Hear from Our Customers
Starting January 1, 2025, every compliance deadline requires a passing emissions test. That’s not a suggestion from CARB—it’s enforcement. If your trucks don’t pass, the DMV holds your registration and your vehicles can’t legally operate in California.
The fines hit hard. You’re looking at up to $1,000 per day per vehicle, and in some cases up to $10,000 per vehicle. That’s not counting the revenue you lose when your trucks are sitting instead of hauling.
You need testing done by someone who’s CARB-certified, uses the right equipment, and understands the OBD requirements for 2013 and newer diesel engines. That’s what keeps your fleet moving and your business operating without interruption.
We serve truck operators right here in Avocado Heights and throughout the San Gabriel Valley. We’re certified by CARB to perform emissions testing on heavy-duty vehicles, and our testers hold current credentials required by the state.
We’re not a general smog shop trying to figure out truck compliance on the fly. We use CARB-certified OBD testing devices specifically designed for 2013 and newer diesel engines over 14,000 pounds GVWR. That’s the equipment CARB requires, and it’s what ensures your test results get submitted correctly to their database.
You’re dealing with regulations that can shut down your operation. We handle this testing every day for fleet owners who need it done right the first time.
First, we verify your truck qualifies for the service. This testing applies only to trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating over 14,000 pounds and model year 2013 or newer with diesel engines. If your truck is older or lighter, different requirements apply and this isn’t the right test.
Once we confirm eligibility, we connect our CARB-certified OBD testing device to your truck’s diagnostic system. The device pulls emissions data directly from your truck’s onboard computer. For 2013 and newer diesel engines, this is what CARB requires—no smoke opacity test, just OBD data submission.
The test itself doesn’t take long. When your truck passes, we submit the results directly to the CARB database. That submission is what clears your compliance deadline and prevents registration holds. You can submit test results up to 90 days before your deadline, which gives you flexibility to plan around your operation schedule instead of scrambling at the last minute.
Ready to get started?
CARB’s Clean Truck Check program requires semi-annual testing starting in 2025. That means twice a year, every year. In October 2027, that increases to quarterly testing for OBD-equipped vehicles. The annual compliance fee is $32.13 per vehicle as of 2026.
Here in Avocado Heights, you’re 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles with direct access to SR-60 and I-605. Your trucks are moving through some of the most heavily monitored areas in California. CARB uses roadside emissions monitoring devices and automated license plate readers to identify high-emitting vehicles. They’ve been doing this since January 2023.
If you receive a Notice to Submit to Testing, you have 30 calendar days to submit passing results. Miss that window and the penalties start immediately. The testing requirement went into effect October 1, 2024, so if you haven’t tested yet and your deadline is coming up, you’re running out of time.
This isn’t something you can put off or hope goes away. The enforcement is real, the technology is in place, and CARB is actively monitoring commercial vehicles across California.
Only trucks that meet both requirements: model year 2013 or newer with diesel engines, and a gross vehicle weight rating over 14,000 pounds. Both conditions must be true.
If your truck is model year 2012 or older, you need a smoke opacity test instead of OBD testing. If your truck is under 14,000 pounds GVWR, different smog check requirements apply. This specific CARB Clean Truck Check testing is designed exclusively for heavy-duty trucks with the newer OBD-equipped diesel engines.
Check your truck’s door jamb sticker for the GVWR and your registration for the model year. If you’re not sure whether your truck qualifies, bring that information when you call and we’ll confirm whether this is the right test for your vehicle.
Starting in 2025, you’re required to test twice per year—that’s semi-annual testing. Your specific deadlines are assigned by CARB based on your vehicle information.
In October 2027, the frequency increases to quarterly testing for OBD-equipped vehicles. That means four times per year. The testing schedule is getting more frequent, not less, so building this into your maintenance routine now makes sense.
You can submit passing test results up to 90 days before your compliance deadline. That early submission window is there so you can plan testing around your operational schedule instead of waiting until the last minute and risking downtime if something needs repair.
If your truck fails, you need to get the emissions issue repaired and then retest. You can’t submit a passing result to CARB until the truck actually passes.
The problem is timing. If you’re up against a compliance deadline, you have limited time to diagnose the issue, get parts, complete repairs, and retest. If you miss your deadline, the DMV places a registration hold on your vehicle and you can’t legally operate it in California until you submit a passing test.
That’s why testing early matters. If you test 60 or 90 days before your deadline and something fails, you have time to handle repairs without your truck sitting idle during your busiest season. Waiting until the week before your deadline is when fleet owners run into serious operational problems.
Testing costs typically range from $50 to $199 depending on the provider and whether you’re testing multiple vehicles. There’s also an annual compliance fee of $32.13 per vehicle that CARB charges separately.
Compare that to the cost of non-compliance. Fines run up to $1,000 per day per vehicle, and in some cases up to $10,000 per vehicle. A single registration hold can cost you more in lost revenue than a year’s worth of testing.
The bigger cost is downtime. Traditional inspection methods take one to three hours per vehicle. That’s $300 to $900 in lost productivity per truck. When you’re running a fleet, those hours add up fast. The testing itself is a small expense compared to what non-compliance or inefficient testing processes cost your operation.
If your diesel truck is model year 2012 or older, you need a smoke opacity test instead of OBD testing. That’s a different test with different equipment.
The OBD testing we’re discussing here is specifically for 2013 and newer diesel engines over 14,000 pounds GVWR. CARB requires OBD data submission for these newer trucks because they’re equipped with onboard diagnostic systems that monitor emissions in real time.
Older trucks don’t have the same OBD systems, so CARB uses smoke opacity testing to measure visible emissions from the exhaust. Both tests meet CARB requirements, but they’re different procedures. Make sure you’re getting the correct test for your truck’s model year or you won’t satisfy your compliance deadline.
Bring your vehicle registration and any compliance notices you’ve received from CARB. We need to verify your truck’s model year, GVWR, and VIN to confirm it qualifies for OBD testing.
If you’ve received a Notice to Submit to Testing from CARB, bring that too. It includes your deadline and specific instructions. Remember, you only have 30 calendar days from receiving that notice to submit passing results.
If you’re testing multiple trucks, having all the registration documents organized by vehicle makes the process faster. We can often handle fleet testing more efficiently when you bring several trucks at once, but we need the paperwork for each vehicle to submit results correctly to the CARB database.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in Avocado Heights
