US Federal Certification Label?

Cobbage_45

Member
Jul 25, 2019
25
8
13
California
Hi guys,

I'm trying to register my fox in California for now but it's a rough process as usual (it's California...). I didn't think it was an issue but the previous owner repainted the car black so i don't know what's been painted over or not.

Long story short, I tried to get my VIN verified because i currently have 'incomplete registration' due to VIN and smog check. The dmv staff couldn't find this US Federal Certification Label so now im referred to CHP. However, the CHP is already booked for this month.

My question is, is the sticker on the passenger side B pilar not the label? It has all the tire information and such but that's it. I checked my other cars and they all have VINs on the sticker on the driver side. So the dude before me dumbly painted over that on the driver side?

I'm wondering how it's supposed to look and where it is supposed to be located, or any recommended action moving forward?

Many thanks!
 
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Isn’t that usually the one on the drivers door with the Vin number stating the car meets emissions and safety standards for that model year
 
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Here's a place that makes replacement labels.

 
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Isn’t that usually the one on the drivers door with the Vin number stating the car meets emissions and safety standards for that model year

Yep, as far I know the driver's side door should have the Federal Safety Certification Sticker while the Federal Emissions Certification Sticker should be under the hood.
 
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On my 89 and 93, this is on the driver's door itself:

632645
 
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Oh man, yeah mine is definitely missing. Well I have to go to the CHP... I'll update if everything goes smoothly. Many vin stickers and such are painted over so hopefully they don't think i stole the car since 2016...

Many thanks guys!
 
Got lucky and got an early appointment! So the CHP verifier took my keys, ID, and incomplete registration paperwork and went to look at my car. I'm not sure what he did because he had us wait in the waiting area. After 10 to 15 minutes he went straight to his office and didn't come out until 25 minutes later. He signed the VIN Verification paperwork and handed it to me for the DMV and that was it! I was nervous if he was in a bad mood it'll somehow turn into an inspection and somehow give me a fixit ticket. Or somehow worse, car was stolen or chopped.
 
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He went outside, looked at the wrong car. Frustrated when he couldn't find the right one (after all he does drive a prius), he retreated to his office to eat his spaghetti taco, spilled his redbull on someone else's paperwork and thought 'f-this' and stamped your stuff and hoped nobody finds out he really has no idea how to do his job.
Seriously, glad it worked out. :nice:
 
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You know, i'm a fan of protecting the environment, i do believe in climate change and i sure as hell don't want to breath smog (from any source). But it just sounds crazy to do this much work to certify old cars that make up a really small percentage road going vehicles. Basically it takes 30 minutes of one guys time to get your car registered? Sounds like a whole lot of wasted time, energy and money on a car that probably isn't going to be driven all that far. The bean counters in nj determined they were wasting more time and energy trying to inspect old cars. They had all this sophisticated machinery, a wheel dyno and fans that consumed a ton of electricity, plus the man power that it turned out, it just wasn't worth it.

15 million cars in california and 1/2 of a man hour is spent on just one? Lol, talk about inefficient.
 
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Thanks General! Ironically there was a prius there!

You know, i'm a fan of protecting the environment, i do believe in climate change and i sure as hell don't want to breath smog (from any source). But it just sounds crazy to do this much work to certify old cars that make up a really small percentage road going vehicles. Basically it takes 30 minutes of one guys time to get your car registered? Sounds like a whole lot of wasted time, energy and money on a car that probably isn't going to be driven all that far. The bean counters in nj determined they were wasting more time and energy trying to inspect old cars. They had all this sophisticated machinery, a wheel dyno and fans that consumed a ton of electricity, plus the man power that it turned out, it just wasn't worth it.

15 million cars in california and 1/2 of a man hour is spent on just one? Lol, talk about inefficient.

I completely agree with you! I stood in line for DMV at 7:30am and got out at about 9:30am with my incomplete registration to get my VIN verified by a DMV employee and hoping to go smog afterwards. Waited 30 minutes at the 'inspection' area until this grumpy lady came out giving me tons of attitude. That's how I got referred to CHP because of the missing label and new hood (where I realized she doesn't know anything). They pretty much send me on a loop and I didn't get home until 4pm with zero results because eVeRyThInG r BoOkEd FoR dA mOnTh AnD nExT. I've actually never had a problem with the DMV until I got to California. Even my 2017 Chevy Spark (don't crush me guys... it's my daily!!) took me the whole damn day and I thought that was supposed to be easy.

When I registered the my Mustang in Gloucester, VA it was literally 30 minutes from walking in to walking out with plates and stickers. No incomplete registration BS, and even told me to get a safety inspection when I get a chance instead of holding my registration hostage and sending me on a loop. Also, $152 for a year of registration... I pay less than that for a 3-year registration in Virginia =_= I'm glad im moving out of here in 2 years, sheesh!
 
Not to detract from the hassles of certifying a car in California but if you do a search for smog in LA in the 60-70's you may feel a little different, just a little, though they seem to be a little overboard on most environmental issues, hell they have gone off the deep end on a LOT of things out there.
If you ever wonder where crazy things get started, think California, after all even the dogs out there need therapy. Foreal! They come by it honestly.
 
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Not to detract from the hassles of certifying a car in California but if you do a search for smog in LA in the 60-70's you may feel a little different, just a little, though they seem to be a little overboard on most environmental issues, hell they have gone off the deep end on a LOT of things out there.
If you ever wonder where crazy things get started, think California, after all even the dogs out there need therapy. Foreal! They come by it honestly.

Oh yeah, I've been told that by my mom and stepdad. I still remember a video they showed me back in middle school about it, it was bad back then. I lived in China for a few years as well and it was beautiful before the whole big industrialization thing. I left there 2004, returned in 2011 to witness the horrible view of smog and big tall buildings covering everything. Driving back from a trip from Inland Mongolia, it was a wall of smog outside of Beijing. I thought it was fog going over the Great Wall but my aunt told me that's smog. Hell, the 3 cities that I lived in Virginia combined population is still 4x less than LA's so I can see how this can compound into a pretty bad effect very fast in such a tiny area. That's why I don't mind smog inspections to a certain extent.

However, I do think California's initial good intention to save everything turned into a really bad money grabbing scheme, or just simply a little too over reaching. Like CARB EO? C'mon, I looked at both Magnaflow X pipes and what's the difference? One has CARB EO stamp and costs $400 more than the the non stamped one because it went through a 'test'. I think that if your NOx, HC, and CO are below the already strict CA threshold you should be on your way. I've already spend an extra $2k just to make sure it "looks" like it's CA compliant and now I have a spare H pipe and distributor just sitting around. In the end, who am I to talk though... just ranting a bit to blow off some steam.
 
I understand the intention behind VIN verification but jesus sending me on a wild goose chase was not nice of them! I'll need to verify the source but I also heard they're charging EV owners an extra $200 on registration because they're not using gas from gas stations so it's like the smog abatement fee, you gotta pay your gas tax here lol
 
There's are many reasons I don't and won't ever live in California. The overreach of government in that state boggles my mind (not that PA or other states are getting any better though). For example from what I read, you can't call a manhole and manhole anymore in Berkeley since it's not "gender neutral". It's a maintenance hole. I mean, seriously?
 
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There's are many reasons I don't and won't ever live in California. The overreach of government in that state boggles my mind (not that PA or other states are getting any better though). For example from what I read, you can't call a manhole and manhole anymore in Berkeley since it's not "gender neutral". It's a maintenance hole. I mean, seriously?

I thought LA was bad until I drove up to San Fran last winter. Berkeley is... let's just say 'special' like LA...

But hey! At least I made this thread to seek help from you guys and hopefully anyone else that'll move here with a fox that was poorly painted over will know/have Confidence on what to do! (If they find this thread..)
 
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I purchased a 2002 GT and it had the label removed due to body repair. Shop didn't replace it. I got the car registered because it was already registered (in CA). However, I didn't like NOT having the label. I used this site http://www.ecsvin.com/ and they were able to make me a new one. You do and will have to do some work to provide them with information. Clean title in your name, picture of Vin (windshield) and most importantly, a dealer Oasis report (free) which tells everything the car had when made. Some think the price is too high but I didn't. Also, the site mentioned above can't do a replacement if it's gone or lost.
 
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There's are many reasons I don't and won't ever live in California. The overreach of government in that state boggles my mind (not that PA or other states are getting any better though). For example from what I read, you can't call a manhole and manhole anymore in Berkeley since it's not "gender neutral". It's a maintenance hole. I mean, seriously?
You can call it anything you like unless you are employed (poor bastages) by the Communist Wealth of Berkeley. Gotta' love bureaucracy.
 
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