Just a 'caveat', you are required to register a vehicle in California within 5 days of entering the State. Should you get stopped by CHP, be prepared to explain why you have SD plates. In communities which require residential parking permits, the local PD will not grant one w/o California reg'. For ex. in my neighborhood, that means moving my vehicle every 3 hours w/o the permit. No biggie, if you have a garage.

Technically, making the declaration that you will not drive the van in California, yet keeping the vehicle here, is fraud. I would be very hesitant to admit that on an open forum such as this with my own 'real' name.;-)

BenT
sent from my electronic leash

> On Jun 2, 2014, at 7:30 AM, Vincent Dow <ianvincentdow@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> I have friends whose residence is new Jersey. They have a 68 VW camper van which has been in Mex for eight years with South Dakota reg. S.D. offers this as a little money-maker for the state. Keep your insurance coverage as
> is... Your agent should not care what the plate on the car says.
> Yeah, S.D. will mail you a plate, and you're good to go!
> 
> The last five years I've been registering my vanaru in CA and avoiding smog-check by submitting the STATEMENT OF FACT form - which declares I won't drive the van in CA. Last september I was informed by the DMV that
> this would no longer suffice - and I had to bring it in for smog check. I
> have no intention of doing that. I'd rather sell the VW and look for  a
> 1969 chevy sport van. I'm going to do the S.D. reg this summer. Hope for the best.