Quote Originally Posted by Driver50x View Post
As you might know, In 2007 Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed into law the SEMA Street Rod and Custom Vehicle Titling Bill.

As for as I can tell, nobody has ever used or implemented this bill. I asked around on the HAMB and a couple Facebook groups and I can’t find a single person who has ever used it.

I think the only (legal) way to title a newly built Hot Rod is to title it as an “assembled from parts”vehicle. Call your local DMV and ask them where the nearest “Regional Field office” is. Stop in there and pick up an application packet. I ones I found online are all outdated. It’s about 12 pages long. You will need a receipt or bill of sale for your body, frame, engine, trans, rear end, bumpers, fenders, doors, floor pan, etc. Once you get the paperwork approved you will schedule the vehicle inspection. You will have to trailer the car in for that. I think the inspection just involves checking things light the horn, lights, windshield wipers, etc. I’ve asked several times for a list of exactly what is required, and they have not been able to provide one.

When you pass the inspection, they will issue you a VIN number and give you a sticker that goes on the door.

They told me not to start this process until you are about ready to drive the car, because you have to schedule the inspection shortly after the paperwork is approved.

The car will be titled as a 2020 assembled from parts vehicle.

There is only one Regional field office in the whole Tampa Bay Area. There is only one guy who works there who can approve an assembled vehicle. He is very unhelpful and contradicts himself over and over.

The reason he rejected my paperwork the first two times was because the bill of sale for my fiberglass body did not look “professional enough”, even though it had all the required information and signature. He was never able to tell me specifically what was wrong with it.
I pretty much had to follow this exact procedure! Except my paperwork and vehicle had to meet the approval of the state police. They say it is to prevent or control theft. But my experience would/could contradict their theories. My car then had to be inspected by a garage that the state has as a vendor and they basically look at safety items. We had a few ... um... "disagreements" and battled over the word "replica".. and the items that drove them crazy were a single windshield wiper and a single tail light. Since I built a assembled vehicle that was a replica, I built the car with only 1 of the above items. This drove'em nuts and I used it as a bargaining chip. As they focused on the light and wiper they forgot some other smaller things.... I did "give in" and let them have their tail light...