Question (a): 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis purchased new in Oregon, by my Mother-in-Law, who has
just moved to California to live with us. Does the original smog equipment on this car meet Calfifornia
standards? Is it worth trying to get the car "smogged" in California?
Question (b): I am trying to find the difference between California emissions requirements and that of Nevada,
but I am having trouble finding the information. I was wondering how hard it would be to buy a car
in Nevada and bring it over to California and it pass smog. Any info?
Answer: It's true, there is a difference with California legal and Federal legal emission requirements.
And, for the most part California is stricter. However, a USED vehicle which has all the Federal
required emission components, can pass the California smog inspection process and be legally
registered in this state. A vehicle which is equipped with the necessary Federal Emission Components
is eligible for California registration as long as the vehicle's exhaust emissions fall within
California's limits.
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Question: My question is how can I request for extention on my smog certificate. It's due today and I'm
having trouble passing the test due to the fact that I'm not having enough time to work on it myself
due to the fact that were preparing for inventory and time is short for me. I own a 1999 Toyota Corolla.
Answer: Here's what you can do. Go ahead and pay the registration fees and get your "half way papers"
(Not valid registration, but an attempt to show responsibility plus not be charged late fees). You
may then explain to the DMV agent your vehicle's repair situation and ask for at least a 30 day
Temporary Registration Tag. You can post this on your vehicle's rear window, and drive your vehicle
legally for 30 days or more, depending on the Temporary Tags you are given.
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Question: I lost the smog test results for my Ford pickup truck. I was wondering who is responsible for
keeping the data on Smog, and the results of inspections. Is this an outside provider, or handled within the
state of CA?
Answer: The information is kept at the VID (Vehicle Information Database) which is run by the State of
California's Bureau of Automotive Repairs and looked over by the California Air Resources Board. 99%
of the information in the database is not public record. The information that is, is the vehicle
smog check history report available through www.smogcheck.ca.gov.
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Question: Had a smog check done on my Honda Accord this morning (saturday 8:00am) tried to register
with the dmv tonight, but they said they haven't recieved my smog test yet.Was wondering how long after
a saturday smog check does it take so i can go online to register?
Answer: It usually take 48 hours. However even if the information is not yet in the DMV system, the VIR
report which you received at the smog station is proof enough of your vehicle's smog check results.
Hand this document to the DMV clerk and you will be able to continue with your vehicle's
registration.
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Question: I purchased a car… 1987 Toyota Camry from a private owner…he brought the price down once I
inquired about the smog certificate assuring me that it would pass as is. Well low and behold the car has not passed…how do I obtain legal ownership of this vehicle so that I can get the plates (yeah he sold it to me
without the plates on it) and either sell it or give it to charity? I don’t want to invest money into this car…it failed
and now I want it off of my hands.
Answer: Here's what you can do. Go ahead and pay the registration fees and get your "half way papers"
You may then explain to the DMV agent your vehicle's repair situation and ask for at least a 30 day
Temporary Registration Tag. Once you pay your fees the title will be transfered to you.
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Question: I have 2000 Dodge neon a little over 60000 miles on it. I am currently station in Germany, i am
planning on shipping my car which i bought in loiusiana, can you give an rough estimate on how much
the smog check is goinf to cost me? are we talking hundres or thousands of dollars? I also have a
2005 Toyota Sienna 6000 miles that i will ship by the end of the year, what do you think its going
to cost me for the smog check?
Answer: Vehicles from other countries are less likely to meet U.S. specifications. Vehicles that were not
built to meet U.S. specifications must be imported as gray-market vehicles. This can be extremely
expensive and time consuming. If you are considering importing a foreign vehicle, you should review
what the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has to say on this
subject, as CBP controls what vehicles may be brought into the United States. Your intended vehicle
must clear customs before it can be registered in any state. The costs for a laboratory to modify
and certify the emissions and safety equipment on a gray-market vehicle are considerable. You may
also wish to contact the California Air Resources Board for its brochure on gray-market vehicles.
PLEASE CALL: ARB at (800)242-4450.
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Question (a): I will be residing in Calaveras County, CA., and will be bringing my Nissan Xterra from the Bay
Area. Are the smog requirements different in Calaveras County vs. San Mateo County?
Question (b): I want to buy a Chevy Corvette out of state. I’ve heard things like you can’t because of ca. smog laws
or it’s ok because 02 and up are all smog legal in ca. Can you help me please?
Question (c): Hi, I am thinking of purchasing a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe from MO and I live in CA. It has Federal Emissions on it but not CA emissions. How hard will it be to get it CA certified so that I may register it here?
I need some idea on what may have to take place and cost ideas. I don't want to purchase this vehicle if I won't
be able to register it. Also, is it possible that it could pass smog on it's own?
Answer: There is a difference with California legal and Federal legal emission requirements. California
is stricter. However, a USED vehicle which has all the Federal required emission components, can
pass the California smog inspection process and be legally registered in this state. A vehicle which
is equipped with the necessary Federal Emission Components is eligible for California registration
as long as the vehicle's exhaust emissions fall within California's limits.
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Question: I have misplaced my smog test report which failed the smog test, how would i be able to get
another copy or information on that? The my Buick still needs to pass smog test and I have no paper work
on it. The registration is expired too.
Answer: Unfortunately the only place you can get a smog check report copy is the smog station where the
vehicle was tested. They may charge a fee to pull this record from there files.
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Question: I can't seem to find my paperwork from the dmv to get my Jaguar XJ6 smoged. Is it necessary to
have the paperwork in order to get one done?
Answer: No need to worry. The smog station you visit can inspect your vehicle without the Smog Check
Requirement From or registration renewal. The smog technician inspecting your vehicle can enter your
car's VIN number into the smog machine, and the machine will pull the required information from the
DMV's computer and allow him/her to perform the smog inspection. Once the inspection is complete,
the smog machine will automatically send the results to the DMV. You will not need to send in the
smog certificate.
