The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has officially withdrawn its proposal (Chapter Trans 123) to prohibit the registration of imported vehicles manufactured after 1967 that do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). SEMA and the SEMA Action Network opposed the proposal. U.S. law specifically exempts imported vehicles that are 25 years old and older from these safety standards. Trans 123 offered no such reasonable exemption. The regulation would only have permitted the continued registration of subject vehicles that are already legally registered in Wisconsin, but only until they are transferred to a new owner.
Among other things, the proposal failed to recognize the fact that collector vehicles are overwhelmingly well maintained and infrequently driven, was inconsistent with federal law and would prohibit the registration of vehicles coming in from other states that have already been proven safe on U.S. roads.
For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.