Smog Check for Registration Renewal
The test the DMV asks for when your tags come due. We send the result straight to the DMV and most drivers are back on the road in under 20 minutes.
If your DMV renewal notice has the words smog certification required on it, this is the test you need. It is the most common smog check in California and it is the one we do most days of the week.
Bring the vehicle to us on Willow Pass Road in Concord, we run the test, and the result goes to the DMV electronically. You do not have to carry paperwork across town or wait on anything to be mailed.
How Often California Requires It
The Bureau of Automotive Repair is direct about this one. A Smog Check is required every other year to renew your vehicle registration. So most drivers are in here once every two years, and the renewal notice is what tells you which year is yours.
A smog check is also required when a vehicle changes ownership, which is a separate situation with its own rules. We cover that on our change of ownership page.
When You Do Not Need One
Plenty of drivers turn up here for a test they do not actually owe. The exemptions worth knowing:
- Gasoline vehicles eight model years and newer do not need a smog check for registration renewal. California charges a smog abatement fee with your registration instead.
- Gasoline vehicles from the 1975 model year and older are exempt entirely, which is why we test from 1976 forward.
- Diesel vehicles from the 1997 model year and older are exempt, as are diesels rated above 14,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
- Electric vehicles, motorcycles and trailers are exempt.
The eight model year window rolls forward every January. A vehicle that was exempt last year can be due this year, so go by what your renewal notice says rather than what you remember from last time.
What to Bring
- The vehicle and the keys
- Your DMV registration renewal notice, if one came in the mail
- Your coupon, printed or pulled up on your phone
That is genuinely it. No appointment is strictly required, though calling ahead on 925-246-9330 usually means little to no wait.
What Happens After the Test
Your certificate is transmitted to the DMV electronically and is valid for 90 days. If you are renewing online or by mail, the DMV will already have it by the time you get there.
If the vehicle does not pass, you get the full report showing exactly what failed. We are a test only station, so we do not do the repairs ourselves, which is also the reason you can trust the result. Take the report to a repair shop, then bring the vehicle back to us. Our current coupon includes one free retest for vehicles that fail.
Why a Test Only Station
A station that both tests and repairs has an obvious reason to find something wrong. We only test. There is nothing for us to sell you on the back of a failure, and after 20 years in Concord that reputation is most of why people keep coming back and sending their families in.
Smog Check for Registration Renewal Questions
How often do I need a smog check for registration renewal?
Every other year. The Bureau of Automotive Repair requires a Smog Check every other year to renew your vehicle registration, and your DMV renewal notice tells you whether one is due this time.
How long is the certificate good for?
Your certificate is sent to the DMV electronically and is valid for 90 days.
My car is nearly new. Do I still need a test?
Probably not yet. Gasoline vehicles that are eight model years and newer are exempt from the renewal smog check, and California charges a smog abatement fee with your registration instead. That window rolls forward every January, so check your renewal notice.
Do I need an appointment?
No, but calling ahead on 925-246-9330 usually means little to no wait, and we often have same day availability.