Owning a vehicle comes with many responsibilities, from taking out an insurance policy to making sure the oil is changed on-time. In addition to this, the registration for the vehicle must be regularly renewed, which may or may not require a smog check. While your registration renewal notice will tell you whether you need to have a smog check done, are you curious as to whether this is even required in the first place? To learn a little bit more about these checks and emissions standards, take a look at the information below.
What are California Emissions and Emissions Standards?
Emissions standards, which are set by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), are the legal requirements related to air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Emission standards set limits to the amount that can be released by a vehicle. To ensure vehicles are meeting these standards, an emissions check will be required. In most cases, this is done when registration is renewed and requires an in-person inspection.
California has stricter vehicle emissions standards than the rest of the country does. This is largely due to the declining air quality in Los Angeles, which has a large concentration of vehicles on the road. The California Air Resources Board is responsible for setting the standards for California emissions, although they are subject to EPA approval. In most cases a smog check will need to be done every two years at one of the many stations that are located throughout the state. Registration cannot be renewed if a vehicle does not pass.
States That Have Adopted California’s Emissions Standards
The strict emissions standards for California haven’t gone unnoticed by other states in the country. In fact, many have adopted those same (and sometimes even stricter) standards in an effort to help reduce restrict emissions such as formaldehyde, oxides of nitrogen, and carbon monoxide. These states include the District of Columbia, Washington, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Connecticut, and Maryland.
What if a Vehicle Doesn’t Pass the Emissions Check?
In situations where a vehicle is shown to release excess emissions, it must be repaired before the registration can be renewed. If the owner chooses not to do repairs, then they can not legally drive the vehicle without up-to-date registration. Fortunately for those who do repairs, they will have another opportunity to pass inspection. Once a vehicle has passed, another check will not be required for two years, although this depends on the vehicle in particular.
Are There Exemptions?
All vehicles must have a smog inspection done in the state of California, although there are a few exemptions, which include:
– Vehicles 1975 or older (that are gas powered)
– Electric vehicles
– Motorcycles
– Natural gas-powered vehicles that weigh more than 14,000 lbs
– Vehicles powered by diesel that are 1997 or older OR have 14,000 lbs+ gross weight rating
It’s also worth nothing that if you own a vehicle that’s 6 years old or less, the 2-year smog check will not be required. Instead, you can pay for a $20 abatement. However, once your vehicle is more than 6 years old, it will need to be inspected on a regular basis as required by the state.
