[SCOBRAC]

Yes, you are correct. SB-100 is only a means by which you become exempt from bi-annual smog tests. It is not the registration process. No fees are collected, no titles are issued no VINS are processed. There are 500 allocated each year and when they are gone they are gone. Last year they lasted 40 days.

It can (now) be done at any time spcns numbers are available. The first 2 years of the program the process applied only to new registrations. In 2003 that changed to include all specially constructed vehicles whether they had been registered or not.

It is not the only process by which to be legal here. It seems to be the best. I will admit I was relectant to be put on a list of what are essentially considered gross polluters in this state. I take some comfort in knowing the present govenor is perhaps the biggest gross polluter we have ever had with a 58 ring Cohiba in one hand and the Hummers steering wheel in the other.

The other process involves using the year of the engine and or the year of the chassis. In our cases, with modern chassis it would be the year of the engine. In that scenario you use the year of the engine block to determine the smog devices required.

As a result early replicas focused on using 1960's engines. If you were able to use a 1966 engine you were only required to have 1966 smog controls and so on... A 1978 engine needed 1978 smog controls, etc.

The drawback under the old system was regardless what year engine you chose you were required to have smog checks every 2 years for at least 30 years. I believe that has changed or may change in the future. Presently cars before 1974 are smog exempt, cars after 1974 are not and may never be. Someone correct me if that is now different. It was a 30 year sliding scale.

In my case (pre SB-100) my Contemporary would have become exempt in 2018. But until then I would need smog checks on a dyno ever two years. (again that may have changed)

Relax. Have fun bring a book. The good news is the DMV's are now use to the system and the law. In 2003 it was a new system. I got the 7th spcns number issued under the new law. You can only imagine how much fun I had.