My 2024 Exocet California SB100 registration experience, step by step

  1. Make sure you have insurance before you drive the car. I got mine from midwestclassicins.com.

  2. First stop is DMV, prepare your documents per official guideline here, a couple notes on Reg343 and Reg 5036 forms:

    • DO not put any donor VIN on VIN section, either use your chassis number or DMV is able to give you a temporary one.
    • On reg 5036, the “Total value” of the vehicle must include labor cost, even if it comes from you. So if you only have itemized parts cost listed, the total value must be greater than those added up.
    • If you are using your own car (already registered to you) as a donor, make sure to request a DMV junk receipt, they will take the title. On reg 5036, do not specify cost on the donor, and label part source as “owned junked”.

    Specifically state “special construction” at DMV. They will collect the money including tax this time. Then they will instruct you to get a VIN verification from CHP, now DMV will not issue the SB100 certificate without it. You need DMV supplied reg 126 form for CHP. DMV also requires brakes and light inspection and in my case DMV needed it before giving me the CHP reg 126 form. YMMV but from what I read online DMV don’t want to issue temp operating permit without brake & light. They will only give you a one day moving pass before it.

  3. Brake & light is done commercially by a third party so it is often straightforward. I failed for the first time because they require a license plate light. An Amazon special works. All my lights have dot markings so I don’t know if they will fail you for lack of that.

  4. Technically, VIN verification at CHP should only check if any part of your car is stolen, and verify if anything can be used as a VIN (if not they will issue a ca VIN). However in my case CHP also checks for a lot of other stuff. Such as fenders and safety glass windshield (poly won’t work). CHP892 is a document that describes CHP guidelines.

  5. Come back to DMV, request sb100 certificate . They have to call Sacramento cert office, the cert office only opens weekdays till 4pm . You will get the number verbally but BAR requires the physical paper so just wait for a few weeks. Once it is physically arrived, call BAR to make an referee appointment. Now they implemented a virtual referee procedure so the first round is done over the phone. You will receive an email on what document is required. My virtual referee is really an asshole so make sure your document is organized in good order, and in my case he can’t see some of the attachment so maybe don’t send too many attachments in one email, you can send them multiple ones no problem.

  6. Once virtual referee approves the request, you will receive an email and you need to call the BAR number again. This time tell them you want to make a physical referee appointment using information you received.

  7. The referee physical location often located on cal community college campuses, the technician there is way better than the virtual one. He did not ask me if I wanted to choose body or engine year for the car but I assumed he chose the body for me. As he did not run any sniff tests and only checked my PCV. The referee will give you a smog report.

  8. Go back to DMV, give them everything, get your license plate!

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