Help: State Referee Certification required.... serious..
Really good info right here. I'll chime in as well. I actually have been in this situation twice. Cops pulled me over, took pics, measurements, everything. Once the cop told me my engine is illegal, even though all I had was a Z tube, pop charger with CARB # and a painted engine cover. Her response, "it looks illegal to me."
It's their job to cite, if they are unsure, they'll cite and pass it onto another agency. The state ref is for the intake. I doubt it's for the headlights, that's probably a fix it ticket.
As mentioned, the OE# has to be for your year. I didn't pass with my pop charger since I have an '06 and it was for the 03-04 year. Guy was cool about it before giving me the test and said I can take it and pass inspection but fail the visual. I swapped to an OEM intake and that's all I needed.
As for the plenum spacer, I left mine in. They didn't notice it and it did pass inspection. I'm assuming you were in HB? I heard in HB they're cracking down a lot. Glad I'm not really out in that area anymore, but I know I have to be there soon.
Anyway, the time I got the ref ticket I just had to pay for that. It was like $8.25. After that I had to show up in court, bring in my paperwork, and it was dismissed with no fine.
It's their job to cite, if they are unsure, they'll cite and pass it onto another agency. The state ref is for the intake. I doubt it's for the headlights, that's probably a fix it ticket.
As mentioned, the OE# has to be for your year. I didn't pass with my pop charger since I have an '06 and it was for the 03-04 year. Guy was cool about it before giving me the test and said I can take it and pass inspection but fail the visual. I swapped to an OEM intake and that's all I needed.
As for the plenum spacer, I left mine in. They didn't notice it and it did pass inspection. I'm assuming you were in HB? I heard in HB they're cracking down a lot. Glad I'm not really out in that area anymore, but I know I have to be there soon.
Anyway, the time I got the ref ticket I just had to pay for that. It was like $8.25. After that I had to show up in court, bring in my paperwork, and it was dismissed with no fine.
My ticket reads this on the front. Looks just like a fix it ticket
Hard to read but,
-front plate ( infraction fixable )
-tinted windows ( infraction fixable )
-modified emissions ( infraction not fixable )
-blue headlights.... ( not circle just wrote "s" )
Yeah my modified emissions was non-fixable as well when I received the ticket. As for the headlights, I have no freaking clue what the S means.
Oh ya, forgot to mention, I think them saying you can't drive your vehicle or whatever is because of the emissions. They told me I couldn't drive mine. I told the cop I was going to work. They gave me some crap and told me I need to drive it home or work and then home and then get it fixed. I drove a few days still though till I had an appointment with the state ref.
Also, as far as the car being too low, I learned my lesson, or so I think. Here's the rule from what I've been told. There IS such a thing but there's two parts to it. 1) Headlight low beam (center portion) must be 22" above the ground. With the G, we're good. 2) Lowest part of the body of the vehicle must be higher than the bottom of the wheels. This is is in case you get a flat, the body isn't dragging. I messed up once and they measured my wheels from the outside. I should have told them to measure from the inside since I had camber. If a cop tries measuring from the outside, save yourself and tell em to do it from the inside.
This is sorta the reason why I put my OEM cats back on. Anyway, hope this phases over and you just need to pay for the inspection and nothing more.
Oh ya, forgot to mention, I think them saying you can't drive your vehicle or whatever is because of the emissions. They told me I couldn't drive mine. I told the cop I was going to work. They gave me some crap and told me I need to drive it home or work and then home and then get it fixed. I drove a few days still though till I had an appointment with the state ref.
Also, as far as the car being too low, I learned my lesson, or so I think. Here's the rule from what I've been told. There IS such a thing but there's two parts to it. 1) Headlight low beam (center portion) must be 22" above the ground. With the G, we're good. 2) Lowest part of the body of the vehicle must be higher than the bottom of the wheels. This is is in case you get a flat, the body isn't dragging. I messed up once and they measured my wheels from the outside. I should have told them to measure from the inside since I had camber. If a cop tries measuring from the outside, save yourself and tell em to do it from the inside.
This is sorta the reason why I put my OEM cats back on. Anyway, hope this phases over and you just need to pay for the inspection and nothing more.
Yeah my modified emissions was non-fixable as well when I received the ticket. As for the headlights, I have no freaking clue what the S means.
Oh ya, forgot to mention, I think them saying you can't drive your vehicle or whatever is because of the emissions. They told me I couldn't drive mine. I told the cop I was going to work. They gave me some crap and told me I need to drive it home or work and then home and then get it fixed. I drove a few days still though till I had an appointment with the state ref.
Also, as far as the car being too low, I learned my lesson, or so I think. Here's the rule from what I've been told. There IS such a thing but there's two parts to it. 1) Headlight low beam (center portion) must be 22" above the ground. With the G, we're good. 2) Lowest part of the body of the vehicle must be higher than the bottom of the wheels. This is is in case you get a flat, the body isn't dragging. I messed up once and they measured my wheels from the outside. I should have told them to measure from the inside since I had camber. If a cop tries measuring from the outside, save yourself and tell em to do it from the inside.
This is sorta the reason why I put my OEM cats back on. Anyway, hope this phases over and you just need to pay for the inspection and nothing more.
Oh ya, forgot to mention, I think them saying you can't drive your vehicle or whatever is because of the emissions. They told me I couldn't drive mine. I told the cop I was going to work. They gave me some crap and told me I need to drive it home or work and then home and then get it fixed. I drove a few days still though till I had an appointment with the state ref.
Also, as far as the car being too low, I learned my lesson, or so I think. Here's the rule from what I've been told. There IS such a thing but there's two parts to it. 1) Headlight low beam (center portion) must be 22" above the ground. With the G, we're good. 2) Lowest part of the body of the vehicle must be higher than the bottom of the wheels. This is is in case you get a flat, the body isn't dragging. I messed up once and they measured my wheels from the outside. I should have told them to measure from the inside since I had camber. If a cop tries measuring from the outside, save yourself and tell em to do it from the inside.
This is sorta the reason why I put my OEM cats back on. Anyway, hope this phases over and you just need to pay for the inspection and nothing more.
Don't worry about Not fixable crap, its actually misleading. This only means that a cop cannot sign it for you, you have to go to court and you talk to the clerk/judge.
I've gotten sent to a state referee due to exhaust, intake, no front license plate and no proof of insurance.
It was a hassle but something good came out of it. I knew my exhaust will pass (HKS) and I just took the intake out since its used and the original owner didn't give me the CARB sticker. The referee was pretty cool. He pretty much checked your engine diagram and followed where the emission parts are, if they're on your car then you're good. Apparently he was familiar with the plenum spacers so I'm glad I never got that installed. Got hooked up with Dyno for SMOG and measured my exhaust decibel. Ofcourse I passed with all flying colors and I just found a cop to sign-off the front plate.
Now the ticket was close to $1200.00 and I knew I had to fight it. I got all my paper work from the referee and the signed ticket. Went to the court on my court date and saw the court clerk. I explained the situation and told her that I got all the paper work to prove that I am up to code. I paid $10 and went on home.
I mentioned earlier something good came out of this experience and that is I was able to get a state certificate for my exhaust. =)
Good luck. Don't stress out too much, its a hassle coz you have to use your time but its not hard at all. Take it step by step. Change your bulbs for the meantime if you're not completely sure they're legal. Don't take any chances with the referee. Most of the time they have students with them so they make sure they do everything by the book.
Nim
I've gotten sent to a state referee due to exhaust, intake, no front license plate and no proof of insurance.
It was a hassle but something good came out of it. I knew my exhaust will pass (HKS) and I just took the intake out since its used and the original owner didn't give me the CARB sticker. The referee was pretty cool. He pretty much checked your engine diagram and followed where the emission parts are, if they're on your car then you're good. Apparently he was familiar with the plenum spacers so I'm glad I never got that installed. Got hooked up with Dyno for SMOG and measured my exhaust decibel. Ofcourse I passed with all flying colors and I just found a cop to sign-off the front plate.
Now the ticket was close to $1200.00 and I knew I had to fight it. I got all my paper work from the referee and the signed ticket. Went to the court on my court date and saw the court clerk. I explained the situation and told her that I got all the paper work to prove that I am up to code. I paid $10 and went on home.
I mentioned earlier something good came out of this experience and that is I was able to get a state certificate for my exhaust. =)
Good luck. Don't stress out too much, its a hassle coz you have to use your time but its not hard at all. Take it step by step. Change your bulbs for the meantime if you're not completely sure they're legal. Don't take any chances with the referee. Most of the time they have students with them so they make sure they do everything by the book.
Nim
From what I was told the certificate for the exhaust is only to prove that it passed when tested, it does not make your exhaust exempt from being ticketed or checked again. The reason being is that they don't know if you've modified it, removed the silencer, etc since the last test. I asked both the ref and the judge about this after I passed and received my paperwork. They both said keep the paperwork in the car, it might help, it might not.
So the only reason they are tripping on your headlights is because they are blue? Did you tell them they were oem bulbs? That sounds crazy man. How can they determine if headlights are Dot correct?
It would be funny to have a cop see you riding too low and then before he pulls you over you raise your car up a bit to pass the ruler inspection (ie..air bags). Then lower it back down after you pull away.
I would love to move to Cali, but because of all these stupid dumb restrictions which i still don't understand the point to it makes me not wanna move there. Hope you get everything taken care of such a pain you cant even enjoy your car in Cali.
Thanks for all the support! Yeah cali wants everything OEM and boring, but thats just an excuse to take all of our money 
The ticket reads: COLOR: Gray/Black?
I'm just going to paint it white real quick and take him to court
the front plate part really pissed me off. I explained I'm in the process of painting it and spent all day sanding the front thats why I didn't have my plate on and he just ignored it.
The ticket reads: COLOR: Gray/Black?
I'm just going to paint it white real quick and take him to court
the front plate part really pissed me off. I explained I'm in the process of painting it and spent all day sanding the front thats why I didn't have my plate on and he just ignored it.
Sorry OP...such a pain in the ***. Seems like a lot people have gone through your situation and have very good useful advice. Hope everything works out and you don't get raped on fines.
It's not like he's going to be there or know.Note to self: stay away from hb.