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Texas Two-Step

Street Rod and Custom Vehicle Bill Becomes Law in the Lone Star State

After an effort that stretched into two legislative sessions, SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles, including kit cars and replicas, and provide for special license plates was approved by the Texas State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Rick Perry.

Slated to go into effect on September 1, 2011, the new law defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The law also allows for the use of non-original materials and creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. In addition, the law only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle and exempts them from emissions inspections. Certificates of title for replica vehicles will include the word 'replica'. "The bill was passed during this session because of the hard work of all Texas automotive enthusiasts and will help us with a simple and uniform method to title and register the cars built in this state," explained Texas SAN member John Crisler, who worked diligently to support the measure.

Texas joins California (2001), Illinois (2002), Missouri (2004), Rhode Island (2004), Hawaii (2004), Montana (2005), Maine (2005), Colorado (2006), Arkansas (2007), Virginia (2007), Nevada (2007) Florida (2007), Idaho (2008), Iowa (2008), Tennessee (2008), Wyoming (2009), Utah (2009), North Carolina (2009), Massachusetts (2010) and Washington state (2011) as states that have enacted similar bills into law.

The new law is the product of two legislative sessions. In 2009, identical legislation that was approved in committee did not receive a vote by the full Texas House of Representatives before the legislators adjourned for the year.

"After the disappointment we experienced in 2009, it is extremely gratifying that the Texas legislature was ultimately persuaded to enact legislation recognizing the unique nature of these vehicles as hobbyist cars," said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. "For the hundreds of vehicle enthusiasts in Texas that supported this bill, building, maintaining and enjoying these unique creations is a favorite pastime. This law represents an opportunity to acknowledge their commitment to the hobby and to protect it for future generations." The model bill will continue to be pursued by SEMA in states that either don't have registration classifications for these vehicles or have laws that are lacking in some way. SEMA efforts are ongoing this year to work with the state legislatures in New York and New Jersey on this initiative and to add others to that list in the coming legislative sessions.