To all in VA,

I might be moving to VA sometime soon for a new career and I would like to know more about the VA environment.

If I do decide to move, I'll be relocating into the Fairfax region (from CA). I'll also be taking my FC along with me. The FC is not exactly street legal and I was wondering if there is any way around the system to get it registered in VA.

If you do not feel safe to talk about such issues in public, please feel free to PM me.

I thank everyone in advance for their help.

 

Fairfax County VA is worse than Cali if that's imaginable ;p
I lived in LA for a while and wound up in Maryland instead of VA because it was cheaper, less crazy cops, and easier and also to get around the law.

 

there is always ways around here to beat the system but you still get eyeballed and hassled by fairfax county police who noone in the area likes. fairfax is a nice place to live but the worse to own a modded car

 

If at all possible stay away from fairfax county!!! I work in fairfax and the cops are everywhere, I don't know what its like to live there because I only work there, If you are moving to the Va/Md area I would try to live in a more rural area and commute in.

 

No offense but I have the exact opposite opinion. I live in Fairfax County, and like it a lot, even with numerous modified cars. I don't have problems with the cops and IMHO the cops here are much less crazy than LA or MD. The problems some people mention might be because there is very little serious crime here so the cops get bored... There are a few well known speed traps but the enforcement is no worse than many places and its not hard to avoid tickets if you're alert and careful.

Only the jurisdictions close to DC require emissions inspections, based on the jurisdiction your car is registered in (hint). Otherwise an annual safety inspection is all that's needed. Very easy to pass. Furthermore all inspections are done at commercial service stations, not state facilities (hint).

 

Ive heard Fairfax county is one of the worst in Northern VA but i dont know that from personal experience. The state and emmissions inspections are not hard to pass i think.

 

Have Ben talk for you.

 

Thank you all for the response.

What is the process in placed for registering an out-of-state used car in Fairfax (zip 22030), VA?

I understand that I have to bring my car in for a safety inspection and probably a smog test, but will the DMV do a visual under the hood inspection prior to issuing me a set of VA plates?

If I can get by an official visual inspection, I just might be able to get through the other inspections or test with some "help" ?

 

No, the only time anyone will be looking at your car are the ones inspecting it, at whatever garage/gas station you take it to for inspection. Just make sure you've got all your bulbs lit, no duct tape holding your **** together, and some decent brakes/tires, and you'll pass the VA safety inspection. Now what might be tough for you may be passing the emissions inspection, if you have a straight exhaust your fucked, you will have to get at least a cat in there if you ever hope to pass. The test involves putting your car on a rolling road/dyno, they will first measure your car's emissions at idle for a little while, then at speed 55mph or less. but either way you'll have to get this taken care of before you can register the car in VA.

 

I live in Fairfax and have had no problems with the local police (knock on wood).
If you can, leave it registered out of state. I think trying to pass emissions in VA will be tough.

 

Now If for some reason I can get the car to pass CA smog, can I use that result in VA?

Second question. Is there some shop in VA that I can bring my car to, to pass emissions? Is there some one in this forum I can talk to to have this arranged? I understand this is a touchy subject especially in a public forum. If you have information, please PM me. I will greatly appreciate it.

Thank you all.

 

If you can pass in CA, you can use the results for VA and not need emissions testing to get registered.

http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/ci.../emissions.asp

More about emissions in VA:
http://www.deq.virginia.gov/mobile/homepage.html

If the car is more than 25 years old, you are exempt from emission testing (great reason to buy an early 1st gen ).
Luckily, I live in central VA, and do not require emissions testing (only safety inspection)

 

Are there any rotary friendly shops near and around the Fairfax area that I can go to, to get my safety inspection done?

How about some shops renown for their work on 2nd gens in the area that you guys trust?