My comments:
"Several months ago, word got out that the CHP is no longer giving permission to have their retired vehicles restored or replicated. This created a big stir here in Calif."
This is very old news. The CHP has in fact not been giving private individuals sanction on restorations for many years now.
"There was also word going around that if an on duty CHP officer was at an event ( parade , car show, safety fair etc.) he or she has the power to cite or impound the vehicle, if the owner could not produce documentation showing that CHP sanctioned the vehicle restoration or replication."
Any LE officer in CA, not just CHP, has the power to investigate any vehicle that appears to be out of compliance with any of the existing CA vehicle codes surrounding emergency vehicles and related equipment and they can do it anytime, not just at an event. I know this firsthand as I've been pulled over on the highway in my sanctioned restoration on several occasions.
To date, I haven't heard of or witnessed any systematic crackdowns by the CHP at events or even on the road for that matter. So far, as long as hobbists have been following the generally accepted methods of keeping in compliance with the CVC (covering lights & decals, displaying appropriate "not in service" signage, etc) and in general keeping a low profile, there has not been any major problem out here.
"They have even clamped down on the companies that replicate the vehicle emblems from what I was told."
Sounds like an unfounded rumor to me.
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