Smog Check Guide
Pre-1976 gasoline vehicles. Diesel pre-1998 or over 14000 gvwr. Electric vehicles. Motorcycles.
Source: California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) smog check program.
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| Vehicle | Smog check? | BAR rule |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, model year 1975 or older | Exempt | E006, E001, CLA001 |
| Gasoline, 1976–1995 | Required (tailpipe-only, pre-OBD) | CLA004 |
| Gasoline, 1996+ older than 8 model years | Required every 2 years | F001, E002 |
| Gasoline, within first 8 model years | Exempt (abatement fee instead) | E002 |
| Diesel, 1997 or older | Exempt | E006, E001 |
| Diesel, 1998+ under 14,000 lb | Required, every 2 years | DSL001 |
| Any vehicle over 14,000 lb GVWR | Exempt (Clean Truck Check instead) | E001, DSL001 |
| Fully electric (BEV) | Exempt — no inspection of any kind | E004, EV001 |
| Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) | Required after first 8 model years | EV002, E004 |
| Hybrid | Required after first 8 model years | HYB001, E003 |
| Motorcycle | Exempt | E005 |
| Trailer | Exempt | E001 |
Source: California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR).
Tap what you drive — get your answer in 10 seconds.
Pre-1976 gasoline vehicles. Diesel pre-1998 or over 14000 gvwr. Electric vehicles. Motorcycles.
8-year exemption from first sale year. Smog abatement fee paid instead. Exempt years count from model year. Applies to gasoline only.
No — hybrids are not exempt. They are treated like gasoline vehicles, so a smog check is required after the first 8 model years. Treated like gas vehicles. Only fully electric vehicles are exempt — plug-in hybrids still need smog. Permanent codes can cause fails.
Fully electric exempt. Phevs still need smog. Ev registration surcharge separate fee. No inspection required at all.
No motorcycles fully exempt. Applies to all on-road motorcycles. Off-road still exempt. No abatement fee either.
1975 and older gasoline. 1997 and older diesel. Exemption based on model year not registration year. No rolling exemption since 2005.
Pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are fully exempt from California's smog check program. No inspection is required — no tailpipe test, no OBD-II scan, and no visit to a smog station. The DMV automatically processes BEV registration without a smog certificate. PHEVs (plug-in hybrids) are not exempt and still require the standard biennial inspection. No tailpipe test, no OBD-II readiness scan, and no smog station visit required for BEVs. The DMV auto-flags registered BEVs and issues registration without requesting a smog certificate. Common exempt BEV models: Tesla Model 3/Y/S/X/Cybertruck, Rivian R1T/R1S, Lucid Air, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Bolt/EUV.
No fully exempt. Ev registration surcharge instead. No inspection required at all. Applies to all fully electric vehicles.