STAR Directed Smog Check
If your DMV notice says your vehicle must be tested at a STAR station, an ordinary smog shop cannot help you. We are a STAR certified test only station in Concord.
Getting a notice that singles your vehicle out is unsettling, and most people read it as a warning that something is wrong with the car. It usually is not. It means the state wants this particular vehicle tested somewhere held to a higher standard, and you need to go to a station that carries the STAR certification.
That is us. Bayside Smog is a STAR certified test only station, so you are in the right place. Bring the notice with you.
What Directed Actually Means
California's STAR program came out of Assembly Bill 2289 in 2010. It holds participating stations to tighter performance standards than an ordinary smog station, and the state directs certain vehicles to them rather than letting those vehicles be tested anywhere.
Being directed is not an accusation. It does not mean you have failed anything, and it does not mean your vehicle is about to. It means this vehicle has to be tested at a STAR station this time around.
If your notice names a STAR station requirement and you take the vehicle to a regular station anyway, the test will not satisfy the DMV. You will have paid for a test you cannot use.
STAR Certified and Test Only Are Two Different Things
This trips people up, so it is worth separating.
- STAR certified means the state holds the station to a higher standard and allows it to test directed vehicles. Some STAR stations test and also do repairs.
- Test only means the station does not perform repairs at all. It tests, and that is the whole business.
We are both. That combination matters more than it sounds. A station that can also sell you the repair has a reason to want your vehicle to fail. We have no repair bay, no parts counter and nothing to upsell. The result you get is just the result.
What to Bring
- The vehicle and the keys
- The DMV letter or notice that says STAR
- Your registration renewal notice if you have one
- Your coupon, printed or on your phone
If It Does Not Pass
You get the full report showing exactly what did not pass, and you take that to a repair shop of your choosing. Once the work is done, bring it back to us for the retest. Our current coupon includes one free retest for vehicles that fail.
Not sure whether your notice is a directed test or an ordinary renewal? Call 925-246-9330 and read it to us. We will tell you in a minute which one you are holding.
STAR Directed Smog Check Questions
What does it mean when the DMV directs me to a STAR station?
It means your vehicle has been selected for testing at a station the state holds to a higher standard, and an ordinary smog station cannot perform that test. Bayside Smog is a STAR certified test only station, so you are in the right place. Bring the notice with you.
Is being directed to a STAR station bad news?
No. It does not mean your vehicle has failed anything or is about to. It means this vehicle has to be tested at a STAR certified station this time around.
Can I use a regular smog station instead?
No. If your notice requires a STAR station, a test at an ordinary station will not satisfy the DMV and you will have paid for a test you cannot use.
What is the difference between STAR certified and test only?
STAR certified means the state holds the station to a higher standard and allows it to test directed vehicles. Test only means the station performs no repairs at all. Bayside Smog is both.