by Jim Thompson |
Last Updated: December 16, 2020 There’s something particularly exciting about putting together a custom car or truck and driving it out on the road. But don’t just take your beauty out onto the open roads after putting in hours of sweat and hard work to create a custom vehicle that drives just the way you want it to. There’s a special registration process that you have to go through to drive your custom vehicle around on public roads legally. It’s a bit more complicated than registering a standard vehicle because it will be up to you to prove that all the appropriate testing and safety precautions were taken while your custom car was constructed.
Gather the Documents
The first thing you have to do is amass the documents you’ll need to complete the registration process. Make sure that you know what papers you’ll need to do the job properly. Here’s an overview of the most common papers that you’ll need.
- Registration application
- Certificate from light and brake adjustment
- Papers proving all the major parts were legally purchased
- Legitimate, confirmed VIN number
- Photos of the creation process for the vehicle
- Safety inspection papers
- A full statement of construction
Gathering all the registration documents assembled and approved is going to be a lengthy process. Unlike a “stock” car, you’ll have to go through different steps to obtain an inspection, the statement of construction, and verification of the VIN. Get in touch with your local DMV and find out exactly the procedure to get your car legally on the road. Make sure that you put together a list of the different forms you need to complete the registration process.
Complete the Registration
Once you have all the documents collected, you shouldn’t have any trouble successfully registering your vehicle. Bring the forms to the DMV and have them go through the registration process with you. After the forms are processed, and you pay the registration fee, you should be able to get your vehicle insured and ready to go out on the road. This is the exciting part, the time where the vision started in your garage becomes the reality of an open road experience.
Building a custom car is a great accomplishment. Be sure to cross all of your T’s and dot all of your I’s when it comes to the registration process. It would be a shame if all of your hard work was shut down by a piece of paper.