Repairing your car in your own garage is considered illegal in Sacramento, California. If it's more than just changing the oil or if it requires a special tool, it's probably illegal. Sacramento County residents should think twice before attempting to repair their car in their own garage. According to a heated discussion on the Grassroots Motorsports forum, Sacramento County's zoning laws include an anti-vehicle repair code.
The decree prohibits car owners from carrying out major repairs to their vehicles in their garage. The application of the code on the Sacramento County website justifies that the current law is beneficial to the environment and the economy. The code also states that residents who perform a minor car repair should not use “tools not normally found in a residence.” Painting vehicles or vehicle parts also falls under the category of “major car repair”, presumably with the goal of preventing illegal paint booths in backyards. At the core of the RPM Act lies a cleaner environment, but what lies at the center of this Sacramento law appears to be an excessive restriction on private citizens' rights with no real justification.
Politicians, by misunderstanding the Clean Air Act, have underestimated how much the current generation loves car culture and takes pride in tuning and modifying their cars. In Sacramento County, where California's capital is located, a law seeks to limit the type of repairs that car owners can perform, restricting them only to minor jobs such as oil changes and prohibiting things such as engine changes, tuning or any body work. Hopefully, this law will remain unique to Sacramento and will not become popular in other municipalities across the country.
