CA SB165

Allows owners of currently registered specially constructed vehicles to apply for registration using a different model year, as determined by referee inspection based on engine or vehicle model year resemblance.

Limits the Department of Motor Vehicles to registering no more than 500 newly specially constructed vehicles per calendar year under the special model year provisions; renewals of previously registered vehicles are exempt from this cap.

Requires passenger vehicles and pickup trucks that are specially constructed to undergo referee inspection to determine engine model year or vehicle model year and applicable emission control systems, with owners choosing which basis to use.

Assigns a 1960 model year to engines or vehicles that do not sufficiently resemble previously manufactured models, with emission control requirements based on the assigned model year.

Expands amnesty program eligibility for vehicles to July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, with vehicles participating in the amnesty having their previous application year set as the baseline model year for purposes of denying subsequent model year change requests.