California smog check — who needs one, what it costs, and who's exempt.
Most California cars need a Smog Check every other year to renew their registration, plus one whenever they're sold and when they're first registered in the state. The Bureau of Automotive Repair runs the program through 5,969 licensed stations. Each station sets its own inspection price, but every passing car pays the same $8.25 certificate fee. Cars 8 model years old or newer skip the renewal test and pay a smog abatement fee instead.
Buying a Used Car in California?
The seller owes you a smog certificate, but it covers emissions only. Enter the VIN for a free preview of title brands, salvage records and odometer readings.
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Quick Answer
- Who needs a smog check in California?
- Gasoline, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles from model year 1976, and diesels from 1998 up to 14,000 lb GVWR. The test is due every other year at renewal, at a sale and at first California registration. Electric cars, motorcycles and gasoline cars from 1975 or earlier are exempt.
- How much is a smog check in California?
- BAR doesn't regulate inspection prices; stations post their own. Every certificate adds $8.25. CARB put the average inspection at $68 in a January 2026 presentation. Newer cars pay an annual smog abatement fee instead: $20, or $25 at seven or eight model years old.
- Do I need a smog check to sell my car in California?
- Usually, yes: the seller must give the buyer a valid certificate, issued within the last 90 days. Gasoline cars 4 model years old or newer are exempt; the buyer pays DMV an $8 transfer fee instead. Transfers between close family members don't need one either.
Four steps through a California smog check
There's no sticker. The station reports the result to DMV electronically.
- 1Read the renewal noticeIt says whether you need a smog check, and whether at a STAR station.
- 2Approve the estimateThe station must give you a written estimate first, plus the $8.25 certificate fee.
- 3About 30 minutesVisual and functional checks, then OBD or a tailpipe test.
- 4Sent to DMVA pass goes straight to DMV and stays valid for 90 days.
How California's Smog Check Program Works
BAR divides the state into 3 program areas by air quality. Enhanced areas, which miss federal or state ozone or carbon monoxide standards, and Basic areas both need a check every other year. In the more rural Change of Ownership areas, a car is tested only when it's sold or first registered in California. Some counties are split between areas, so the DMV renewal notice, not the county name, is what tells you a test is due.
Some cars must go to a STAR station. BAR's statistical "Profile" flags vehicles more likely to fail, and 2% of Enhanced-area vehicles are picked at random. Your renewal notice will say so if that applies, and anyone may choose a STAR station anyway. Gross polluters can only be certified at a STAR station or by a state Referee.
Which Vehicles Need a Smog Check
From BAR's Smog Check program page and Reference Guide, and DMV.
| Vehicle | Smog check? |
|---|---|
| Gasoline, hybrid or alternative fuel, 1976 and newer | Yes, once older than 8 model years |
| Gasoline, hybrid or alternative fuel, 1975 and older | No |
| Diesel, 1998 and newer, up to 14,000 lb GVWR | Yes, with no new-vehicle exemption |
| Diesel, 1997 and older, or over 14,000 lb | No (heavy trucks fall under CARB's Clean Truck Check) |
| Natural gas or propane, under 14,001 lb GVWR | Yes |
| Electric vehicles | No |
| Motorcycles | No |
| Two-stroke and two-cylinder engines | No |
Hybrids joined the program in January 2015. RVs, motorhomes, collector cars and government vehicles that meet the model-year rules are tested too, and there is no exemption for active-duty military or veterans.
California Smog Check Rules at a Glance
The fees, the exemptions and the sale rules on one card.
From BAR, DMV and the Health and Safety Code, read on the date shown.
What You Pay
State-set fees from DMV's fee table, the Health and Safety Code and BAR. The inspection itself is priced by each station.
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Smog Check certificate | $8.25 | Every certificate a station issues |
| Smog abatement fee | $20 | Yearly, for exempt cars 6 model years old or newer |
| Smog abatement fee | $25 | Yearly, for exempt cars seven or eight model years old |
| Smog transfer fee | $8 | Paid by the buyer of a car 4 model years old or newer |
| Inspection | Set by the station | Posted at the station; CARB's average: $68 |
Stations must post their inspection, re-inspection and certificate prices, give a written estimate, and get your approval before starting. No sales tax is charged on the certificate.
Selling or Buying a Used Car
By law, the seller must hand the buyer a valid smog certificate before or at delivery. From a private seller, the car must have passed within the last 90 days; a dealer's certificate lasts 2 years or until the car is sold to a retail buyer. The buyer then has 10 days to transfer ownership, and the seller 5 days to report the sale to DMV.
Gasoline cars 4 model years old or newer need no transfer test; the buyer pays DMV $8 instead (add four to the model year to find the cutoff). Transfers between a spouse, domestic partner, parent, grandparent, sibling, child or grandchild don't need a certificate, and neither does adding an owner.
Before you buy
- Over 90 days old: a private seller's certificate no longer counts.
- Diesels: need a transfer test at any age.
- A family purchase: needs a test if the relative never titled it first.
- A failed retest: repair aid and waivers don't apply to a sale.
Emissions Are One Part of the Story
A smog certificate says the car passed today. Enter the VIN for a free preview of the title brands, salvage records and odometer readings on file.
What a Smog Check Looks At
From BAR's consumer page and the test methods in 16 CCR 3340.42.
Visual inspection
A look over the car's emissions control equipment.
Functional inspection
A check that the emissions controls work as they should.
OBD check
The test for most 2000 and newer cars, and diesels from 1998.
Tailpipe test
Pre-2000 cars; a dynamometer test in Enhanced areas, an idle test elsewhere.
Check engine light
A lit light fails, and so does modified or unapproved engine software.
Open recalls
The inspection report also lists any open safety recalls.
The October 2025 Readiness Rule
BAR adopted its "Readiness Monitor Limits" rule on July 9, 2025, and it took effect on October 1, 2025. A car now fails the OBD part of the test if its computer reports any readiness monitor as not complete: gasoline vehicles from 1996 and diesels from 1998. Before, a 2000-or-newer gasoline car could pass with its evaporative monitor unset, and a 1996–1999 car with one incomplete monitor.
Disconnecting the battery resets the monitors, so BAR's advice after a battery change is to drive the car for a week or two before testing. BAR still grants case-by-case exceptions for specific vehicles that can't set every monitor.
Before your test
- Battery just changed: monitors may still read not complete.
- Check engine light on: the car fails.
- Modified engine software: the car fails.
- An exception: BAR decides case by case, not the station.
Failing: Repairs, Waivers and Help Paying
After a failure, repair the car (some parts may be under the emissions warranty) and retest, at a STAR station if your notice requires one. Income-eligible owners, at or below 225% of the federal poverty level, can get Consumer Assistance Program help with a failed renewal test: up to $1,450 for a 1996-or-newer car, or $1,100 for 1976–1995, with a co-payment. Those amounts rose on January 1, 2025. Don't start repairs before the eligibility letter arrives, or BAR won't reimburse you.
The same program pays $2,000 or $1,500 to retire a car if you're income-eligible, or $1,350 without an income test, for cars up to 10,000 lb that can be driven to a contracted dismantler. A repair cost waiver is possible after spending at least $650 on repairs for a failed renewal test (the statute says $450, adjusted for inflation). Only a Referee issues one, and it postpones the requirement for up to 2 years. Neither aid nor waivers cover a car being sold.
Smog Check Exemptions
From BAR's program page and Reference Guide. Exempt from the renewal test doesn't always mean exempt at a sale.
8 model years and newer
No renewal test; an abatement fee instead. Add 8 to the model year.
1975 and older
Gasoline, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles of these years.
Electric vehicles
No Smog Check required.
Motorcycles
Not part of the Smog Check program.
Older and heavy diesels
1997 and older, or over 14,000 lb GVWR.
Two-stroke engines
And two-cylinder engines; rotary engines are still tested.
Moving to California
New residents must register a car within 20 days of becoming a resident or bringing it into the state, and a Smog Check is required for the first California registration even if the car is new enough to be exempt at renewal. DMV advises filing the application and fees on time even if the certificate isn't done yet, to avoid penalties. A car that was last registered in an Enhanced area may need its registration ZIP code updated before a station can test it.
Unless it was built to California emission standards, a vehicle less than two years old with under 7,500 miles when bought can't be brought in or registered by a California resident. Non-resident active-duty military still need a Smog Check for cars kept in California under federal law; bases usually ask for a passing report before issuing an access sticker.
What's Changing: Collector Cars and the San Joaquin Valley
SB 1392, signed on September 16, 2026, tells BAR and DMV to create a Smog Check exemption for collector cars. From January 1, 2028, model year 1980 and older collector vehicles become eligible, moving forward one model year a year until January 1, 2033 (model year 1985 and older). The car must be insured as a collector vehicle (or, from January 1, 2030, driven under 1,000 miles a year) and not be a primary means of transport. It isn't in effect yet; BAR held its first public workshop in October 2026.
In the San Joaquin Valley, an EPA finding in October 2025 triggered a contingency measure that cuts the new-car exemption from 8 model years to 7. It covers San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Western Kern, and CARB says it begins in 2027. Separately, diesel and alternative-fuel trucks over 14,000 lb GVWR fall under CARB's Clean Truck Check, not Smog Check.
Related Checks and Guides
Smog history by VIN, California's other vehicle checks, and inspection rules elsewhere.
Where These Facts Come From
BAR's program pages, reference guide and rulemaking files, DMV, CARB, and statute text from an unofficial copy (the Legislature's site served a bot check).
CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with BAR, DMV or CARB and does not perform Smog Checks. Station prices vary; check the price posted at the station. This page is general information, not legal advice.
California Smog Check — Frequently Asked Questions
What California drivers, buyers and sellers ask most.
How do I check a car's smog check history in California?+
BAR's Vehicle Inspection Results lookup shows a vehicle's past Smog Checks by VIN or license plate. BAR recommends the VIN, since plates can change, and the records update daily at midnight.
How early can I get a smog check before my registration is due?+
Up to 90 days before. The certificate is valid for 90 days and goes to DMV electronically, and DMV won't renew a registration without one when it's required.
Do hybrids need a smog check in California?+
Yes. Hybrid gasoline vehicles have been in the program since January 2015, with the same 8-model-year new-car exemption as other gasoline cars.
Who pays for the smog check when a car is sold?+
The seller. California law requires the seller to provide the buyer a valid certificate before or at delivery.
What is a smog check referee?+
A state facility that settles disputed results, issues repair cost waivers and handles unusual vehicles such as kit cars, engine swaps and grey-market imports. Appointments: (800) 622-7733.
Is there a smog check exemption for old cars?+
Gasoline cars from 1975 and earlier are exempt today. A collector-car exemption for model year 1980 and older begins in 2028 under SB 1392, once BAR writes the rules.
Check the Car's History Too
Enter any 17-character VIN for a free preview. The full report lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service and is not affiliated with the Bureau of Automotive Repair, the California DMV or CARB. This guide summarizes their publications and the California codes, read on 24 October 2026; it is not legal advice. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
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