Do it yourself auto repairs
Sacramento, CA Makes DIY Auto Repairs Illegal
Eric Z. Gasa
March 08, 2021
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Shutterstock / Iakov Filimonov
It sounds as if Sacramento County has turned into a giant HOA.
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If you're a car aficionado who lives in California or Sacramento for that matter, you might want to think about moving.
A few years ago California passed laws limiting the modifications that can be done to a car's exhaust. The state also has plans to outlaw the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles in the state by 2035. Now Sacramento County has taken an extra step. A new law passed by the county will limit the kinds of repairs car owners can do to their vehicles.
These include "minor repairs" which the new code defines as follows:
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Minor adjustments, service, and repairs to automobiles or other passenger vehicles. Examples include but are not limited to: radiator, transmission, muffler, and brake repair, lubricant shops, diagnosis and tune-up, smog inspection, auto glass repair and installation, automotive seat covers, and re-upholstery, tire sales and service, and car washes. Shall not include body and engine work as defined in “Major Automobile Repair.” (See Section 7.3 of the Zoning Code)????.
In summation, this law keeps car enthusiasts from completing more complex repairs which are outlined as jobs that would leave the vehicle inoperable for more than 24 hours. However more simple tasks like oil changes, tune-ups, tire changes, and brake changes, are allowed.
In addition, you are not allowed to work on another person's vehicle. Also, work done on any vehicle must be completed at the home the vehicle is registered to. Talk about red tape.
The new law also limits the use of many specialized tools for some reason too. The thing is many of these "specialized" tools are in fact common sights in garages. Restricted tools include air compressors, impact wrenches, and even tools as simple as torque wrenches. The law further defines these items as “tools not normally found in a residence.”
Yikes.
Even more troubling is the law's vagueness on restricted parts and tools. For example, regular disc brake changes are fine according to the law while drum brakes, common on older vehicles, are not mentioned in the code. So this means somebody changing the drum brakes on their classic Camaro might find themselves in some hot water if they're not careful.
It sounds as if Sacramento County has turned into a giant HOA. Proponents of the law argue that is meant to prevent, scammy, fly-by-night shops from popping up in residential areas, but so far mainly personal car owners have felt the weight of the new code.
An online explainer on the code says that the law is supposed to decrease the release of pollutants as well as maintain property values as some deem the sight of auto repairs in residential areas an eyesore.
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nmyers: 31515909276059/comments/31515911677339
Does it seem reasonable that any fool can start a car repair business & replace brakes that he may not even understand how they work, but the authorities will bust your ovaries if you cut anyone's hair without a barber school certificate & barber license?
Just saying....
Neal
I kind of see there point but honestly
maybe just me, but over my life I have seen my share of "professional service departments and garages " and thought scooping up dog crap would have been a better choice for them and would have if I had any say in it
it was frustrating to see what they tried to do and charge people for . as many of you I am sure I have done all my own work and lot of friends and family car truck repairs my entire adult life . the only time I take any thing to a shop is warranty , and I still go over what ever they did and have called out many shoddy mistakes from mechanical to paint and body work and I am not that picky
my guess just another way to make sure they get there " tax and revenue and of course permit fees " from anyone working "off the grid basically " , Kal can't have dollars slipping by under the table they have to feed the illegals and homeless .
no matter the profession there will always be bad ones and good ones ,and of course some amazing people with truly great skills
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select-fire: 31515909276059/comments/31515878141595
No Snap On tools allowed in the city limits.
Yeah- THAT'S gonna be a problem in San Francisco........
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ln Tampa Fla, where my daughter lives, you are breaking the law if you paint your own house. ALL home repairs/mods must be done by a licensed contractor. You'll also be fined by the H O A if your grass gets higher than 8 inches
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I have heard some sellers on the auction side have stop shipping tools to CA.
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