The process will still require you be one of the first 500 special construction vehicle owners in the beginning of the year to ask for California registration. The 500 requests are usually taken before noon on the first DMV business day of the year... just FYI.
The only difference you might have with having this special construction vehicle already registered out-of-state is that the DMV may not need to see purchase receipts for the chassis, engine, and transmission of the vehicle.
The rest of the process... CHP inspection, smog check referee inspection, and necessary insurance documentation are the same regardless of a new component car being registered in California or one being brought from out-of-state, such as in this case.
Contact the California State Smog Check Referee's Office at (800) 622-7733.
