Saturday, March 1, 2014

California Law on Two Cycle Engines

California retains no specific law in its statutes that directly addresses the use of a two-stroke or two-cycle engine, either in public waterways or on roads. That said, there are plenty of restrictions on such machines, particularly on any newly manufactured vehicles containing such engines.

Two-Cycle Engines

    New entry of two-cycle engines into California tend to be barred completely. Existing state regulations restrict any new two-cycle vehicles from being registered and licensed in the state, either on water or road. The reasoning falls into environmental protection; a two-stroke engine is capable of producing far more pollution than more complex engines.

Regulations

    The California Air Resources Board imposed tighter regulations on waterway vehicles, requiring manufacturers to step up designs repeatedly to reduce pollution produced by two-cycle engines in 2001, 2004 and 2008. For road vehicles, the board generally cut off new two-stroke engines in 2001.

Local or Private Restrictions

    Eleven lakes or waterways in California specifically forbid use of two-stroke engines in their waters as of September 2010. These areas are completely off-limits, and violators get fined. In regards to road vehicles, violators caught without proper registration risk their vehicle being impounded by local police. Additionally, state motor vehicle offices are not supposed to register such engines after 2001, period.

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