Picture it like this: A car that’s been in your family for several generations is finally passed down to you. It has been fully restored and you can’t wait to drive it. But when you try to register the vehicle, the authorities tell you that during the check the main VIN was removed and reattached, which can cause many problems in vehicle registration.
Thanks to the efforts of Barrett-Jackson, it is no longer illegal to remove and reattach the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) during repair or restoration. After unanimous approval by the Arizona House of Representatives and Arizona State Senate, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed House bill 2480which changes the existing law to allow owners, restorers and repairers of pre-1981 vehicles to remove and reassemble the VIN for repair or restoration.
The Regulations come into effect on July 22, 2022.
Based on Barrett-Jackson Chairman Steve Davis, the law makes sense and is beneficial because almost anyone after having a vehicle restored has to remove and reattach the VIN, not realizing that doing so is against the law. “Our motivation to do this is primarily for the health and future of our hobby to keep the collectible car universe alive and well and to keep those restoration jobs going.”
Craig Jackson, president and chief executive officer of Barrett-Jackson, notes that many vehicle owners and restorers will often copy factory processes from when the automaker first built the vehicle. During such a frame restoration or wheel cut, unaware of the regulations that exist in many states, restorers will remove vehicle components year after year. This process involves removing the main VIN, usually attached with screws, and repositioning between cars.
Steve Davis in the Arizona House of Representatives
Kansas lawmakers recently sent similar legislation to the state’s governor following a 2017 incident in which a Kansas man purchased a restored 1959 Chevrolet Corvette in Indiana. When he tried to register the vehicle at his home, the highway patrol determined that the VIN had been removed and reattached, which was against the law.
Under Kansas law at the time, the Corvette was seized and should have been destroyed. There is no exception for those buying a car who are unaware of the VIN issue. In this case, the VIN was removed years earlier during the restoration and reattachment process. On March 22, 2022, Governor Lauren Kelly passed Kansas House Bill 2594, authorizing the temporary removal of VINs during the full restoration of vintage vehicles. While it’s still unclear when Corvette owners will be reunited with their cars, the bill is a step toward protecting the car-collecting community in Kansas.
In 2021, Barrett-Jackson begins work to change the law in Arizona. “We are aware of the archaic statute that makes it a crime to remove VINs, and in the end, we say something needs to be done,” Davis said.
“This is a precedent-setting moment where people will look at and then want to emulate this legislation in their states.”
According to Jackson, many states with similar VIN regulations were enacted during the 1940s and 50s, a time when no one would have thought that decades later, such cars would be restored and worth thousands of dollars. hundred thousand dollars or more.
In contrast, federal VIN law allows the VIN to be removed for necessary vehicle repairs. While not as draconian as many state laws on the subject, it still allows for some sort of exception for vehicle repairs.
However, the language of Arizona’s VIN regulations permits no such VIN to be removed for any reason. However, such reading often ignores the intent behind the statutes in the first place.
Jackson also notes that the spirit of the VIN law enacted decades ago is aimed at scammers and crooks stealing cars – not the guy who spends tens of thousands of dollars and hours to restore one. car. However, the letter of the law did not consider that.
A government official, as in the Kansas case, could simply read the bylaws in place and, in any other case, conclude that the vehicle needed to be seized because the VIN had been removed and reassembled. However, the modification of Arizona’s current VIN statute to allow for the removal of the VIN for restoration or repair, allows other factors to be considered.
“That’s where we get stuck, and no one understands or appreciates how important that is,” Davis said. “This new bill removes subjectivity from the situation.”
When it comes to crafting Arizona law, the Barrett-Jackson team wanted to take a narrow approach and use language from existing federal VIN law to help draft amendments to the Arizona law. As such, the Arizona law amendment is narrow.
The selection of 1981 as the limit year is not random. That year, VINs became more standardized, and cars manufactured after 1981 are not currently considered candidates for the level of restoration that requires VIN reattachment.
“As the car collector community grows and expands into future generations and more vehicles and models, this reduction may need to be reconsidered at some point,” Jackson said. speak.
One challenge, according to Davis, is getting people who don’t use cars to understand the problem. Davis wants to help educate members of both the House and Senate about the proposed changes.
Arizona State Capitol
Sponsored by Arizona House Transportation Chairman Frank Carroll, the bill passed the Transportation Committee in the Arizona House of Representatives and the Transportation and Technology Committee in the Arizona State Senate. It was passed unanimously in both government bodies.
“We attack this as hobbyists,” Davis said. “We were all garage guys, restoring the car and had no choice but to remove the VIN to save it from destruction and reassemble it once we were done. That is the spirit of this law and it is something that will benefit and protect all car collectors. That’s why this law is also very important to us, because it’s really about preference.”
Most of the vehicles that HB 2480 applies are driven by preference. The Arizona bill proved to be the law everyone is proud to stand behind, achieving the national interest.
Davis attributes the measure’s success to receptive Arizona legislators who are willing to listen, as well as common sense, which is great for not only the car collection industry, but for the state as a whole. Arizona. He noted that Arizona is becoming the center of car culture, in large part due to Barrett-Jackson and the state’s business-friendly environment.
“First of all, we are enthusiasts,” says Davis. “This is a passionate victory. It wasn’t a Barrett-Jackson victory – it was a victory for taste. “
This post was originally published on ClassicCars.coman editorial partner of Motor Authority.
