The inspectors at the Wethersfield CT dmv lane are simply flexing their muscles. I had it out with the guy when I was there, and subsequently called his boss as well. Dead ends everywhere.
You are there for a VIN inspection, and nothing else. There is no inspection laws prior to Registration for antique vehicles in CT! They have no right to do any other inspection, or deny you the vin check on the grounds of other federal standards. But they do. If you read the VIN check documents, it has nothing to do with any other type of inspection.
Further, there is nothing written as to what the bumper has to be! I asked the guy if it would be ok if I went to home depot and zip tied 2x4's to the bumper to appease them. He had no answer.
Really, the vehicle does not need to even be complete or whole, as it is only a VIN check! You can trailer in frames for a vin check, and they would do it! But of course, since they have a hair across their butts for these military trucks, they deny you.
Now, if they wanted to wait outside the dmv and give you a ticket as you drove away, that they can do. But that isn't what we are talking about here.
But there is no arguing with them. Try another emissions station until they do the check. I left that dmv and drove 1/2 a mile to an emissions station on the silas deane for my vin check. Done and done. And again, this was 6 months ago.