In 2005 (the year of the Mt Diablo MMW) I brought a 1980 New Zealand Mini coupe in for my wife from a guy in Christchurch, I went down to the docks at Longbridge CA paid a longshoreman $100 to load it on my truck and circumvented all the paperwork. I actually took it on the bed of my pickup to the MMW at Mt Diablo on the way back to Idaho where I got it registered. Sold it a couple of years later to a guy in Washington state who took it down to CA where he now lives. I'll contact him to see how he got it on the road.

Martin.

Well, that's a novel way of getting the job done. Considering what you've done with your pickup, this was probably a lesser headache. Congratulations!

Updating this post for anyone interested, once I got all the originals reissued and translated, I went for the inspection, and was told I could not register it because there was no hidden VIN to verify the VIN plate against, even though I had documents showing I had owned it (in Bolivia) for 12 years.

 

I asked friends, and one gave me the number for the County Court Clerk. I explained the problem to him and he discussed it with the judge. She told him to have me sue the DMV and she would rule in my favor. So it cost me $300 plus $20 filing fee and $40 for the Sheriff to serve the papers to the DMV in Tallahassee. At the end of their 3 week period to respond, they quoted laws that backed their decision, and the next morning the court ruled in my favor. I registered it that afternoon.

 

That section applies to Florida titles and procedures. And there are similar ones from other states, but bringing from outside the country changes the ball game. And they changed the game between October and January.

There is an EPA form that you fill out and they stamp when you import. That is your declaration that it meets or is exempt from the different regulations.

Re: FL   Walk through the alternatives in FL DMV procedures manual- https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicles-tags-titles/motor-vehicle-procedure-manual/  See in particular TL-72 the last one on ancient and antique vehicles  Lots of options- Probably still need a bond.... 

Ourt friend Bill says

"re trying to register in Cali.. tell him to just take to another tag office .. PHAT lady behind counter will ask for EPA paper.. but No such item..

When I showed them my bill of sale she said she had no way of verifying it, even if I had it translated. 

No help on CA from what I know that is a nonstarter. For FL, if you don't get original title, I was able to register my UK imported MK I on just a bill of sale (though they were particular about bill of sale- had to show color and include my info etc.)  But I then had to post a bond good for 3 years.  I got a title showing it was bonded but that comes off after the 3 years is up.
Kim

I would read the regulations carefully myself to see where I could find the real application or time period, or perhaps other documents to substitute.

I brought mine from Bolivia to Florida. The county Sheriff did the normal VIN inspection, but the state requires a separate office to verify it because it came from outside the US, one that verifies cars that have been previously declared totaled, or home built cars. Florida does not require anything more than the federal requirements, and my 1975 pup is before all the crash and emissions stuff. Their inspection is only the vin and engine numbers, and paperwork. On my Corvair she did not even put the entire engine number on the form, as it would have required her to get her fingernails dirty to move some wires.


I thought a copy of my original title would be sufficient, but the rules say it must be an original. Unfortunately, Bolivia requires the original title to be turned in before issuing export papers. It took me a few months to find someone who knew someone who, for a price, could get it reissued. So I had that translated again (reissue has an issue number), and submitted it. But meanwhile the state has decided that they cannot use the original homeland security/customs documents because they were issued electronically. (They accepted the ones for my Corvair back in September. - I had an original title for that because I had already packed the real original and applied for a replacement to turn in for the export permit).

In theory the broker will have the originals stamped by today by Homeland Security, and send them to me. So far, it has taken almost 7 months since the car arrived.

A comment from our friend Bill (who does not have an account here but watches it and is generally an expert on importation of vehicles to the US). Bill says:

"You can register up to 1 jan 1976  classic minis in the USA.. think you have to get California Hwy patrol to do vin inspection..  the trick i am told is taking PHAT lady behind the DMV counter  box of donuts."

Note Bill does not live in California. The California highway patrol may indeed do VIN inspections. However if the car is not legit and is already registered in California, they are the ones who will seize it. No idea what they would do if they find an illegitimate  car registered in antotthee state.

MBorgardt: My advice is before you approach authorities is to make sure your car has a legitimate VIN and age. There are a lot of bogus cars lurking out there.

1. Where did you acquire the car? From who?

2. Where was it previously registered?

3. Verify its true build age by checking for manufacture dates on certain parts that are not likely to have been changed in its life.

4. Post pictures of your car on here - members can help you identify/confirm its age.

5. There are true VIN numbers hidden on a Mini. Depending on the true age of the car body, we can tell you where to look.

1968 is the last completely legal year, but I think there's a 1974 loophole if you're savvy to it.

It's no help for you but I believe the last year is 1968.

The guys with California experience must be away, but essentially California has the strictest regulations when it comes to emissions and crash-worthiness. When these regulations came into effect, Minis stopped being imported to California because they could not possibly conform to the new regs. Eventually, little British cars disappeared from the North American markets. 

So, a 1971 Mini does not conform to California's regulations for that year. To make it conform, cost LOTS of money and time - much more than the car is worth. Don't quote me but I think the last year was 1965, after which you are out of luck.

There are alternatives, though I don't know the surrounding legal issues. One is to register it in a more compliant state. But check your insurance too. The safest is to sell it outside California and buy one that is already legally registered in California. Be veer wary of cars that might not be legitimate - where their VIN number has been changed, for example. Those cars are at risk of being seized and crushed if discovered by the authorities.

Do NOT quote me on legalities - I am far away from California... in eastern Canada.

1971

What year car are trying to register?

State of California is asking for manufacturing letter for U. S. emissions...

Anyone have a clue how to obtain this ?