Smog Information
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), all vehicles not exempt for one reason or another must pass a state smog certification periodically. Those exceptions are ZEVs (Zero Emission Vehicles) with decals, some HEVs (Hybrid Environmental Vehicles) with specific serial numbers, diesel powered vehicles, motorcycles, or vehicles with a year model 30 years old or older (calendar year - 29 or older). Vehicles registered in areas subject to the biennial smog certification program are required to submit evidence of a smog certification every other renewal period. (Vehicles that are four model years old or less are exempt from the biennial smog requirements for registration renewal. In certain areas of the state, as of January 1, 2004, vehicles are exempt for 6 years. You can check here. Riverside County is NOT one of them.) If you are contemplating the purchase of a California registered vehicle and wish to see the smog history of that vehicle, you may inquire here online. If you are contemplating the purchase of an out of state vehicle, here are things you will want to know.
Our own county, Riverside, requires inspections based on Zip Codes for registration renewal. (You can check your Zip Code here.) Davies Auto Care is a certified test and repair location with BAR 97 equipment, the most modern available within the BAR (California Department of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Automotive Repair) system. That means that we are legally allowed to test your vehicle and if repairs are needed and you so desire, we can make the required repairs to get your vehicle to pass inspection. Our shop is NOT a test only station and we do NOT certify gross polluters; if you renewal states that you need a "Test Only Inspection" and don't know of one, call us and we will help you find one. If you have a gross polluter and need certification, we can also direct you to a station that does that although it is our understanding that the county and state are limiting the pass procedure greatly. Should you want to have your vehicle smog checked by us, unlike many locations, you may call US for an appointment. Be sure to bring in the paperwork for registration renewal that was sent to you.
Here are some appropriate links for the DMV and BAR that you may find helpful.
California BAR Smog Certification Information
California DMV Home Page
California BAR Home Page
California Department of Consumer Affairs
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