California has the strictest emission regulations in the country. Among other clean air requirements in the state, California registration renewal requires a smog check to ensure emission equipment on vehicles continues to function properly and have not been altered since the last inspection.
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Some vehicles are not required to meet smog requirements. These include:
- Vehicles that are 1975 or older models that are powered by gasoline
- Vehicles that are 1997 or older models that are diesel powered and have a Gross Vehicle Weight of 14,000 lbs. or more
- Vehicles that are natural gas powered with a Gross Vehicle Weight of 14,000 lbs. or more
- Electric vehicles
- Motorcycles
Vehicles that are gasoline-powered, hybrids, and alternative-fuel vehicles that are 1976 and newer model years require a Smog Check, with two exceptions:
- Six model-year and newer vehicles do not need a biennial (every other year) inspection
- Four model-year and newer vehicles do not need a change-of-ownership inspection
What is California’s Smog Check program and what does it entail? What happens if your vehicle does not meet smog requirement and can you renew registration without smog?
What is the Smog Check Program?
The Smog Check program is a statewide program administered by The California Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR). Vehicles are inspected at more than 7,000 licensed and independent service stations throughout California.
The purpose of the Smog Check inspection is designed to identify cars that are producing excess emissions so they can be repaired to meet statewide standards.
Pricing of Smog Check inspections will vary according to the site selected, however, each will include an $8.25 certification fee that funds the program.
A Smog Check is usually completed in 20 to 30 minutes.
What Happens if Your Vehicle Does Not Meet Requirement?
If your vehicle does not meet standards, you will be given an opportunity to get the repairs done that will bring your vehicle into compliance. Once re-rested after repairs, and if the vehicle passes the Smog Check, it will be certified compliant.
Can you renew registration without smog?
It is important to keep in mind that if your vehicle either has not been inspected or has failed its Smog Check test, you can still start your California registration renewal either online or in person.
This allows you to avoid any associated late fees. It is equally important to remember that you will not receive your renewed registration or your updated year sticker until the DMV has received your Smog Check verification.
The point is, even if you haven’t completed the required Smog Check or if your vehicle didn’t pass the test, you can and should renew your registration in a timely fashion to avoid penalties. You should also remember that your Smog Check certification is valid only for 90 days following inspection.
The State of California has an entire website devoted to the Smog Check program. There is a complete section dedicated to Smog Check frequently asked questions.
40 comments
Hi all. Question. I had knee surgery and my truck registration lapsed. I do need a smog do I get a temporary sticker aka day trip pass to have someone drive it there for me?
Wishing you fast recovery from the surgery. The CA DMV offers “temporary operating permits”, T.O.P. for certain conditions, including to drive the vehicle to get a smog test and/or repairs after a failed smog. In all/most cases, the registration fees have to be up to date before you can apply for T.O.P. You can read about the different T.O.P options and their requirements here: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/license-plates-decals-and-placards/temporary-operating-permits/
As of Aug 2022, my 98′ Camry required a Smog Certificate. I paid the registration renewal fee for 2022 before the deadline to avoid accruing late fees. My car has not passed smog and will not until I can afford the repair fees. Since I have yet to complete the renewal for last year, will I be able to pay the registration renewal fee again this year even though the car still requires it to pass a smog test?
You can place the vehicle in Planned Nonoperation (PNO) meaning that the vehicle will not be driven, towed, stored, or parked on public roads or highways for the entire registration year. Since the vehicle cannot pass the smog test it should not be driven. With None Operations you could pay less yearly for registration fees.
My toyota camry 1993 with mileage of 109,200 failed smog test twice and I am so afraid to have it smogged again the 3rd time even mechanics are working on the problem why it failed but the mechanics are also put the car to be analyzed and they said it need to replace a gasket and it requires 5 hours of labor and I will be charged $1105.00. So I told them if it’s not for sure to pass the smog I am not saying yes. They told me to search some more and will let me know. The thing is I am thinking of giving my car to the Dept of pollution control for a fee of $1200.00 but I don’t know how to do it. Can you tell me how to give my car if I decide to accept the offer of $1200.00? Thank you.
Hello there, eTags handles registrations and titles for all sorts of vehicles but we don’t deal with Dept. of Pollution. However a quick search online revealed there are plenty of local districts. So just type in your city and you’ll find what you need.
If I have an expired registration and a new address since last time will I still be able to do the process through here?
Hey there. Use this site to change your address online with the state. Once your address is changed, we can complete the renewal. It could take 2 months for your address to officially be updated. Visit our website and place an order for registration renewal. If you’re able, a trip to DMV in person would be faster all around.
I need help here. I paid my registration fees in January 2022 but didn’t do my smog check till December 2022. It did pass though. Am I going to get in trouble for doing it so late? I tried renewing my registration for January 2023 but it did not let me. I feel dumb for waiting this long and now I’m scared.
Hello! Thank you for your question. Please don’t feel dumb! Things happen! Since you paid your registration fees in January, this should have stopped any late fees from accumulating. It’s possible that your smog check was remitted to the state during off-business hours or when the state system was down. This would result in a delay in renewing your current registration. If you still need to renew the registration, please place an order here, on our site. Our dedicated team will be able to walk you through the process, and inform you of any fees that are unpaid and what you need to do to make sure your vehicle is legal on the road! I hope this helps! If you have further questions or need any assistance after placing an order, please email me at sara@etags.com.
I paid my registration fee but did not get my smog done yet, how long do I have to do it
Hi Trevor! If you paid your registration fee, you won’t continue to accumulate late fees! If your tag is expired, you’re still at risk for tickets or worse being towed. I’d recommend getting your tag as soon as possible.
My engine light is on I Did pay reI did pay registration but I haven’t gotten my smog yet it says that I have three months and I think I’m a little late but should I go to the DMV and get a extension
Hello! Thank you for reaching out! If you’ve paid the fees, the registration will not collect any more late fees. However, your registration won’t be current until you complete your smog inspection. To avoid any tickets, go ahead and get that smog completed as soon as possible!
Once smog is completed does the dmv automatically send the tags? Registration have been paid. Or what do we do?
Once you complete/pass the smog test, the DMV may automatically mail out the tags. If you processed your order with eTags, we request that you contact us so that we may clear the smog requirement as soon as possible. We are able to digitally verify smog compliance and can do so more quickly if you notify our support team. Our team regularly checks smog compliance status regardless.
If I pay the tags and complete the smog after the fees have posted will DMV automatically mail tags?
The great thing about paying your tags on time with eTags is that we do pay your registration when you place the order with us. Once you complete and pass your smog test, all you would need to do is let us know that it was completed. We confirm with DMV and would provide you with an updated Digital registration card for temp use and mail you your original registration card and stickers.
Mind you that if you have any citations pending those will also need to be paid, the great thing is that you can do that with us also.
I live in CA, I did not pass my smog. The due date to renew my registration is 7/20/2022. I am waiting for new parts come in, but due to the shortage, I won’t be able to get the catalyst converter replace before 7/20/2022.
My question is (1) if the part arrives in August, can I still drive the car to the auto shop to have my car repaired? Will I get ticket since the red tag is expired? (2) if I pay my registration renew fee before 7/20/22 but have not pass the smog test, in order to get my car register, how many days do I have to complete and pass the smog check after 7/20/22 (ie. is there any time constraint to complete and pass the smog test) ?
Thank you very much.
Vicki
You can still place an order with etags and pay for your renewal before the due date and that way you wont accumulate late fees. You will not be able to get stickers to drive the vehicle freely but once the part is in we can provided you with a one day pass to get your vehicle to the auto shop to get the repairs. The time period to get the vehicle fix is up to you, the reason for this is because you cant drive the vehicle until its fix
In California,
You can have a 2 months extention after your tag due date to drive anywhere you want but you will have to get a special sticker with a big number on it (example 1 for jan and 12 for december) and you will have to pay an extra fee for it as well. All is done at the DMV. The DMV can also give you a special paper slip that you can fill out on the day that you decided to drive your vehicle to the repair shop. You have to ask for it. Hope that helps.
Hello i paid registration fees but car isn’t running so I had it parked in the drive way and when I went to pay DMV said o h e to wait 60 days before tags are due again to put it on a non-op. Can I still receive a ticket in my car is in my drive way and registration is paid up just don’t have tags since no smog?
Please refer this question to local Highway patrol as each county has different laws pertaining to vehicle storage.
Your driveway is not a public road so it is ok to park your expired tag vehicle there. If you want no smog require in the state of california, there are a few counties that do not require smog test. On top of my head is riverside, san diego, eldorado, san bernadino counties and a few others, you will have to search for it online. What you do is you go make a p.o. box in that county and have all mail for your car to be sent there. This will mean your car is a resident of that county so no smog test needed. Getting a P.O. Box comes with a yearly fee though. This is what racers and modified car guys are doing.
I currently have not yet registered my car due to smog and already have late fees. Can I still register my car through this website and will the fees be included as well?
Hi there!
Sure you can! eTags will pull your fee information directly from the California state DMV. This will include all past-due amounts including late payments. An estimate of your fees will be provided to you at checkout once you place your order. Head over to our website and choose registration renewal to get started.
I paid reg Due Nov2. A few days before I failed smog. I want to retire thu cash for clunkers.I sent application That requires paid fees and failed smog. I do not need a red sticker. While waiting approval will my parked vechicle get impounded ?
Here’s the answer from our agents: If his tags are expired or he doesn’t have a valid registration tag and it’s on public roads, he risks getting ticketed or towed. The vehicle retirement program actually requires that the owner surrender his title and license plates at a DMV. The DMV will provide the red 30-day moving permit to drive the vehicle to a designated junk yard. The junk yard will then provide him a check and a release of liability.
Help, my renew registration is due tomorrow June 8th along with a smog check, but I can’t smog my car since it’s in the body shop! Can I pay my amount due fees now??And then later this week once I get my car back then smog it?? Or will dmv stop me? I’m not in a rush to get my new registration and tags, I just don’t wanna pay late penalties.
Go to https://www.etags.com/app/ca?utm_source=blog_question and you can pay your registration fees right away to avoid late penalties. We’ll provide you with a digital copy of your new registration card that you can download and save or print as proof registration payment.. Once you have completed the smog, just let us know and we will ship out you sticker.
I registered my car in a county where smog is required only for change of ownership in January. My registration is due in May. However, when I received the registration renewal, it says smog is required. Why is that? Thanks.
Hey there, eTags is not the DMV so we can’t help with your smog situation. But check out the CA DMV webpage info at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/smog-inspections/ for more details. You could also contact the DMV in the county you were mentioning and ask about your specific case.
Can I drive in California a registered car that did not pass smog test? What is the penalty if any? Can I get a traffic ticket? If so, is it a moving violation?
Hey there, this article should help https://carbrain.com/blog/california-smog-check-what-happens-if-you-fail-your-car-emissions-testing “If your vehicles smog check doesn’t pass, you have two choices: repairing the faulty components or stop driving your car. Your DMV registration can’t be renewed if your smog check fails.”
I have a 2000 Honda accord se and the catalyst converter needs changed but California doesn’t allow me to buy it so how am I supposed to pass my smog if you guys made it impossible to do so now.
Hello Violet. You will need to contact the DMV in California to get more information about the status of your vehicle and what alternative actions you need to take to meet the smog check requirements.
I just changed my address for my vehicle online and have to wait 3 days to update it in the system. Do I need to wait till it’s updated in the DMV records to go get my smog
Hello Andrew. The address needs to be updated prior to posting registration fees for it to appear updated on the registration card. The smog has no correlation to this situation.
Thanks for this article about renewing without smog. it’s good to know that there’s a chance to get repairs if your vehicle doesn’t meet standards. I’m interested to learn if these repairs need to be accomplished in a certain time frame or not.
Hello Taylor. You must make any repairs prior to the expiration of your registration. You’ll receive a registration renewal notice stating the time you need to pass another inspection so you could plan ahead.