California Certification Procedures For Used Modifier Certified Motor Vehicles

The title to this document from the California Air Resources Board is a bit misleading. At least when I first saw it, I said "whats that got to do with vehicles older than 1975?"

In part I, Applicability, it mentions that this part does not apply to 1974 or older light duty motor vehicles.  Here is what it does say applies to 1974 or older vehicles for California import.

So older than 1974, needs to meet EPA requirements as they existed November 15th, 1972.

Table 1 to §85.1515—Emission Standards Applicable to Imported Light-Duty Motor Vehicles¹²³

OP Year	Hydrocarbon	Carbon monoxide	Oxides of nitrogen	Diesel particulate	Evaporative hydrocarbon	Useful life (years/miles)
1968-1976	1.5 gpm	15 gpm	3.1 gpm		6.0 g/test	5/50,000
1977-1979	1.5 gpm	15 gpm	2.0 gpm		6.0 g/test	5/50,000
1980	0.41 gpm	7.0 gpm	2.0 gpm		6.0 g/test	5/50,000
1981	0.41 gpm	3.4 gpm	1.0 gpm		2.0 g/test	5/50,000
1982-1986	0.41 gpm	3.4 gpm	1.0 gpm	0.60 gpm	2.0 g/test	5/50,000
1987-1993	0.41 gpm	3.4 gpm	1.0 gpm	0.20 gpm	2.0 g/test	5/50,000
1994 and later	(4)	(4)	(4)	(4)	(4)	(4)

¹Diesel particulate standards apply only to diesel fueled light-duty vehicles. Evaporative hydrocarbon standards apply only to non-diesel fueled light-duty vehicles. For alternative fueled light-duty vehicles, the evaporative hydrocarbon standard is interpreted as organic material hydrocarbon equivalent grams carbon per test, as applicable.

²No crankcase emissions shall be discharged into the ambient atmosphere from any non-diesel fueled light-duty vehicle.

³All light-duty vehicles shall meet the applicable emission standards at both low and high-altitudes according to the procedures specified in 40 CFR part 86 for current model year motor vehicles at the time of testing.

⁴Specified in 40 CFR part 86 for the OP year of the vehicle, as described in paragraph (c) of this section.

R32 GT-R undergoing California certification

1967 model year vehicles and older: no modifications and testing are required to register the vehicle in California.

1968 model year to 1974 model year vehicles: California does not recommend the purchase or importation of these years of NON-USA vehicles, even if currently registered in another state. These vehicles require compliance with USEPA requirements in effect on the specific date of 11/15/1972. This provision when written, was considered by the California legislature as a gradual phase-out of very dirty "non-collectable" types of imports, as this specific requirement was understood to become increasingly difficult to meet. Today, this requirement, while not impossible to meet, would require testing expenses and modifications that far exceed most vehicles value and would make little sense from a collectors standpoint to attempt. Some limited exemptions apply to individuals moving to California with vehicles of these years registered in their home state for at least a year before moving to California. Contact us for more information.

1975 model year vehicles to the present: (EXCLUDING any vehicle obtained by a California resident within two years of its date of production) require a "Certificate of Conformance" issued by the ARB after a successful laboratory test. This test is administered to the same standards required of new vehicle manufacturers, and for the model year of the vehicle . However, unlike new vehicle manufacturers, as an individual you are not required to meet the full range of additional testing and equipment standards such as On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) requirements, durability testing, low emission fleet averaging, or Zero Emissions Vehicle testing (LEV and ZEV requirements). So while these standards reference what a manufacturer must do, when required by the Direct Import requirements they apply to individuals importing a used motor vehicle. Some limited exemptions apply to individuals moving to California with vehicles of these years registered in their home state for at least a year before moving to California. Contact us for more information.

Motorcycles and heavy-duty engines (used in trucks and buses) are required to comply with CA or USEPA from the date of manufacturer, no after-the-fact modification is permitted for products first sold outside the US market.

Diesel vehicles: 1979 model year and older vehicles with original-equipment diesel engines are exempt from Direct Import lab testing requirements. Please note that any vehicle converted to operate on diesel fuel is subject to lab testing requirements if it is a 1968 model year vehicle or newer.

From the ARB site. 

The title actually says " California Certification Procedures For 1975 or Later Model Year Used Modifier Certified Motor Vehicles