RE: re-registering in CA

[Adam Sciortino <A.Sciortino@usa.net>]

Randy Bindrup asked as follows:
>I am in the process of moving back to California from Arizona. ... Having
lived in CA before >and knowing that if the car was/is not CA certified for
emissions you get hit with a stiff cost >when trying to register the
vehicle.  I can't find the certification label under the hood
>anywhere.  I have seen this on other vehicles I have owned.  Any clues?
---------

I don't think you'll need to find the label.  I moved to CA in '93 with a
car that had not yet been registered there and had to pay the hefty CA entry
fee.  At the time I was pretty miffed by the whole concept and asked the DMV
lady that took my money what would happen if in a few years I moved away and
then later moved back.  Would I have to pay the fee again?

She said that the state will have the car's past CA pedigree on record and
would, as a matter of routine practice, check its database to see if the
car's entry fee had been paid in the past.  So if your car is in the CA
database as a native or legal emigrant, you should be able to get
reregistered without find a label.