and take it from a person who received a $500 fine for removing a catalytic converter on a non-California vehicle, but do what you want.
And who fined you? The EPA, or the CA DOT?
Federal law doesn't apply directly to you in this situation. The emission laws are a baseline for the state governments to follow. States, like CA, can be more restrictive if they like. But many ignore the law completely, by having no inspections at all.
This is entirely a state issue, for individuals anyway.