ryannnnn.. let me know I have the app for both states..fyi so easy to do one in NC now with NO vin number or NO title.. I would never bother to do anywhere but here in NC. with title bond... I was all how to learn to jump through all the hoops.. to get it done... laterbc

Thanks thewerewolf!

I hope to go through this process again in the next 2 years, and I'll definitely ask you for a connection when the time comes.

ryannnnnnn.. might try title company in Montana or Vermont.. I do NOT think either require vin inspection on cars over 25 years and older..  Cost is about $300 ...I would gladly do it for you here in NC. for   $20.. ( the cost of a NC dealer title) but I have to have the car here in state for the Vin inspection .. ( which can be done same day here. in NC..) I can NOT figure out why CHP has 3 month wait to do vin inspection there in Cali??   later bc

I already had an extension granted, and I was coming down to the wire again, and seriously considering taking it to Nevada or Texas for registration, and then just coming back to CA for change-of-state papers.  It was that much of a headache here.  Glad to hear it's not terrible everywhere.

I am so glad I live in the great state of North Carolina.. what a horror story. about something SO simple.. made miserable  by the PHAT lady behind the counter at YOUR DMV..   ) I have doing it for so long. DMV in Raleigh NC  calls me and ask be questions about UK titles.these days...  later bc

In case anyone has a registration problem in CA in the future, getting my car registered came down to 2 things: persistence and patience.

I learned that it's such a rare thing to import an old car into the states, that no one around here had much practice in the paperwork.  A lot of people in the DMV and at the CHP had strong opinions about what my next steps needed to be, and that made for LOTS of bureaucracy.

Every time an officer gave me a tip, I called the gov office or company, even if it didn't lead to the next signature.

The only time someone was a real road block (this was at the DMV), the person told me the papers I brought her were invalid due to some rule I'd never heard about, so I asked what that code was.  She looked and looked and couldn't find it.  She was nice, I was patient (and really not frustrated because she was so nice with me) ... and she stamped every paper I brought in.

Persistence and patience did it.

Great. Email me! 

I'm in Pasadena & downtown Los Angeles.

man on man what problems to register a classic in Calli.

Where are you located in California. If your in Southern California I might be able to help you with the verification. 

Thanks for the 2nd vote there.  I'll report back what the outcome is....

Go to a different DMV. Be ignorant and nice and if you don't get what you want try another. I used to use a small DMV office in CA and had no problems. Spank is right as usual, you are at the whim of an individual and can usually find one that will cooperate. 

Thanks!

Just for Reference  here is a Pic of the type of label they are looking for.

Hi @tothefloor,

Yes, they do, but only for cars that originate in the states.  They were my first stop.

Thanks for offering them up!

Doesn't AAA have a private DMV service?? Someone told me they got their car registered there but I don't remember year or type of car

@Spank, that makes a lot more sense, because the CHP officer was complaining about that not existing, and said I'd need to get that re-issued.

It's a right-hand drive & it's lived 55 & 1/2 of its 56 years in Northern Ireland.  Definitely no CA tags on that body

Just re-read and saw where I didn't explain myself clearly (got sidetracked). The conundrum is that the CA DMV is asking for something that your car, as a non-original US market car / original foreign-market car, cannot have. IF and only IF your car were an original US Market car and only IF it were a direct import into CA and sold through a CA dealer back in 62, 63 or whatever, only THEN could it conceivably still have a little silver-number on black plastic / mylar tag that reads "62".

So while their book is correct in stating that it should have a prefix tag of 62 affixed, that only holds true or a car originally imported into CA in 1962.

Nice looking Mini! Hope you get the problem resolved.

Thank you all for responding.

I actually have the BMHT cert for the car. I came to the CHP office prepped and ready to go -- I even handed it to the CHP officer.  I brought that cert with me as well as the registration papers and all import papers (my car's still got a valid MOT back in the UK through next month!)... but you're right, it's all up to the whim of the officials here.

I'll look into a private DMV service, and I'll also make sure to go on a small road trip to visit a different DMV next time I go.

Ryan