I remember that being an option. But I remember at some point the software companies were getting in trouble and had to take away the option. Or something like that.
Ya, CARB's had their eyeballs all over the aftermarket for quite a while. Wouldn't be surprised if they had a hand or sole responsibility for it. If you look at SCT's website and view their products, there are some that state they are explicitly illegal in CA. With the mobile Gestapo... I mean, mobile smog services... in CA, it's a wonder how there's any car enthusiasts left in Cali. Can't even cheat half the year without risking getting pulled over and smogged/fined. They pulled me over on a Santa Barbara vacation years ago when I was cammed and loud. I thought for sure they were gonna tow me. No cats, cammed, loud ass exhaust, bottle of N2O in the trunk with a remote opener. I didn't break any traffic laws, CHP pulled me over for being loud. Never brought the car over 2500rpm lol. Ended up just giving me warning for my window tint (15% all around, totally legal in NV but not CA). Said he would've given me a ticket for the loudness but he didn't have a decibel meter in his patrol car and due to traffic the nearest unit was a half hour out and we were causing traffic to rubber-neck. I told him how great of a place CA was to visit, I enjoyed paying $1/gal more for fuel, $100/night more for a hotel, and law enforcement that had nothing better to do than worry about how beautiful my car sounded at a freeway cruise. And I invited him to come visit us in Las Vegas, we do so love Cali money to build more casino's!