The new VIN law took effect on July 22.
, which changes the current law to allow owners, restorers and repairers of pre-1981 vehicles to remove and reinstall a VIN for repair or restoration., the legislation is significant and beneficial because virtually anyone who has restored a car has had to remove and reattach the VIN, not realizing that doing so is against the law. “Our motivation to do this was primarily for our hobby’s health and future to keep the collector car universe alive and well and keep those restorations coming.
“This is a precedent-setting moment that people will look at and then want to emulate this legislation in their states.” Nonetheless, the language of Arizona’s statutes on VINs allowed for no such removal of a VIN for any reason. Such a reading, however, often overlooks the intent behind the statutes in the first place.
“That was where we were stuck, and nobody understood or appreciated how significant that can be,” Davis said. “This new bill takes the subjectivity out of the situation.” “As the collector car community evolves and expands to future generations and more makes and models, this cut-off may, at some point, need to be reconsidered,” Jackson said.