California Emissions Question
 

Hello folks... Does anyone know if Jaguar shipped separate vehicles to California in 2010... or if they shipped "50 states" cars. I bought a 2010 XKR was was originally titled in one of the 49 states. It's on the way to California by transport so I can't get a look at the emissions placard and would like to register it today, before it arrives. It may have been a good idea to consider this BEFORE I bought the car. Alas, it's an XKR and I was helpless. :)

[I did post a similar request in the XKR forum yesterday. I apologize if this violates forum rules. I was just hoping to appeal to a broader audience.]

Can't be certain about the 2010 XKR but probably 50 state. Pretty sure they stopped doing CA only vehicles for a while now even if some of the documentation hasn't been updated. That said, not sure how you can register it before it arrives. When I got my F-Type from a Las Vegas dealer brand new I had to

1. get a VIN verification
2. smog test

Before I could register with CA DMV. This was for a BRAND new car bought from a Nevada dealer. I would be surprised if you did not have to get a VIN verification and smog test on a used car.

Thanks for the information... and thanks to everyone else you jumped in here and the other thread. I thought I should close the thread with a detailed summary of what happened, for the next person doing research.

1) Yes, the 2010 XKR is a 50 state car which carries a placard from Jaguar stating compliance with California emissions standards.

2) No, you cannot register the car before it arrives. The reasons are below.

3) Upon arrival, the first step is to get the car smog checked. Any smog check shop, test only or full service, can do this. They'll enter the VIN in the California system, but I also asked for a paper certification, which proved very useful later at the DMV office.

4) Bring the out-of-state title, the bill of sale, the smog certification, proof of insurance, and a bag of money to the DMV. They'll also take a check or credit card.

5) At the DMV, they'll first route you to a certification inspection. You'll drive the car to their certification inspection lane. An inspector will verify the VIN and the emissions placard and verify the road-worthiness of the vehicle. My inspector counted the tires and wrote "4" on the form. Glad I brought them all with me. You'll take the completed verification form, along with the rest of the paperwork, back to the DMV "start" desk. They'll assign you a queue number.

6) At the actual processing window, I found it useful to compliment the clerk on the fact that the four colors of her nail polish matched the four colors in her outfit. This step is probably optional. It did draw a huge smile, though, which never hurts anything at the DMV.

7) The clerk will verify the paperwork, take your bag of money, give you a registration certificate, and send you to the pickup window, where you'll get your plates and tags. This is a good time to check that the actual plate number matches the plate number of the registration. Mine did not.

That's it. Pretty painless really. Got the whole thing, including the smog check, done in about three hours without a DMV appointment.

By the way, if you live in the Los Angeles South Bay, I highly recommend the Sand Pedro DMV office on Gaffey. Consistently about half the wait time of any other other LA area office.