SEMA TO SEEK RESOLUTION TO CALIFORNIA TITLING

AND REGISTRATION DILEMMA

Media Contact:
Steve McDonald, stevem@sema.org
SEMA, 202/783-6007, ext. 31

(Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2004) -- SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, announced that it is actively seeking to clarify the vehicle registration and titling process so that specialty vehicles, including street rods, kit cars and replicas, can become properly registered and titled in California.

California’s complex vehicle registration laws have created confusion among state hobbyists and those charged with applying these laws at the ground level. The result has been that certain classes of hobbyist vehicles, representing a small fraction of the 28 million registered vehicles in California, may be erroneously titled or registered.

“It is our sense that these vehicle owners are simply struggling with the registration process, which has little or nothing to do with avoiding applicable registration fees or other requirements,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “They are simply victims of what California DMV officials have aptly described as a ‘muddy’ registration process.”

SEMA, through its Government Affairs Office, has made efforts in California and around the country to simplify the process. The association has been active in pursuing model legislation to create titling and registration classifications for street rods, custom vehicles, kit cars, replicas, etc. to avert some of these issues and concerns. These cars are required to pay all appropriate taxes and registration fees as required by law. To date the SEMA model legislation has been enacted in Missouri, Illinois and Rhode Island.

“We look forward to working with California state regulators and industry, including members of SEMA’s Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA), to achieve a satisfactory resolution to this titling and registration dilemma, be it through legislation or administrative remedies,” Kersting added.

SEMA, the Special Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $29 billion specialty automotive industry of 5,227 member companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends annd market growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comforrt, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765-0910: cal 909/396-00289; or visit SEMA on the Web