9 MONTH PROCESS: TLTR

For reasons that I just can not explain I NEEDED... WANTED a troopy. Being that its 1979 diesel I thought that I was in the clear to directly title into CA. WRONG, WRONG, need another WRONG.

Remember the burden of proof is on you!

Here is my experience with CA DMV (Los Gatos, CA)

• Take my import docs pre-filled out to DMV and request moving permit since I knew that I would need a moving permit for VIN verification. Since this is a non standard vin and uses serial number DMV would need to create a new VIN based from this SN.
• DMV refuses to give me a moving permit without starting registration process, I walk away without starting process.
• Return following week and receive a moving permit.
• Bring filled docs, import papers, out of country paperwork, bill of sale.
• VIN check... DMV representative finds SN# then spends 30 minutes looking for the non-existent US federal sticker. Made in AUS not USA
• Rep then informs me that I will need a SMOG for my diesel. I kindly disagree and convince them to leave that section blank, which they did.
• Take paperwork inside with VIN verification signed off... Yes this is going well!!!
• DMV counter person process my paperwork charges me sales tax, registration fees and back registration fees since I truthfully told them I've had it in CA for the last year. Back Fees + Sales Tax + Registration fees = a lot of $
• Pay fees ... OUCH person goes through all the paperwork and staples it all together.
• Then takes a cover sheet and stapes it to the outside of all my paperwork : Refer to Technical Compliance
• Hands me a receipt for the $ I've paid and said have a good day. (not kidding)

At this point I needed to ask "what's next" she said that I'd have to wait until I get a response for Technical Compliance 2-4 weeks.

4 weeks later receive in the mail a nice outline why I can not title my truck in CA. I gave them a call and they gave me a number for CARB.

Get a rep from CARB on the phone and with some back and forth explained that 1979 was exempt they seemed unhappy about that and said sorry but they can not find that regulation and I needed to provide the regulation to them.

Few months of back and forth between DMV and CARB and they agreed that I needed to provide proof that my truck came from the factory with a Diesel. In other words I needed a letter from Toyota that my HJ45 came with a Diesel. After some searching I found a contact email for Australia toyota and sent them an email describing my problem. I received a email back the next morning from Toyota stating what I needed including signature.

Done... NOPE: I needed to print out the email from AUS Toyota, CA regulations use post its and sign here stickies it was a stack ~40 pages.

Month 9 .... recieve in the mail valid registration with a note saying my title was going to follow in the next few weeks.