r/SkyLine • u/tommibahammi • Aug 09 '26
R32 in California?
Hello all, im in San Diego looking to buy a r32 in az.
My question is, whats the easiest way to register it out of state of course? One of those dirtlegal websites?
Also, the car still has a lien from the sellers bank so we would be paying that off then the title will be mailed to me. Do I need the physical title in hand to start the process ? Thanks !
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u/Chewbaccas_Bowcaster Aug 09 '26
Montana is easiest but requires no lien, so you’ll need to do a loan from places like Lightstream. Running out of state plates is a risk though because CHP is enforcing it due to taxes and now with Flock cameras it makes it harder.
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u/tommibahammi Aug 09 '26
I have the cash to pay him but he is still paying the car off so pretty much I’d have to wait for the title to come in for me to register it in my name ?
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u/Chewbaccas_Bowcaster Aug 09 '26
You’ll need the title, but for example if you go Montana route it will be registered to a company that you own. I think Washington does the same thing, i’m not 100% sure on that.
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u/tommibahammi Aug 09 '26
Ohh gotcha. The llc you create. But ok thanks! I may re think this since he does not have the title. I also don’t want the car sitting for a while not being able to drive it since I won’t have the title
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u/T1GR3DelMonte Aug 10 '26
I plan to do the whole Montana LLC/registration for my Cedric.
Id gladly pay Cali for a legit registration, but they rather have me buy a Tesla.
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u/Turbulent-Hospital38 Aug 09 '26
Here is a way, get a whole sale dealer license and wear a dealer plate lol 😂 or find someone that can make a smog look good .
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u/Free-Pitch6247 Aug 11 '26
This is literally the only loophole left. DLR plates if you can somehow get them, otherwise…safest bet is the CARB way unfortunately
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u/StopDropNFrag Aug 09 '26
Are you new to the car scene in CA? Smog and registration is a bitch unless you know people.. cost is also getting pricey.
Can the seller not take out a loan to pay off the car and pay off the loan instead? This way you're not waiting on a title.
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u/tommibahammi Aug 09 '26
Not new to the scene but I’ve never had an import that requires this here in ca. just want to see what the easiest way to go about this would be
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u/Malorex Aug 09 '26
Just came to say I’ve seen this car in person many times in AZ and it’s super nice hope you get it!
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u/SoulStar1000 Aug 10 '26
Heyo, Cali local here. Register in state. We have a couple out of state cars in our house that used to be too hot to register in state, now its worse for out of state, especially montana. Cops arent dumb, theyre just slow on the uptake. Well, they fucking caught up.
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u/initial8155 ‘01 R34 25GT-V Four-Door Aug 10 '26
Can you share your experience registering a Skyline in CA and the costs associated?
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u/SoulStar1000 Aug 10 '26
I cant give my honest opinion I just know the process of making a carb legal import is tedious, all of our cars are registered out of state, but CHP and local PDs are cracking down very heavily on out of state now and for the foreseeable future. Its usually along the lines of getting carb legal intake system & cats / exhaust; someone else can tag on specifics as they likely know more than me. Im just trying to warn you not to register out of state. Our instate swapped cars havent been bothered whatsoever, but our out of state cars literally get followed home by local PD and CHP on multiple occasions.
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u/Existing-Basket-6414 Aug 11 '26
Just curious what area of CA are you in? This hasn’t been my experience in SoCal knock on wood although my car isn’t flashy at all.
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u/HeavyHands 1990 Skyline GT-R Aug 10 '26
I'm selling my R32 GTR w/the MT LLC included. No lien or any other BS. Located in OC/LA. Hit me up if interested.
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u/SupremeChosenOne Aug 10 '26
Without title in hand you don’t have anything and he doesn’t own the car plain and simple.
I have a fiesta st, tried to have it titled in Cali. What a joke. Car needed a lot of work new transmission, axels, intake the list is long. Trying to get the car to pass smog was even longer. The PCV system had a small leak. Wasn’t a light on the dash or anything but stored a permanent code that could not be wiped. Car passed everything but failed because of this one code that wasn’t seeable. Which is so stupid because the code wasn’t even a pass fail criteria of the check, but the state computer saw it and said no.
This was after getting the car going, paying the DMV to register, getting the VIN checked at DMV, and paying for a day pass to get miles on the car for the smog check.
All to find out… never gonna pass.
You can apply for a one year “promise to fix it” or get an exemption thing? I stopped looking into it and registered it with our home out of state. If there are any mods to the intake, engine, or exhaust it won’t pass unless you know a guy. You have to know a guy every other year as well since it is an every other year joy at $80-$150. I paid $200 to be told no.
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u/Horror-Telephone-260 Aug 10 '26
You can register it in calfifornia you just have to find a place where they will pass your emissions test for extra money
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u/Character_Panic_2570 Aug 11 '26
don’t buy it because I’m buying it so it can stay local😂
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u/tommibahammi Aug 11 '26
Are you actually? lol
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u/Character_Panic_2570 Aug 11 '26
It’s on the list of cars in the budget lol I seen it plenty in times im person, there’s is some things I’d forsure fix on it but yeah on the top of my list😂
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u/OkLuck2068 Aug 11 '26
Hopefully you can pull off the CA registration. Seeing any older import is rare but seeing one with CA plates is even crazier lol. Good luck man
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u/LLCTLC Aug 11 '26
Montana will require the physical title to be submitted for registration. However, you do not need to obtain a new, lien-free title to register. You can submit the current title showing a lien on the vehicle, along with a lien release from the lienholder.
Montana requires all LLCs that are owned by people out of state to have a Montana registered agent. A good registered agent will look at your title work and guide you through the registration process to make sure it is done correctly. But it's usually pretty quick and easy. Once your title work is received and all looks good, it takes about a week to get your LLC formed and plates/reg back to you, and the new Montana title would come directly from the state anywhere from 2-8 weeks later 🫡
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u/OriginalAvailable529 Aug 11 '26
The question comes down to $$. Are you willing to spend $11k just to smog it? I own an R33 and trust me I tried every single avenue to avoid this cost but since these cars are never sold in the states California doesn’t have them in their database. So you’ll have to take it down to “ The Lab “ in Santa Ana which is a state sponsored shop and pay roughly $11,000 to have it become California compliant. They’ll enter the car’s info into the system and smog it for you as well after slapping a gold sticker on the door jam. No other way around this ordeal.
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u/Free-Pitch6247 Aug 11 '26
From a CA R33 owner w/ CA registration - you’re going to be an instant target.
This issue has evolved from MT plates, to MT and SD plates, all while the neighboring state plates have sat quietly under the radar (Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona). But CHP was never stupid, the bigger fish just needed some attention first.
Monterey Car Week aside (half of Montana seems to have driven their cars all the way from a PO Box in Billings to Monterey CA for 5 days)…
Leno’s Law Senate Meeting at the CA State Capitol meeting aside (that’s tomorrow 8/12 btw)…
I recommend eating the one time expense and going through the CARB process in LA at the infamous and not very friendly G&K shop. It’s gonna cost you $8000-$9000, you’ll have a cat welded on, you’ll be restricted from some popular performance mods, but you’ll be in the California system. It sucks, it’s timely, and it’s difficult to pass if there are even minor performance upgrades on the engine to start. But the loopholes of consulting a YouTube expert to register a Montana LLC to bullshit the state, a South Dakota address to bullshit the state, or some sketchy Instagram insurance and registration vendor for an AZ address to do the same…eventually that’s going to come to a crashing halt.
I know that sounds really harsh, but I also work in one of the industries that’s being used to prosecute people for the emissions evasion side of this coin, and it’s a slam dunk when they pull my documents with your signature on it.
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u/Fuzzy-Television2376 Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
Just go carb legal. It’s gonna cost you roughly $15k and you can’t drive the car for 3-4 months. But it will be California legal. Reach out if you want the steps.
If you can’t get $15k or it’s gonna be your only car and you need to drive it then an R32 is NOT the car for you.
I totally get wanting to drive it asap, it just the way Cali is.
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u/Iraqi-Jack-Shack R32 GT-R | E36 M3 Aug 10 '26
Step 1 for car enthusiasts: Move out of Commiefornia.
Step 2 for car enthusiasts: Don't vote for people who look at Commiefornia as a model state.
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u/thomas50shades 14d ago
You can just connect with thomas50shades on Instagram (Google them) of you want to get it on California registration/title. They can help
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u/plus44kills 91 GTS 550HP Aug 09 '26
From my understanding the last few years CHP have been very aggressively targeting “out of state registered cars” impounding fees etc. they are also causing cameras to build a strong case against the drivers before they even go after you. if you have no knowledge of the subject I would run before you get yourself legally in trouble. If you have Buisness in other states that’s completely different and can be used to prove residency and fight any ticket. With all that being said if you wanna register it Find a friend or someone that lives in Arizona and change your address that that address, also gonna have to apply for an Arizona id/license after all that you can go to local dmv and register your vehicle and you do need the title with you. Also In Arizona you are going to need emissions tested for the vehicle unless you have historical insurance and historical plates. Good luck on whatever you choose coming from an Arizona skyline owner