The California Air Resource Board is the agency you have to deal with when trying to get a cold air intake for your vehicle. The California Air Resource Board, also known as CARB, states that its mission is to “promote and protect public health, well-being, and environmental resources through the effective reduction of air pollutants, while recognizing and considering the impact on the economy.” To do this, they create, maintain and enforce rules and programs to reduce air pollution and the causes of air pollution. The question of whether you can legally buy and install a cold air inlet on your vehicle is very closely related to whether tuning is illegal in California. The State of California takes the protection of the public and remaining environmental resources very seriously, and one of the ways to achieve this is to introduce strict auto emissions laws. This decree covers the entire Spectre Performance cold air intake kit, including reusable open element air filters in all available colors, the air intake hose, as well as the brackets and equipment required for installation. An option like this won`t cause you any problems when it comes to complying with emission standards and not violating environmental regulations or handling laws. Determining whether cold air intakes are legal in California is like knowing if turbos are legal in California. Before you get a cold air intake for your vehicle, you need to understand California laws, the California Air Resource Board, and executive numbers. Below is an overview of these topics: Cold air intakes can significantly increase a vehicle`s performance. Instead of extracting air from the hot engine compartment, as is usually seen, a cold air intake draws air from outside the engine compartment where the air is cooler. Cold air is denser than warm air, and because of this increased density, it carries more oxygen to be burned later. Unfortunately, cold air intakes apply to this law. Installing a replacement cold air inlet on your vehicle is considered a manipulation of a smog-controlled engine and violates the law.

However, this is only the case if you do not have a decree number or if it is not an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) part. One of these legal cold air intakes is the Spectre Performance Cold Air Intake Kit, which is CARB compliant throughout California. If this kit isn`t what you`re looking for, or isn`t approved for your vehicle, try using CARB`s Performance and Add-On Parts Look Up or talk to your local parts supplier. An example of a cold air intake exempted by carb is the Spectre Performance cold air intake. This cold air inlet is great for adding some power and torque to your vehicle, and best of all, it`s legal in the state of California. They`re available in polished aluminum or powder-coated cast aluminum, and the air filter is available in red, blue, and black, so it looks great while improving your vehicle`s performance. Anti-handling laws, which serve to prevent people from reducing the efficiency of controlled-emission engines, can legally make it difficult to install a cold air inlet. The first thing you should do if you live in California and want a cold air intake is to look for an executive order number. If that particular cold air inlet has an EO number, then it is legal and there will be no problems. I just moved from Florida to California.

I have to have my car`s smog tested so I can register my car in California. I was able to pass the smog test, but I couldn`t pass the visual test because my car has a K&N cold air intake that is not APPROVED by the CARB. I no longer have OEM support and I wonder if I can pass the smog test visual inspection if I just ordered an Injen CARB sticker on eBay. Does anyone have experience? What is the possible consequence if I get caught? r/cartalk will remove this question 100% to get advice on how to do something illegal. Although cold air intakes are generally considered illegal due to regulations such as the Anti-Manipulation Act, there are exceptions to this rule. If a California Air Resource Board exemption has been issued for the specific cold air inlet, these regulations do not apply to you. These exceptions are delegated by the decree numbers. As long as the cold air inlet you are considering has a decree number or an EO number, you will have no problem with the law. Note: Before submitting the form, please click here to see if your product qualifies for a CARB sticker. This part is quick and easy to install, with detailed instructions. They are designed to be placed directly where the intake system was originally located.