If that was the case there would be no muffler shops or any performance shops left in California. Modifying any part of the exhaust on a public driven car is illegal. For all the shop knows your car is a track only car.
Every shop is different, but 99% of performance shops would not deny you. Shops have zero legal liabiltiy for installation of parts that are illegal on public driven cars, because for all they know, your car is track driven only. Just like you could go to a tint shop and have them put illegal level tint all over your car, if you get caught its on you, not the shop.
Thanks, it's basically as I thought it was. So it's only if you ask a shop to remove the factory cats is a big no-no
I don't believe that is the case. When the EPA or whoever it was did a crackdown in the summer I know one of my shops was threatened with fines and they stopped doing catless installs. Now obviously some don't care at all, but they do have liability to some extent. If you can't find a performance shop to do it, I'm sure a mom and pop exhaust place in an auto mall will. Big difference between EPA/CARB enforcement vs. tint.
I plan on getting one with high flow cats. Clearly it's still not legal in CA but maybe if it has some sort of cats it'll be easier to look the other way.
Hmmm I see, to be honest I don't know the laws exactly, but all I know is I could name a dozen shops that would have zero problems chopping your cats right off and giving you a receipt for it lol.
PM for work in San Jo
