Common Questions About The Smog Check Stockton CA Certified Technicians Perform

By Amy Graham


Whether or not you have concerns about the air you breathe, if you own a car in many states, you can not drive it without an emissions inspection. An emissions test is done to determine the level of pollutants your car is emitting when you are driving it. Your vehicle has to pass this test before you can get your license renewed. Requirements vary from state to state. In order to conduct what California refers to as a smog check Stockton CA technicians, and others around the state, have to be certified.

Drivers with relatively new cars question whether the tests are necessary for them. In California, if your vehicle was built in the last six years, you don't need the test. There is an annual abatement fee that will be your responsibility however. It's just the certification itself that is unnecessary for the six year period.

Drivers want to know who qualifies for an exemption from the test. Your vehicle has to be tested if it is gas powered and manufactured after 1975. If you have a vehicle that runs on diesel, you will need the test if the vehicle was manufactured after 1997.

Certain vehicles do qualify for exemptions. Vehicles weighing over fourteen thousand pounds are exempt. Trailers and motorcycles do not have to be tested. The State of California does not allow any special exemption for active or retired military personnel or their families.

The question that concerns drivers the most is what happens if their vehicle doesn't pass the test. In this case, the car has to be taken to an auto shop or dealer who can make the necessary repairs. After that it has to be retested. You can dispute the results of the emissions test.

You may qualify for repair assistance through the BAR Consumer Assistance Program. You might also be able to get paid for voluntarily retiring your vehicle from the roadways through this same program. The maximum payment is $1500.

Drivers often do not understand what a STAR station is or why they are required to use one. These are stations that have met the requirements of BAR for testing or testing and repairs. The services available at a STAR station must be posted. For more information on a STAR station near you, you can go to smogcheck.ca.gov. These stations replaced the Gold Star and Test Only programs.

Drivers ask about the what they have to give buyers when they sell a car. In this instance, the seller is responsible for providing the buyer with a valid certification when the vehicle is sold or transferred. The certification will be valid for 90 days from the date it was issued. The buyer has to pay the smog transfer fee.

People who are gifted with a vehicle have questions about the inspection requirements. If the vehicle is registered in California to a parent, grandparent, grandchild, spouse or domestic partner, or sibling, the person receiving the vehicle is exempt from an inspection. Other family members are not.




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