New Laws In Cali??

Has anyone heard about this new 'police force' that cops are getting trained for in Cali? I got pulled over AGAIN today, and got 4 citations on one freaking ticket :mad: I don't want to write that big ass thing over again, but if you want to read my whole ordeal, you can click
here. (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t45581.html)
So anyways, like I said in that thread, there are going to be new fleets of cops that are specifically trained for going after "street racers" aka any modded vehicle on the road. I mean, he went ALL OVER my car. He said that they're going to start doing walk downs of cars. He said that they're looking for things like altezzas, exhausts, lowering, anything to give away the fact that you mod your car, and they're going to pull you over, make you pop the hood and do a walkthrough of your car and cite you for everything you have that's illegal on it. I have to go to the "State Automobile Referee" to get my intake tested. What is that? I just know that I have to pay a fee to have someone tell me that something is going to be illegal. The cop's words to me were, "any intake that takes in more air than what the 2000 Civic's engine is designed to take in will be illegal". Isn't the point to bring in more airflow? So.....see what I'm getting at?
:mad: I'm just so pissed off from all of this, I've never had this problem before, but I was wondering if anyone else has heard anything about these "new cops" that are going to be here in Cali?

is this in all of california? That is going to suck big time. :(

Originally posted by emadboy200
is this in all of california? That is going to suck big time. :(

I don't know, this is the first and only I've heard of it, from what the cop was telling me about today. That's why I asked if anyone else knew.

This REALLY sucks bigtime. :(

Keep an ear open for more info, i will do the same down here in southern cali.

I'm going to wait till I see something a little more official. Otherwise, I'm saying the cop was full of shit.

If your stuff is CARB approved, you shouldn't ever have to worry. That's the only thing they can get you on.

Read the laws, find out what's legal and what's not. There really isn't a whole lot that's illegal. In general altezzas, lowering, etc. isn't illegal.

If they try to start making things like CARB-legal intakes, altezzas, lowering springs, etc. illegal just on the basis that they're car modifications, they're just making a world of trouble for themselves... especially in sue-happy southern california. It will eventually wind up in a freedom of speech, freedom of expression lawsuit.

Intakes, lights, lowering, doesn't create an actual safety hazard in and of itself. Yes, people who mod their cars out tend to drive more recklessly than people who don't... but you can't ban the mods themselves, because if you do you are, in essence, stereotyping.

There are special cop "task forces" that target street racing. They go to races and find out who's there and what they're driving, and they get them that way. They did that a couple months ago here in San Diego. That's all they can do, though.

Originally posted by Kaneto
I'm going to wait till I see something a little more official. Otherwise, I'm saying the cop was full of shit.
Read the laws, find out what's legal and what's not. There really isn't a whole lot that's illegal. In general altezzas, lowering, etc. isn't illegal.
Intakes, lights, lowering, doesn't create an actual safety hazard in and of itself. Yes, people who mod their cars out tend to drive more recklessly than people who don't... but you can't ban the mods themselves, because if you do you are, in essence, stereotyping.
There are special cop "task forces" that target street racing. They go to races and find out who's there and what they're driving, and they get them that way. They did that a couple months ago here in San Diego. That's all they can do, though.


See, the cop kept on accusing me that my lights were illegal. My STOCK '00 red/white lights, he didn't believe that they came that way. He straight out told me altezzas are illegal-even though some cars have them stock? But he told me that there can't be any white lights in the rear except for the reverse lights and the lights that shine on the lisence plate. It's a "safety hazard".
I know that there's these undercover cops that go out to the races, but what he was talking about was just cops that go around during the day, pulling over 'street racer' cars as he called them. He said that they're getting special training to go over imports specifically and look through the engine on site and determine what was and was not legal.
I mean, I completely agree with you, and I'm really gonna try to research this more in depth.

Oh, he also told me that if I get pulled over for my white light bulbs in my rear turning lights again, that my car will be towed on the spot, because he had "advised me on the violation" (he wrote 'advised on white bulb violation' on the ticket as well). Can they really do that? He told me to go straight home and change them, and I told him that I was on my lunch break and I had to go back to work, and he was like, "well that's a chance you can take, but if you get stopped for them, your call will be towed on site"
Is that really true?

yo guys ill keep an eye out and make some phone calls... see what's up ...
as far as your taillights.. the cop was full of shit as we all know but...
But he told me that there can't be any white lights in the rear except for the reverse lights and the lights that shine on the lisence plate. It's a "safety hazard".
he is right on one point... white lights are illegal on the back of the vehicle..cept for reverse lights and plate lights.. but the civic tails are white covers, not white lights... it's only illegal if you shine white light while moving... i used to have clears on my gsr and i put hyper whites in the corner tails and i used to get pulled all the time for it.. and i talked to the guy for like an hour about and got what's cool and what isn't..
if there are no lights on at all the tails can be anythin they want as long as they don't emit white light, and the brake lights are red..
when ya turn the lights on as long as the runnin lights are red, and your blinker blinks red or orange or those weird colors... fine.. but you can't have white blinkers.. even tho i have them on my si but whatever.. ticket me .. :rolleyes: but bottom line if you are moving forward you cannot have any color other than red, orange, or yellowish from the back .. other than the plate lights... as stupid as it is.. :(

hehe
I was thinking about it, and if I would have just changed lanes w/o using my blinker, he wouldn't have caught me. ;) :D
I wonder why he didn't get me for my front white blinkers though?

Lindy, that cop was full of it, if he's specially trained, then he would KNOW that 6½ gen Civics come with red/clear tails. If he's that ignorant, fight your citation. There are specific laws governing lowering and all that, sounds like he's trying to pull them out of his butt. Your center of your headlights can't be lower than "22 from the ground, that all the laws on lowering say.

yeah take him to court and sue his azz...
get some big bux out of him and then buys us all toys...:D

Originally posted by SilverY2KCivic
Lindy, that cop was full of it, if he's specially trained, then he would KNOW that 6½ gen Civics come with red/clear tails. If he's that ignorant, fight your citation. There are specific laws governing lowering and all that, sounds like he's trying to pull them out of his butt. Your center of your headlights can't be lower than "22 from the ground, that all the laws on lowering say.

You think I should fight it? But fight what about it? I can't fight the fact that I had white bulbs back there because I did. Does anyone know what the actual width of a banner can be to be legal? Because someone told me 6 inches, but if that's it, then my banner is still legal.
And I've been having people tell me that a cop isn't allowed to ask you to open your hood so he can see what you have. See that's what I thought, but he was getting pissed off at my resistance to open it, so I thought he was legit.
So should I just put my stock intake back on when I go get it tested?

I just don't know what my argument would be exactly to fight it.

they are all a bunch of crap i don't understand why they don't just stop the murders or something, who cares how much air my engine gets... as long as i pass the smog junk then who cares....

we have "dragnet" here in SD...its a new $400,000 program created to bust street racers and spectators. remember that one movie? well life seems to have imitated art here. undercover cops posing as street racers are videotaping...what happened to my friend is he got a letter like some 3 weeks after he raced along with several still photos of his car, license plate, and even a mug shot of him in it. we're the guinea pig for this program and because of it's success, police departments from all over the u.s. are working hand in hand with SDPD to establish their own programs. yeah that's right, LA, SJ, SAC, yall are next
:smoker2:


if you want info on cali laws, go to sdstreetracing.com and check out the Dragnet forum on the import board. they have cops answering Q's about the legalities of what you can do to your car.

the hell with them.. they have to catch me first... :devil: :p

Here is a searchable database of ALL CA laws:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html

Vehicle code is particularly interesting.

Lindy, would you please post the code numbers that cop wrote you up for?

Originally posted by jay@af
Here is a searchable database of ALL CA laws:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html

Vehicle code is particularly interesting.

Lindy, would you please post the code numbers that cop wrote you up for?

Hey, thanks a lot for the links and info, Jay and HybridDC2, I'm gonna look into that right now. :)

As for the codes, lemme see...
What?!? How come it only says that ONE of them is correctable?? He checked no for all of the other ones.... OMG, this is seriously getting to me now.... :mad: anyways:

26708(a)(I)CVC WINDSHIELD DECAL - correctable
27156(c) CVC SMOG - not correctable
26101 CVC WHITE REAR TURN SIGNALS - not correctable

Whoa, well here's a cool thing, he told me he was citing me for my exhaust, but he didn't write it down, lol I never really read that into my ticket, guess I was too pissed off.

Oh, he also wrote "ADVISED 24004 CVC" , and he said that that means that if I get pulled over again about my white turn lights, that they can tow my car on the spot. What does that mean?? I don't understand how they can justify towing a car over lightbulbs.


Anyways, so that's it.
Hey, and thanks again everyone for helping, I really appreciate it. :)

Originally posted by RedY2KCivic
Whoa, well here's a cool thing, he told me he was citing me for my exhaust, but he didn't write it down, lol I never really read that into my ticket, guess I was too pissed off.

Oh, he also wrote "ADVISED 24004 CVC" , and he said that that means that if I get pulled over again about my white turn lights, that they can tow my car on the spot. What does that mean?? I don't understand how they can justify towing a car over lightbulbs.I think the smog violation may be for both the intake and exhaust.

Do the intake and exhaust have CARB certificates?
Do your lights have DOT numers?

If so, I think you can get those parts dismissed. Your decal is toast, though. They have to be translucent...

The "ADVISED 24004 CVC" means the cop has notified you that your vehicle is in unsafe operating condition, and if you're caught with it on the street without returning it to stock, they can impound it.

Originally posted by jay@af
I think the smog violation may be for both the intake and exhaust.

Do the intake and exhaust have CARB certificates?
Do your lights have DOT numers?

If so, I think you can get those parts dismissed. Your decal is toast, though. They have to be translucent...

The "ADVISED 24004 CVC" means the cop has notified you that your vehicle is in unsafe operating condition, and if you're caught with it on the street without returning it to stock, they can impound it.

Oh...well I'm just going to put my stock intake back in for when I take it in to test it, and my lights are stock, so they do have the DOT numbers, it's just the bulbs that are white inside of them.
It's really no big deal when I sit and think about it, it's not going to take any time at all to change the stuff back, the only really big deal is taking it in to get it tested. :\ It just kind of sucks because he said I had 30 days to get everything fixed, but he also told me that the State Referee usually booked 3-4 weeks ahead to get an appointment..... that's cutting it close.

So anyways, thanks so much again you guys, you've really been a lot of help. :)

Really all of them are correctable. It's just stupid to put otherwise.

For the smog violation... what kind of exhaust do you have? The law specifically excludes those items that are CARB certified. Of course, its funny that they even require you to have a CARB certified exhaust, since it has absolutely no affect on emissions. The stretch of exhaust from the end of the cat to the tip has only one purpose.... to control the noise of the exhaust.

The other two look legitimate.

The law prohibits putting anything on the windshield, and the only exceptions are for small stickers in the bottom left or bottom right corners.

As for the lighting, the law basically says that you can install a light, or modify a light, unless it has been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer to meet the requirements of that light. Basically that's a bunch of garbage.
However, the law that he should have used is 24953 (a). It basically says that your rear turn signal has to be either amber or red in color.

My suggestion... swap out the white bulb with a red or amber one. Take off the banner. Both are technically illegal. Try to get a CARB exemption number for you exhaust. Have a cop sign off both the banner and the taillights. Take it all into the judge, pay $20 in fix-it fines, and that'll take care of that.

Originally posted by RedY2KCivic


Oh...well I'm just going to put my stock intake back in for when I take it in to test it, and my lights are stock, so they do have the DOT numbers, it's just the bulbs that are white inside of them.
It's really no big deal when I sit and think about it, it's not going to take any time at all to change the stuff back, the only really big deal is taking it in to get it tested. :\ It just kind of sucks because he said I had 30 days to get everything fixed, but he also told me that the State Referee usually booked 3-4 weeks ahead to get an appointment..... that's cutting it close.

So anyways, thanks so much again you guys, you've really been a lot of help. :)


You shouldn't have to get them tested if they have CARB certificates.

yeah they blow... back east i had to change my lenses and my bulbs just to get it inspected.. they let the intake fly tho...

I wonder if the law enforcement in sac has the funds/resources for undercover cops at the illegals.

Originally posted by DarknessRS
I wonder if the law enforcement in sac has the funds/resources for undercover cops at the illegals.

I've been out at the races when the undercovers were with us. Yes, we do have them up here.

i don't see why it isn't all correctable.. like stated above..
how is it not fixable.. ??? what kind of system is that ...
and they need to leave everyone alone.. who don't do any harm ...

Originally posted by THE4TH
i don't see why it isn't all correctable.. like stated above..
how is it not fixable.. ??? what kind of system is that ...
and they need to leave everyone alone.. who don't do any harm ...

I never did anyone any harm...I'm a good girl. :(

*sigh*
Well I just changed my bulbs back to amber, and I'm gonna probably take a few more pics with my banner, and then take that off as well... :(

yeah back in the day i was told to take my banner off but i never did then one day ni the rain at 120 it started to peel, my wipper caught it somehow and it kinda took itself of... oh well...

Originally posted by THE4TH
yeah back in the day i was told to take my banner off but i never did then one day ni the rain at 120 it started to peel, my wipper caught it somehow and it kinda took itself of... oh well...

lol
But it just looks so sweet....people know me for the big ass white banner and wheels on the bright red car. That's how they know it's me coming at them. :(
Now I'm just gonna be so plain...

it's just the banner hun .... you can keep the wheels it's all good, your still special to me...:smoker2:

Originally posted by THE4TH
it's just the banner hun .... you can keep the wheels it's all good, your still special to me...:smoker2:

I know that, I just meant my banner and my wheels are the bright accents to my car. Now it's just....plain....

lol Sorry, I'm whining, I'll stop now. :D

your not whining i'd be pissed too.. trust me...
but none the less , the cops are always a problem and an important subject so it's all good.. anyway i'm out for now i'll be back tonight see you guys then .... :flipa: take it easy kiddies...

Yah quit yer whinin'. A big metal wing and white rims make it stand out enough anyhow. Just get a red neon undercar light kit. Now that will make it stand out. Unless a cop spots you with it on, then you're fine.

i think you mean, then your fined.. $$$$ lol sorry i hope you never get ticketed again lindy..

Originally posted by THE4TH
i hope you never get ticketed again lindy..


HA!!
I HIGHLY doubt that, lol ;) Nice thought, but somehow I find that unrealistic.... ;) My record is very ironic considering my lisence plate.... lol :D

But my 18 months is up next month, so I'll be able to take driving school again the next time I get a moving violation ticket. I think I'm all "fix-it ticketed-out" lol :D

yeah it's about time i took another one of those classes...
i took one years ago , court ordered of course...
not bad just one day ... but boring as shit..

Originally posted by THE4TH
yeah it's about time i took another one of those classes...
i took one years ago , court ordered of course...
not bad just one day ... but boring as shit..

haha
Well now they have an online driving school, and it takes like no time to complete it. See I live in Placer county, but all of my tickets have been in Sacramento county, and Sac County doesn't let you take online driving school, so I always had to take those boring ones. I know they have 'comedy' traffic schools, but they were always booked up too far out. So I had to go to the 8 hour, hotel room and sit in that booooring class all day.... lol
It was cool though, because one of my buddies was actually in it too. :D hehehe

i don't mind going it gives me some time to catch up on my sleep...:D

Originally posted by THE4TH
i don't mind going it gives me some time to catch up on my sleep...:D

haha
I hear that, my last one we only watched ONE movie, and it was about the making of AIRBAGS....how freaking exciting was that... :rolleyes:
lol
Oh well, I'm just glad I still have the choice coming up here soon... ;)

One of the times I went to traffic school, we watched Red Asphalt III like 4 times. LOL :o

Originally posted by jay@af
One of the times I went to traffic school, we watched Red Asphalt III like 4 times. LOL :o


lol
That's what my driving school (the one to get your permit and all) consisted of. :)
Some of the kids with me didn't even want to get their lisences after that. :hehe:

the driving school i went to used matchbox cars for examples, and the teacher was a loon... she used to eat the cars when they crashed... well chew on them anyway ..

Originally posted by THE4TH
the driving school i went to used matchbox cars for examples, and the teacher was a loon... she used to eat the cars when they crashed... well chew on them anyway ..

omg, what kind of driving school did you go to? :hehe:
I went to EZ way, got 100% on both tests. :D

I have a brochure put out by CARB specifically going over aftermarket products. It goes into a brief description on everything, from cams to intakes to exhausts to manifolds to japanese engine swaps.

The main point they try to make is that it's only illegal if it alters the functionality of the item. But most of the stuff on the list they actually said it was ok.

Well, just as an update on my whole situation... :rolleyes:
I called the 'State Automobile Referee', and I guess all it is just an hour long smog check. I mean, the guy that I was talking to about it was real nice and all, he said that they're just going to check the intake and everything, and it was going to cost $38.25, so not nearly as much as the cop told me it was going to. :) Only thing that sucks is that there aren't any stations near me that can do it, so I had to set up an appointment for the morning of the 24th, and I have to drive way out to South Sac. So that sucks, but still, I'm gettin it all taken care of. :) I have until June 11th to get it all done, and I'm getting there.

Originally posted by RedY2KCivic
Well, just as an update on my whole situation... :rolleyes:
I called the 'State Automobile Referee', and I guess all it is just an hour long smog check. I mean, the guy that I was talking to about it was real nice and all, he said that they're just going to check the intake and everything, and it was going to cost $38.25, so not nearly as much as the cop told me it was going to. :) Only thing that sucks is that there aren't any stations near me that can do it, so I had to set up an appointment for the morning of the 24th, and I have to drive way out to South Sac. So that sucks, but still, I'm gettin it all taken care of. :) I have until June 11th to get it all done, and I'm getting there.

Didja find your stock intake yet? I'm hoping you didn't end up a floor down looking for it. ;)

Originally posted by SilverY2KCivic
Didja find your stock intake yet? I'm hoping you didn't end up a floor down looking for it. ;)

haha
Yeah, I found it, and I'm still alive. ;)

Originally posted by RedY2KCivic


haha
Yeah, I found it, and I'm still alive. ;)

That's a relief to hear, you were beginning to worry me, telling me about it when we talked. :o

Originally posted by SilverY2KCivic


That's a relief to hear, you were beginning to worry me, telling me about it when we talked. :o

lol
No worries. ;) I can handle anything. :p :D

Originally posted by RedY2KCivic


lol
No worries. ;) I can handle anything. :p :D

hehe, that's good to know then! ;) :p

Me and my brother drove home from Arkansas just a week ago. and in SoCal he go pulled over for going 85 in a 70. I saw the cop and immediately looked at the speedometer and it only said 75. My dad told us your allowed to ask the cop to show you the radar gun. and they have to. we didnt know that. but its a good thing to know. the cop also said that his exhaust was illegal. my brother asked why and the guy said that any exhaust that altered the sound of it was illegal. I was like bull sh*t, but anyway. The cop was a real idot. He had my brother get outta the car and everything. Plus i had to dig through the glove compartment to get his registration, man I was praying to god that there wasnt anything illegal in there. Ive seen some stuff in there before and i was all worried. plus the cop was on the passenger side of the car. I dont know why they stress sooo much about modded cars when it seems to me that theres a lot of other stuff they could be tending to.

yeah somehow the fact that my exhaust is like 2% louder than stock is gonna end the world.. better ticket me now.. i might care....

It's finally over!! :D
My court date was yesterday to get everything taken care of. I had never gotten a ticket in Roseville yet, so I had to go to a courthouse I have never been to before. I'm used to going to good ol Carol Miller out in Sac. :rolleyes: So I figured that everything would work out the same....but I should have known that it couldn't be that easy... so I went to the courthouse and checked in with the lady at the window. I told her that I needed one of the officers to sign off 2 of the citations on my ticket, and low and behold....only ONE officer works there, and he's busy with the metal detector, checking the people as they come in. So she told me that I'd have to go to the police station and get it signed off. I was like, OMG, seriously... at the sacramento courthouse, they have an officer at the front that is basically the 'designated fix it ticket signer offer...' lol :D So she told me that I had a 7 day extention on getting it all taken care of....so I go to the Rocklin PD and talk to one of the lady officers, and she comes out to my car and checks it and signs off the banner citation. She was reading my ticket and kind of got a puzzled look on her face, and she was like, "you know, I hate to tell you this, but I can't sign off the lighting violation". I was like, "what??" And since that wonderful cop pulled me over and marked "not correctable" on the ticket, that meant I had to just straight pay the fine. I was like, 'hell no' lol So I called the Roseville courthouse again and talked to the lady, and she said that I could come in for a hearing at 7:30 this morning. So I came in and waited for an hour before the judge finally got there, and she called me up.....the whole deal I've been through more times than I'd like to admit... :rolleyes: And she asked for my smog papers and my ticket to see if it was signed off. She asked about the other citation, and I explained to her that it was just simple lightbulbs, and it wouldn't make sense to make it 'non correctable' because they take 30 seconds to change, and she looked at the bailiff, and he was like, "well it's done at the discresion of the officer at the time" And the judge looked at me, and she was like, "well that's stupid, I'm going to throw that one out because I don't see why you should have to pay $200 for a pair of light bulbs" I was like, :coolguy: :hehe:
So then all I had to do was pay my $10 processing fee, and I was outta there. :D
It's actually nice now without my banner too, because I don't get all the second looks that I'm so used to getting from cops all the time. :)
Anyways, sorry it was so long...I'm just happy this is all done and over with. :D

hehe
cops like picking on you :D

Originally posted by emadboy200
hehe
cops like picking on you :D

You are very observant :finger: :p

Originally posted by RedY2KCivic


You are very observant :finger: :p

angry girl :p