California Smog Check Program: Requirements, Costs, and Exemptions

California requires most 1976-or-newer gasoline, hybrid, natural gas, and propane vehicles, along with 1998-or-newer diesels, to pass a smog inspection at biennial registration renewal, when the vehicle changes owners, or when it is first registered from out of state. Those are the core California smog check requirements. Whether yours applies right now depends on your vehicle’s age, fuel type, and where you live.

When a Smog Check Is Required

Three events trigger the requirement.¹ The first is your registration renewal, which requires a passing inspection every other cycle for most vehicles. Your DMV renewal notice tells you whether a smog check is due that year.

The second is a change of ownership. The seller is generally responsible for providing a valid smog certificate to the buyer, unless the vehicle is four model years old or newer. Vehicles that young skip the inspection, and the buyer pays a small smog transfer fee to the DMV instead.²

The third is bringing a vehicle into California from another state. It must pass a smog inspection before it can be registered here, regardless of age or whether it was recently tested elsewhere.¹

Hybrids and plug-in hybrids follow the same rules as gasoline vehicles. If the vehicle has an internal combustion engine, it needs a smog check on the same schedule.²

Who Is Exempt

Vehicles eight model years old or newer skip the biennial inspection. Add eight to your model year to find the first year testing kicks in: a 2020 model won’t need its first biennial smog check until 2028.² During those first eight years, you pay a smog abatement fee (typically $20 to $25) with your annual registration instead. This exemption does not apply to diesels, and it does not cover change of ownership or the first out-of-state registration.¹

Several other categories are permanently exempt:

Motor vehicles manufactured before the 1976 model year, regardless of fuel type.¹
Fully electric vehicles, which produce no tailpipe emissions.²
Motorcycles, until California implements motorcycle-specific test procedures.¹
Diesel vehicles from 1997 or older. Diesel testing starts at the 1998 model year.³
Diesel, natural gas, and propane vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 14,000 pounds.⁴

Natural gas and propane vehicles at or below 14,000 pounds GVWR are not exempt and follow the standard schedule.⁴

Rural ZIP Codes

Residents of certain rural California ZIP codes only need a smog check at change of ownership or initial registration from out of state. There is no biennial test in these areas. Your DMV renewal notice will reflect this if you live in one. If you move into or out of one, you may need to update your ZIP code with the Bureau of Automotive Repair before a station can perform your inspection.

Where to Get Tested

Read your DMV renewal notice before choosing a station. Some vehicles are directed to STAR-certified stations, which meet stricter performance standards. The Bureau of Automotive Repair uses a statistical model to flag vehicles most likely to fail, and those must be tested at a STAR station. About two percent of vehicles are also randomly directed to STAR stations for program evaluation.⁴ If your notice doesn’t call for a STAR station, any licensed smog check station will do. You can verify a station’s license on the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s website.

Bring the renewal notice with you. Its barcode lets the technician scan your vehicle record directly into the system and speeds up the appointment.

Check one thing before you go: your check engine light. A lit check engine light is an automatic failure. It signals an emissions system problem, and no station will pass the vehicle with it on.² Get the underlying problem diagnosed and repaired before you schedule the appointment. It’s the most common way people waste money on an inspection they were never going to pass.

What the Inspection Covers

Every inspection includes a visual check. The technician confirms that factory-installed emission control components are present and untampered with, including the catalytic converter, PCV valve, evaporative emissions system, exhaust gas recirculation system, and various sensors and hoses. They also check for visible smoke and fuel leaks.³

What follows depends on the vehicle:

2000 and newer gasoline vehicles get an On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) inspection. The technician plugs a scan tool into the car’s computer to read stored trouble codes and verify emissions monitors are working.
Hybrids from 2000 and newer get an OBD inspection only, with no tailpipe test.
1976 through 1999 gasoline vehicles get a tailpipe emissions test using BAR-97 equipment, which measures pollutants while the engine runs.
1998 and newer diesels get an OBD inspection.³

Results are transmitted electronically to the DMV. If the vehicle passes, the station issues a Certificate of Compliance and prints a Vehicle Inspection Report with the detailed results.

What It Costs

The total is a state fee plus what the station charges. California charges an $8.25 smog certificate fee, collected by the station and forwarded to the DMV.⁵ Station service fees are not regulated. Most inspections run between $50 and $80 for the service portion. STAR stations and test-and-repair shops sometimes charge more than test-only locations.

Other fees to keep in mind: vehicles in their first eight model years pay the annual smog abatement fee ($20 to $25) instead of getting an inspection, and vehicles four model years old or newer that change ownership owe a smog transfer fee to the DMV rather than a full inspection.

If Your Vehicle Fails

A failed inspection doesn’t strand you. The DMV can issue a temporary operating permit (TOP) that keeps you legal for 60 days while you get repairs done. It requires a $50 nonrefundable fee, your registration renewal fees, the failed inspection report, and proof of insurance. Only one biennial smog TOP can be issued per vehicle in a two-year period.⁶ The $50 fee is waived if you qualify for the Consumer Assistance Program’s repair assistance.

After repairs, you’ll need a retest. Many stations offer a free retest if you return within a set window (typically 30 to 90 days), so ask about the policy before you leave.

The Repair Cost Waiver

If you spend at least $650 on emissions-related repairs and the vehicle still can’t pass, you may qualify for a repair cost waiver that lets you register despite the failure. The $650 covers diagnostics and repairs at a licensed smog test-and-repair station. The cost of the initial smog test doesn’t count, and neither do repairs covered under a manufacturer’s emissions warranty. The Bureau of Automotive Repair is required to adjust this threshold biennially based on the Consumer Price Index, but the latest published figure is $650.⁷

The waiver isn’t available if the vehicle failed because of a tampered or missing emissions control component, or if it failed the visible smoke test and your income exceeds 250 percent of the federal poverty level.⁷

Disputes and Referee Stations

If you dispute your results, the Bureau of Automotive Repair runs a Referee Program that provides a third-party inspection. Referee stations also handle vehicles that regular stations can’t process, such as specially constructed vehicles or cars cited for emissions equipment violations. Contact the BAR call center to check eligibility and schedule an appointment.

Financial Help Through the Consumer Assistance Program

The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) helps vehicle owners who can’t afford emissions repairs or who want to retire a high-polluting vehicle. Eligibility for most options is based on household income at or below 225 percent of the federal poverty level. For 2026, that means a maximum gross annual income of $35,910 for an individual and $74,250 for a family of four, with the cap rising proportionally for larger households.⁸

Repair Assistance

If your vehicle failed its biennial smog inspection and you meet the income requirement, CAP can help pay for emissions-related repairs. The maximum benefit depends on model year: up to $1,450 for 1996 and newer vehicles, and up to $1,100 for 1976 through 1995 vehicles. You’ll owe a co-payment that varies with the total repair cost and the vehicle’s model year, and repairs must be performed at a STAR test-and-repair station.⁹

Vehicle Retirement

If repair costs aren’t worth it, you can retire the vehicle for a cash payment at one of three tiers:

$1,350 with no income requirement, if the vehicle failed its most recent smog check.
$1,500 if your income is at or below 225 percent of the federal poverty level and the vehicle has a completed smog check (pass or fail) within the prior 180 days.
$2,000 if your income is at or below 225 percent of the federal poverty level and the vehicle failed its most recent smog check.

The vehicle must be a passenger car, truck, SUV, or van with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less, and it must pass an operational inspection at a BAR-contracted dismantler. You also need to have been the registered owner with continuous California registration for two years before applying. Failures caused solely by an ignition timing adjustment, a failed gas cap test, or a tampered emissions system don’t qualify for the $1,350 or $2,000 tiers.¹⁰

1
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 44011
2
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Smog Check: When You Need One and What’s Required
3
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Smog Check Manual
4
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Smog Check Reference Guide
5
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Smog Certification Fee
6
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Operating Permits
7
Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 16 3340.43 – Repair Cost Limit
8
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Income Eligibility Requirement
9
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Apply for Repair Assistance
10
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Retire Your Vehicle