cert/ldctp/ndi.pdf
Used DI "California Certification Procedures for 1975 and Later Model-Year Used Modifier-Certified Vehicles" (PDF - 3746K)http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onroad/cert/ldctp/udi.pdf
Used DI "Licensing Requirements for Motor Vehicle Emission Test Laboratories" (PDF - 498K)http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onroad/cer ... di-lab.pdf
Used DI Laboratory Questionnaire (PDF - 435K)http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onroad/cer ... i-labq.pdf

Once you run it though the FTP cycle, then you take the car to the smog referee where they then do an inspection, and smog on the car (pointless as it just passed FTP), and they issue you a BAR label.



These requirements apply to ANY and ALL direct import vehicles that are 1975 or newer and to be registered in California. It doesn't matter how many states the car was registered in before you are bringing it to California. Doesn't matter how long ago the car came into the country. If you are trying to get registration in California today, be prepared to write a pretty big check to a testing lab.

Welcome to California, we hope you enjoy your stay.

Originally posted - here - http://vehicleimport.blogspot.com/2013/ ... newer.html