A California state referee ticket is a citation for a vehicle modification that violates the Vehicle Code, most often a loud exhaust, a tampered emissions system, or similar equipment issue, and it sends you to a Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) referee station to prove the vehicle has been brought back into compliance. For a common exhaust violation, expect roughly $193 to $197 in fines and penalty assessments, plus a separate $108 fee for the BAR referee noise inspection. The parts and labor to actually fix the vehicle usually cost more than the ticket itself, anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a stock muffler swap to several thousand to legalize a non-compliant engine swap.
What the Ticket Is For
The citation names the Vehicle Code section you allegedly violated. Three sections do most of the work.
Section 27150 requires every registered combustion-engine vehicle to have a working muffler and bans cutouts, bypasses, and similar devices.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 27150 – Adequate Muffler Required Section 27151 makes it illegal to modify an exhaust in a way that pushes noise past the legal limit, which for most passenger vehicles under 6,000 pounds is 95 decibels measured under current SAE standards.2California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 27151 – Modification of Exhaust Systems Section 27156 is the emissions statute. It prohibits removing, disconnecting, or altering any required pollution control device, and it bans selling or installing aftermarket parts that change how those controls perform.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 27156 – Emission Control Devices Deleted catalytic converters, removed EGR valves, and non-CARB-approved engine swaps all fall under 27156.
Window tint that’s too dark, suspension or frame heights outside legal parameters, and some lighting modifications can also send a vehicle to the referee.
What You’ll Pay
The base fine for an exhaust violation under 27150 or 27151 is just $25. The reason the ticket hurts is the stack of state and county penalty assessments, court fees, and construction surcharges layered on top. A modified exhaust citation ends up around $193, and a loud muffler violation around $197.4California State Assembly. AB 390 Analysis – Assembly Committee on Transportation Totals vary slightly by county.
On top of that, the BAR referee inspection itself costs about $108 for exhaust noise testing tied to a 27150 or 27151 citation, paid directly to the referee station when you show up. If the vehicle fails and you have to return after repairs, plan on paying for the re-inspection too.
Then there’s the actual compliance cost, which is the real variable. Putting a factory muffler back on might run a few hundred dollars in parts and labor. Restoring a catalytic converter or sourcing CARB-approved paperwork for an engine swap can run into the thousands.
Why You Can’t Just Fix It and Pay $25 Anymore
Before 2019, these were correctable “fix-it” tickets. You had 30 days to repair the vehicle, show proof to the court, and pay a $25 dismissal fee.5Judicial Branch of California. Fix-It Ticket Assembly Bill 1824, signed in 2018 as part of the state budget, took that option away for 27150 and 27151 violations.4California State Assembly. AB 390 Analysis – Assembly Committee on Transportation As of January 1, 2019, exhaust noise citations carry immediate mandatory fines with no correction period.
Some other equipment violations may still qualify as correctable under Vehicle Code Section 40610, which gives up to 30 days to fix and show proof.6California Legislative Information. California Code Vehicle Code VEH 40610 – Correctable Violations The officer can refuse to issue a correctable ticket if there’s evidence of fraud, persistent neglect, or an immediate safety hazard.
Emissions violations under 27156 are treated more harshly. If the court finds the violation was willful, it must impose the maximum allowable fine with no portion suspended.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 27156 – Emission Control Devices
The BAR Referee Inspection
BAR Smog Check Referee stations are scattered across California, typically at community college campuses. They have the specialized noise, emissions, and visual-inspection equipment that regular smog shops don’t carry.
Scheduling and What to Bring
Book an appointment by calling 1-800-622-7733 or through asktheref.org.7Bureau of Automotive Repair. On-Board Diagnostic Test Reference The call center will tell you which documents to bring for your specific violation. In general:
- Your original citation
- Current vehicle registration or DMV renewal notice
- Receipts for any repairs you’ve already made
- CARB Executive Order numbers, parts exemption letters, or other documentation for the vehicle’s modifications
The program’s own preparation guide stresses bringing everything related to the modifications and any repair work you’ve done.8Ask the Ref. How to Prepare for Appointments
What Happens at the Appointment
For an exhaust noise violation, the referee runs a sound test against the 95-decibel limit for vehicles under 6,000 pounds. Heavier vehicles and motorcycles have their own thresholds, generally lower, set by weight class and year.9California Legislative Information. California Code VEH Article 2.5 – Noise Limits For an emissions citation, expect a visual inspection of pollution control equipment and potentially an OBD or tailpipe test. There’s also a general safety check, so bring the vehicle in with no fluid leaks and properly inflated tires.
Pass, and the referee issues a Certificate of Compliance. Fail, and you’ll need to make further repairs and come back. Your court deadline keeps running the whole time, so don’t let the inspection schedule stretch past it.
Clearing the Ticket With the Court
Submit the Certificate of Compliance to the court handling the citation. Most courts accept proof by mail, in person, or through an online portal. The certificate confirms the vehicle meets the standard, but it doesn’t erase the fine. You still owe whatever penalty the court assessed.
Pay through the court’s website, California’s ePay system, by mailed check or money order, or at the clerk’s window. If you can’t afford the full amount, the MyCitations program lets you request a reduction, a payment plan, more time, or community service instead.10Judicial Branch of California. MyCitations – Can’t Afford to Pay Your Ticket You file the request online, upload proof of your finances, and get the court’s decision by email.11Judicial Branch of California. If You Can’t Afford to Pay Your Traffic Ticket
If You Ignore the Ticket
Missing your court date or payment deadline is where this gets expensive. The court can add a civil assessment of up to $100 for each failure to appear or pay, and each new failure can trigger another $100.12California Legislative Information. California Code Penal Code PEN 1214.1 – Civil Assessment The court may also issue a bench warrant and refer the balance to collections. The Franchise Tax Board’s Court-Ordered Debt Collection Program can pursue the debt through wage garnishments, tax refund intercepts, and bank levies.
California no longer suspends driver’s licenses solely for unpaid fines. But an outstanding warrant for failure to appear is its own problem, and it can turn a routine traffic stop into an arrest.
Insurance and Federal Exposure
Exhaust and emissions violations under 27150, 27151, and 27156 don’t add points to your California driving record, so they shouldn’t directly bump your rates the way a speeding ticket would. Some insurers do review the full record rather than just the point total, so the citation can still surface.
The real insurance risk is the modification itself. Most auto policies include material misrepresentation clauses that let the insurer deny a claim if you didn’t disclose modifications when you bought or renewed coverage. If a police report after an accident notes an aftermarket exhaust, that can trigger a closer look, and undisclosed modifications discovered during a claim investigation can lead to denial or cancellation even if the modifications had nothing to do with the crash. Telling your insurer about changes before something goes wrong is the practical move.
If your citation involves emissions equipment, you may also have federal exposure. The Clean Air Act prohibits removing or disabling emissions controls, and separately bans manufacturing, selling, or installing parts designed to bypass them.13U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Enforcement Alert – Aftermarket Defeat Devices and Tampering The EPA has made aftermarket defeat devices a national enforcement priority.14U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative – Stopping Aftermarket Defeat Devices Civil penalties under 42 U.S.C. ยง 7524 reach up to $2,500 per violation for individuals.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 7524 – Civil Penalties Enforcement has historically focused on shops and parts sellers rather than individual drivers, but the prohibition applies to everyone, and labeling parts “off-road use only” doesn’t create a legal shield if they end up on a street-driven vehicle. Selling a vehicle with disabled emissions controls is also prohibited; the EPA has specifically said you can’t “de-certify” a registered street vehicle to escape emissions rules.16U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Exhaust System Repair Guidelines