Smog Check in California
Updated December 2025
A smog check in California is required for most vehicles every two years at registration renewal. The California Bureau of Automotive Repair administers the program through a network of licensed smog check stations, including STAR certified locations for vehicles that need enhanced testing. Requirements depend on vehicle model year, fuel type, weight, and registration county. Vehicles within the first eight model years are generally exempt from biennial testing but may still require a smog check at change of ownership or initial California registration. Electric vehicles, motorcycles, and trailers are fully exempt. Diesel vehicles from 1998 and newer under 14,000 pounds must also test. Because smog check requirements in California can change, drivers should verify current rules with the Bureau of Automotive Repair or DMV before registration.
Find Emissions Testing Locations in California
Browse California cities in the grid below to find smog check stations. Licensed stations are located throughout the state, with the highest concentration in major metropolitan areas. STAR certified stations are required for certain vehicles and provide enhanced testing. Verify a station is properly licensed before visiting. The Bureau of Automotive Repair offers an online station locator where you can search by city or zip code and filter by STAR certification.
Browse by City
San Diego
78 Listings
Fresno
71 Listings
Los Angeles
55 Listings
Bakersfield
53 Listings
Sacramento
52 Listings
Riverside
45 Listings
Long Beach
41 Listings
Modesto
37 Listings
San Francisco
35 Listings
Fontana
34 Listings
Ontario
32 Listings
Santa Ana
29 Listings
Chula Vista
27 Listings
Escondido
27 Listings
Vista
26 Listings
Huntington Beach
24 Listings
Salinas
24 Listings
Corona
23 Listings
Oxnard
23 Listings
Bloomington
22 Listings
Garden Grove
22 Listings
San Bernardino
21 Listings
Hesperia
20 Listings
Palmdale
20 Listings
San Jose
20 Listings
Upland
20 Listings
Fremont
19 Listings
Redwood City
19 Listings
Anaheim
18 Listings
Burbank
18 Listings
Moreno Valley
18 Listings
Santa Rosa
18 Listings
Stockton
18 Listings
Sunnyvale
18 Listings
Temecula
18 Listings
Tracy
18 Listings
Compton
17 Listings
El Monte
17 Listings
Fullerton
17 Listings
Oakland
17 Listings
Pomona
17 Listings
Visalia
17 Listings
Glendale
16 Listings
Pasadena
16 Listings
Santa Clarita
16 Listings
Simi Valley
16 Listings
Torrance
16 Listings
Vallejo
16 Listings
Ventura
16 Listings
Whittier
16 Listings
Costa Mesa
15 Listings
El Cajon
15 Listings
Hayward
15 Listings
Inglewood
15 Listings
Lancaster
15 Listings
Lodi
15 Listings
Oceanside
15 Listings
Orange
15 Listings
Perris
15 Listings
Santa Maria
15 Listings
Victorville
15 Listings
Canoga Park
14 Listings
North Hollywood
14 Listings
Rancho Cucamonga
14 Listings
Redding
14 Listings
Rialto
14 Listings
Richmond
14 Listings
Santa Barbara
14 Listings
Santa Clara
14 Listings
Westminster
14 Listings
Concord
13 Listings
Downey
13 Listings
Fairfield
13 Listings
Glendora
13 Listings
Hawthorne
13 Listings
Palm Desert
13 Listings
La Puente
12 Listings
Madera
12 Listings
Porterville
12 Listings
San Marcos
12 Listings
Spring Valley
12 Listings
Yuba City
12 Listings
Antioch
11 Listings
Berkeley
11 Listings
Chico
11 Listings
Covina
11 Listings
Mission Viejo
11 Listings
Citrus Heights
10 Listings
Clovis
10 Listings
Daly City
10 Listings
Hanford
10 Listings
Indio
10 Listings
La Habra
10 Listings
Lake Forest
10 Listings
Lemon Grove
10 Listings
Manteca
10 Listings
Murrieta
10 Listings
South Gate
10 Listings
Tulare
10 Listings
Bellflower
9 Listings
Cypress
9 Listings
Elk Grove
9 Listings
Hemet
9 Listings
Montclair
9 Listings
San Carlos
9 Listings
San Luis Obispo
9 Listings
San Mateo
9 Listings
Santa Cruz
9 Listings
Turlock
9 Listings
Vacaville
9 Listings
Wilmington
9 Listings
Apple Valley
8 Listings
Grass Valley
8 Listings
Lake Elsinore
8 Listings
Lynwood
8 Listings
Montebello
8 Listings
Petaluma
8 Listings
Rocklin
8 Listings
Roseville
8 Listings
San Leandro
8 Listings
Walnut Creek
8 Listings
West Covina
8 Listings
Alameda
7 Listings
Alhambra
7 Listings
Calexico
7 Listings
Chino
7 Listings
Colton
7 Listings
Fallbrook
7 Listings
Gilroy
7 Listings
La Mesa
7 Listings
Los Banos
7 Listings
Merced
7 Listings
Norco
7 Listings
Paso Robles
7 Listings
Pittsburg
7 Listings
Pleasanton
7 Listings
San Rafael
7 Listings
San Ramon
7 Listings
Stanton
7 Listings
Sun Valley
7 Listings
Thousand Oaks
7 Listings
Atascadero
6 Listings
Banning
6 Listings
Brentwood
6 Listings
Campbell
6 Listings
Canyon Country
6 Listings
Coachella
6 Listings
Encinitas
6 Listings
Irvine
6 Listings
Livermore
6 Listings
Lompoc
6 Listings
Milpitas
6 Listings
Napa
6 Listings
Palo Alto
6 Listings
Poway
6 Listings
Redlands
6 Listings
Rowland Heights
6 Listings
San Clemente
6 Listings
Santa Monica
6 Listings
Selma
6 Listings
Tustin
6 Listings
Watsonville
6 Listings
Woodland
6 Listings
Anderson
5 Listings
Belmont
5 Listings
Buena Park
5 Listings
Camarillo
5 Listings
Carlsbad
5 Listings
Chatsworth
5 Listings
El Cerrito
5 Listings
Goleta
5 Listings
Highland
5 Listings
Menifee
5 Listings
Mira Loma
5 Listings
Mountain View
5 Listings
National City
5 Listings
San Bruno
5 Listings
San Jacinto
5 Listings
Santee
5 Listings
South San Francisco
5 Listings
Union City
5 Listings
Walnut
5 Listings
Auburn
4 Listings
Baldwin Park
4 Listings
Brea
4 Listings
Carson
4 Listings
Danville
4 Listings
Davis
4 Listings
Delano
4 Listings
Dublin
4 Listings
El Centro
4 Listings
Fountain Valley
4 Listings
Hollister
4 Listings
Laguna Hills
4 Listings
Lakewood
4 Listings
Los Gatos
4 Listings
Martinez
4 Listings
Menlo Park
4 Listings
Norwalk
4 Listings
Novato
4 Listings
Oroville
4 Listings
Paramount
4 Listings
Redondo Beach
4 Listings
Ridgecrest
4 Listings
San Juan Capistrano
4 Listings
Truckee
4 Listings
West Sacramento
4 Listings
Wildomar
4 Listings
Woodland Hills
4 Listings
Yucaipa
4 Listings
Aliso Viejo
3 Listings
Azusa
3 Listings
Barstow
3 Listings
Cathedral City
3 Listings
Cupertino
3 Listings
El Sobrante
3 Listings
Eureka
3 Listings
Folsom
3 Listings
Gardena
3 Listings
Hawaiian Gardens
3 Listings
Jurupa Valley
3 Listings
La Verne
3 Listings
Lathrop
3 Listings
Lawndale
3 Listings
Loma Linda
3 Listings
Monterey
3 Listings
Monterey Park
3 Listings
Moorpark
3 Listings
Morro Bay
3 Listings
Newark
3 Listings
Northridge
3 Listings
Olivehurst
3 Listings
Palm Springs
3 Listings
Placentia
3 Listings
Red Bluff
3 Listings
Rohnert Park
3 Listings
San Pablo
3 Listings
Santa Fe Springs
3 Listings
Sonoma
3 Listings
Tehachapi
3 Listings
Valencia
3 Listings
Westlake Village
3 Listings
Winnetka
3 Listings
Agoura Hills
2 Listings
Artesia
2 Listings
Beaumont
2 Listings
Bell Gardens
2 Listings
Brawley
2 Listings
Castro Valley
2 Listings
Corona Del Mar
2 Listings
Crescent City
2 Listings
Dana Point
2 Listings
El Dorado Hills
2 Listings
Fair Oaks
2 Listings
Greenbrae
2 Listings
Imperial Beach
2 Listings
Lafayette
2 Listings
Laguna Beach
2 Listings
Laguna Niguel
2 Listings
Lomita
2 Listings
Morgan Hill
2 Listings
Newbury Park
2 Listings
North Highlands
2 Listings
Oakley
2 Listings
Orangevale
2 Listings
Paradise
2 Listings
Pleasant Hill
2 Listings
Rancho Santa Margarita
2 Listings
San Dimas
2 Listings
San Gabriel
2 Listings
San Lorenzo
2 Listings
Seaside
2 Listings
Sherman Oaks
2 Listings
South El Monte
2 Listings
South Lake Tahoe
2 Listings
South Pasadena
2 Listings
Sun City
2 Listings
Sylmar
2 Listings
Yorba Linda
2 Listings
Yreka
2 Listings
Adelanto
1 Listings
Altadena
1 Listings
Alturas
1 Listings
Arcadia
1 Listings
Arrowhead Farms
1 Listings
Baker
1 Listings
Bay Point
1 Listings
Bishop
1 Listings
Blythe
1 Listings
Burlingame
1 Listings
California City
1 Listings
Calimesa
1 Listings
Canyon Lake
1 Listings
Castroville
1 Listings
City of Industry
1 Listings
Colma
1 Listings
Coronado
1 Listings
Cotati
1 Listings
Del Mar
1 Listings
Desert Hot Springs
1 Listings
Diamond Bar
1 Listings
Duarte
1 Listings
East Compton
1 Listings
East Palo Alto
1 Listings
Empire
1 Listings
Fortuna
1 Listings
French Camp
1 Listings
Grand Terrace
1 Listings
Gridley
1 Listings
Harbor City
1 Listings
Hermosa Beach
1 Listings
Homeland
1 Listings
Irwindale
1 Listings
Kensington
1 Listings
La Jolla
1 Listings
La Mirada
1 Listings
Loomis
1 Listings
Los Alamitos
1 Listings
Los Altos
1 Listings
Manhattan Beach
1 Listings
Marina
1 Listings
Marysville
1 Listings
Mentone
1 Listings
Middletown
1 Listings
Midway City
1 Listings
Montrose
1 Listings
Mt Shasta
1 Listings
Needles
1 Listings
Newhall
1 Listings
Newport Beach
1 Listings
North Fair Oaks
1 Listings
Pacheco
1 Listings
Pacifica
1 Listings
Pico Rivera
1 Listings
Ramona
1 Listings
Reseda
1 Listings
Ripon
1 Listings
Romoland
1 Listings
Rosemead
1 Listings
Royal Oaks
1 Listings
San Anselmo
1 Listings
San Martin
1 Listings
San Pedro
1 Listings
Saugus
1 Listings
Signal Hill
1 Listings
Solana Beach
1 Listings
Soquel
1 Listings
Stevenson Ranch
1 Listings
Studio City
1 Listings
Tarzana
1 Listings
Van Nuys
1 Listings
Venice
1 Listings
West Hollywood
1 Listings
Winchester
1 Listings
Winterhaven
1 Listings
Testing Requirements
Current Testing Requirements in California
California enforces comprehensive smog check requirements through the Bureau of Automotive Repair. Testing applies to most gasoline and diesel vehicles depending on age, weight, and registration area. This section covers who must test, how often, where testing is required, and what happens during inspection.
Who Needs an Emissions Test or Smog Check
Most gasoline vehicles from model year 1976 and newer require a smog check in California. Diesel vehicles from 1998 and newer under 14,000 pounds are also subject to testing. Hybrid vehicles with gasoline engines must test. Exemptions apply to vehicles within the first eight model years, electric vehicles, motorcycles, trailers, and gasoline vehicles from 1975 and older. Heavy-duty diesel vehicles over 14,000 pounds fall under the Clean Truck Check program with separate rules.
How Often Tests Are Required
Smog checks are required every two years at registration renewal for most vehicles. Testing is also required at change of ownership and when initially registering a vehicle in California from out of state. New vehicles within the first eight model years are exempt from biennial testing but must test when sold. The smog certificate is valid for 90 days after issue.
Where Emissions Testing Is Required
Smog checks are required in most California counties. Some counties require testing only in designated zip codes. Six counties have partial requirements based on location: El Dorado, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Sonoma. All other counties with populations over a certain threshold require testing countywide. The Bureau of Automotive Repair maintains a zip code lookup tool to verify requirements for specific addresses.
What Happens During the Test
During a smog check, a licensed technician connects to your vehicle's OBD-II diagnostic port to read fault codes and check readiness monitors. They verify the check engine light is off and inspect emissions equipment visually. For some older vehicles, a tailpipe test measures exhaust output directly. Technicians check for tampered or missing components including the catalytic converter and gas cap. Results are transmitted electronically to the state. If your vehicle passes, you receive a smog certificate.
Areas in California That Require Emissions Testing
Smog check requirements in California apply to most populated areas. Counties such as Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Alameda, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Fresno require testing countywide. Six counties have partial requirements where only certain zip codes are covered: El Dorado, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Sonoma. Smog check locations in California are concentrated in urban areas where demand is highest. Cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Long Beach, Oakland, and Sacramento have hundreds of licensed stations. Rural areas may have fewer options. STAR certified stations are required for certain vehicles designated by the state as needing enhanced testing.
How the Emissions Test Works in California
A smog check typically takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on the station and vehicle. Bring your vehicle registration and valid identification. At a licensed station, the technician connects to your OBD-II port for vehicles from 1996 and newer. They scan for diagnostic trouble codes and verify readiness monitors are set. The check engine light must be off or your vehicle fails automatically. Older vehicles may receive a tailpipe emissions test on a dynamometer. Technicians also perform a visual inspection of emissions equipment. If your vehicle fails, you receive a report explaining the issues. Repairs must be completed at a licensed repair station before retesting. Costs range from approximately $30 to $70 plus an $8.25 certificate transfer fee. Low-income vehicle owners may qualify for the Consumer Assistance Program, which provides up to $500 toward repairs or vehicle retirement assistance.
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Related Guides and Resources
Related resources explain California smog check exemptions, how to prepare your vehicle for testing, what to do after a failed inspection, and details about the Consumer Assistance Program. Guides on understanding OBD-II codes, readiness monitor issues, and common failure causes can help you pass. Official Bureau of Automotive Repair and DMV publications provide current fee schedules, exemption criteria, and program updates.
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