California Smog Check Program: Requirements, Exemptions, and Costs

California requires most 1976-and-newer gasoline, hybrid, and alternative-fuel vehicles to pass a smog inspection before the DMV will renew the registration, when the vehicle changes owners, or when it is first registered after coming in from another state. The California smog check requirements are run by the Bureau of Automotive Repair, a division of the Department of Consumer Affairs, which licenses every testing station and technician in the state.¹ Whether your car needs a test, and what kind, depends mostly on its model year, its fuel type, and why registration is being updated.

When a Smog Check Is Required

Three events trigger an inspection: biennial registration renewal, a change of ownership, and the initial California registration of an out-of-state vehicle.² For renewals, the test is due every other cycle, and the DMV renewal notice will tell you whether this is your smog year.

On a private sale, the seller is generally responsible for providing a valid smog certificate to the buyer. Vehicles four model years old or newer skip the inspection, and the buyer pays a small smog transfer fee to the DMV instead.³ A vehicle brought in from another state has to pass a California smog inspection before it can be registered here, no matter how new it is or when it was last tested elsewhere.²

Hybrids and plug-in hybrids follow the same schedule as pure gasoline cars. If there’s an internal combustion engine under the hood, the vehicle is on the regular smog check cycle.³

The Eight-Year Exemption for Newer Vehicles

Gasoline vehicles eight model years old or newer are not required to get a biennial smog inspection. Add eight to the model year to find your first smog check. A 2020 model-year car will come due in 2028.³ During those first eight years, you pay an annual smog abatement fee with your registration, typically $20 to $25, in place of the physical test.

This exemption does not cover diesel vehicles.² It also doesn’t get you out of a smog check on a change of ownership (other than the separate four-model-year rule above) or on initial out-of-state registration.

Vehicles That Are Permanently Exempt

Several categories never need a smog check:

Motor vehicles manufactured before the 1976 model year, regardless of fuel type.²
Fully electric vehicles, which have no tailpipe emissions.³
Motorcycles, under current law, until motorcycle-specific test procedures are implemented.²
Diesel vehicles from 1997 or older. Diesel testing begins at the 1998 model year.⁴
Diesel, natural gas, and propane vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 14,000 pounds.⁵

Natural gas and propane vehicles at or below 14,000 pounds GVWR are not exempt, and follow the normal smog check schedule.⁵

Where you live can also change your obligations. Residents of certain rural California ZIP codes only owe a smog check at change of ownership or initial out-of-state registration, with no biennial test required. The DMV renewal notice reflects this if you live in a designated area. If you move into or out of one of these ZIP codes, you may need to update your address with the Bureau of Automotive Repair before a station can process your inspection.

Choosing a Station and Getting Ready

Read the renewal notice before booking anywhere. 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 vehicles must be tested at a STAR station. About two percent of other vehicles are also sent to STAR stations as a random sample for program evaluation.⁵ If the notice doesn’t mention a STAR requirement, any licensed smog check station will do. License status can be verified on the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s website.

Bring the renewal notice with you. The barcode on it links to your vehicle record and lets the technician scan the information in directly, which cuts down on data-entry mistakes.

Check one thing before you drive over: the check engine light. A lit check engine light is an automatic failure, because it signals an emissions system problem the station cannot pass.³ Diagnose and fix the underlying issue first. It’s the most common reason people pay for an inspection they could not possibly pass.

What the Inspection Covers

Every smog check starts with a visual inspection. The technician confirms that factory-installed emission control components are present and untampered: the catalytic converter, PCV valve, evaporative emissions system, exhaust gas recirculation system, and various sensors and hoses, among others.⁴ They also look for visible exhaust smoke and fuel leaks.

What comes next depends on the vehicle:

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

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Results go to the DMV electronically. If the vehicle passes, the station issues a Certificate of Compliance and gives you a Vehicle Inspection Report with the detailed numbers.

What You’ll Pay

A state-mandated smog certificate fee of $8.25 is collected by the station and forwarded to the DMV.⁶ Station service charges are not regulated, so prices vary, but 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 charges to expect: the annual smog abatement fee of roughly $20 to $25 for vehicles in their first eight model years, a smog transfer fee for a change of ownership on a vehicle four model years old or newer, and a $50 fee if you need a temporary operating permit after a failure.

If Your Vehicle Fails

A failure doesn’t ground the car. The DMV issues a temporary operating permit (TOP) that keeps the vehicle legal for 60 days while repairs happen. You’ll pay a $50 nonrefundable fee plus your registration renewal fees, and provide the failed inspection report and proof of insurance. Only one biennial smog TOP is available per vehicle in a two-year period.⁷ The $50 fee can be waived for people eligible for repair assistance through the Consumer Assistance Program.

After repairs, you’ll need a retest. Many stations offer a free retest if you return within 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 the vehicle anyway. The $650 threshold covers diagnostics and repairs at a licensed smog test-and-repair station, but not the cost of the initial smog test. Repairs performed under a manufacturer’s emissions warranty also don’t count. The Bureau of Automotive Repair is required to adjust the threshold biennially based on the Consumer Price Index, and the current figure is $650.⁸

The waiver isn’t available if the vehicle failed because of a tampered or missing emissions component. It’s also unavailable if the vehicle failed the visible smoke test and your income exceeds 250 percent of the federal poverty level.⁸

BAR Referee Stations

If you want to dispute a smog result, the Bureau of Automotive Repair runs a Referee Program that offers a third-party inspection. Referee stations also handle vehicles that regular shops can’t test, including specially constructed vehicles and cars cited for emissions equipment violations. You’ll need to contact the BAR call center for eligibility and an appointment.

Help Paying for Repairs or Retirement

The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) helps vehicle owners who can’t afford emissions repairs, or who want to retire a high-polluting vehicle. Most options require household income at or below 225 percent of the federal poverty level. For 2026, that’s a maximum gross annual income of $35,910 for an individual and $74,250 for a family of four, scaled up for larger households.⁹

If you qualify and your vehicle failed its biennial inspection, repair assistance pays up to $1,450 for 1996-and-newer vehicles and up to $1,100 for 1976 through 1995 vehicles, with a co-payment that depends on repair cost and model year. The work has to be done at a STAR test-and-repair station.¹⁰

If repairs aren’t worth it, CAP will also pay you to retire the vehicle, with payment tiers starting at $1,350 and going up to $2,000 depending on income and smog check status.¹¹

1
Bureau of Automotive Repair. About the Bureau of Automotive Repair
2
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 44011
3
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Smog Check: When You Need One and What’s Required
4
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Smog Check Manual
5
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Smog Check Reference Guide
6
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Smog Certification Fee
7
California Department of Motor Vehicles. Temporary Operating Permits
8
Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 16 3340.43 – Repair Cost Limit
9
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Income Eligibility Requirement
10
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Apply for Repair Assistance
11
Bureau of Automotive Repair. Retire Your Vehicle