California smog check rules
Who needs one, who is exempt, and what to do in Elk Grove when you fail.
Do you need one?
California asks for a smog check every other year, at registration renewal.
Your DMV renewal notice tells you when yours is due.
Cars eight model years old and newer skip the test. You pay a smog abatement fee with registration instead.
Add eight to your model year and you have the first check. A 2019 comes due in 2027.
Vehicles that never need one
Some vehicles are out of the program for good:
- Gasoline, hybrid, and alternative-fuel: 1975 and older
- Diesel: 1997 and older
- Diesel over 14,000 lbs gross vehicle weight
- Natural gas over 14,000 lbs gross vehicle weight
- Electric vehicles
- Motorcycles
Everything else registered in California is in the program.
What it costs
The state does not set the price. Each station picks its own, so it moves by city and by shop.
In Elk Grove it generally runs $40 to $70.
Buying or selling a car
The seller supplies the smog certificate, and it has to be under 90 days old.
Cars four model years old and newer are exempt. The buyer pays a smog transfer fee at DMV instead.
Buying from a dealer? The pass can be up to two years old.
Transfers between immediate family members need no test.
Look up a car's smog history
California keeps every smog check on record. Looking one up is free.
Enter a VIN or a plate. Plates change, so the VIN is better.
Check a vehicle's history at BAR
Records update nightly, so today's test shows up tomorrow.
Run the VIN before you buy used. Ask the seller for the inspection report too.
A fail followed by a pass is just a repair that worked.
A gross polluter is a car that failed by a wide margin.
Only a STAR station or a state referee can certify one.
Moving to California
You get 20 days to register after you move here.
An out-of-state car needs a smog check to register, and the eight-year exemption does not apply to it.
It also has to be certified to California emissions standards. Check the label under the hood.
When DMV requires a STAR station
Your renewal notice either says STAR or it does not.
STAR stations meet higher state performance standards. Only they can certify the vehicles the state directs to them.
If the notice stays quiet, any smog station can test you.
6 of Elk Grove's 22 stations are STAR certified:
- The Smog Spot LLC 9914 Kent St Unit 4
- Laguna Smog Test Only 9190 Klagge Court
- Complete Performance 8999 Elk Grove Blvd
- Speedee-midas 8573 Elk Grove Blvd
- Smog N Go 9580 Harbour Point Drive
- Smog N Go 8034 Orchard Loop Lane
Test-only vs test & repair
Test-only stations inspect. They cannot do the repairs.
Test-and-repair stations do both.
Repair-only shops fix cars but cannot certify them.
17 of Elk Grove's 22 stations can also do the repairs.
If you fail
You leave with a vehicle inspection report listing why it failed.
Fix what the report names, then come back for a retest.
Go back to a STAR station if your notice said STAR. Otherwise any smog station can retest you.
The station sends the certificate to DMV. It is good for 90 days.
Elk Grove stations that can repair and retest in one stop:
- Advance Import Auto 9291 Bendel Place #130
- Elk Grove Honda 8550 Laguna Grove Blvd
- Niello Bmw 8580 Laguna Grove Drive
- Specialized Exhaust & Automotive 9256 Survey Road Unit 105
- Elk Grove Toyota Scion 9640 West Stockton Blvd
- Nissan Of Elk Grove 8590 Laguna Grove Drive
Help paying for repairs
California pays toward emissions repairs through the Consumer Assistance Program.
Up to $1,450 for a 1996 or newer car, up to $1,100 for 1976 through 1995.
There is an income limit: 225% of the federal poverty level. The car has to have failed its biennial check.
Repairs go through a STAR test-and-repair station under contract with the state, and you cover a co-payment.
The state will also pay to retire a car instead of repairing it.
Rules checked against BAR and DMV, August 2026. California Bureau of Automotive Repair · California DMV