Went to the CA state referee today
 

Well, it was time to get my car smogged. So earlier this week I went in to a nearby test-only smog station to get it done. Although I passed the smog test itself, the technician was pretty anal about the few aftermarket parts he saw in my engine bay, particularly the blowoff/recirculation valve. Even though it doesn't affect the smog results at all, he had to fail me on the visual inspection. So he referred me to get an appointment for approval from a state ref.

So today I went to the state ref. I was expecting some cranky dude who gets a perverse pleasure out of failing modded cars just because he can. But thankfully, the guy was really nice and seemed sympathetic to the plight of guys who get harassed by the police and sent to them. He passed my car, and now I have paperwork attesting that a state ref has approved what I've done to the car. I think we can all be glad that the state refs are smart enough to recognize that just because it's aftermarket doesn't immediately make it illegal. He didn't even blink twice at the aftermarket air filter, ignition system, or fuel rail. I also asked him about an intercooler and he said that shouldn't be a problem either (all things that a cop or test-only smog tech would have a cow over).

So although I could try and find a smog test station that doesn't care about aftermarket mods, I think in the long run it's probably best to get it checked over by the state ref, so that if a cop pulls you over, at least you have something to show that it's passed. Of course, if the cop is really gunning for you, he could say, "Well maybe you put those parts on after you went to the ref". But my response would be, "If you're going to make an allegation like that, I sure hope you have some evidence, because I would love to see what you'd have to present to a judge. Otherwise, you're just making speculations based on...what? The burden of proof of guilt is on you. Last I checked, the state refs are the ones who're certified to identify and make judgements on aftermarket parts."