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When your truck is flagged on I-215 or you get a Notice to Submit to Testing in the mail, the last thing you need is confusion about what to do next. A failed or missed Clean Truck Check doesn’t just mean paperwork it means a DMV registration hold, a truck that can’t legally run, and income that stops the moment your wheels do.
Highgrove sits directly on the I-215 corridor, one of the most active freight routes in Riverside County. CARB deploys roadside emissions monitoring devices along this stretch, and trucks operating through this area get flagged more often than most people expect. If your truck is 2013 or newer with a GVWR over 14,000 pounds, you’re in the program and staying current means staying on the road.
The Inland Empire has been called out repeatedly for some of the worst air quality in the country. That’s directly tied to the diesel freight traffic running through communities like Highgrove every day. CARB’s Clean Truck Check program exists because of this region, and enforcement here is active. Getting tested and submitted isn’t just a box to check. It’s what keeps your operation moving without a $10,000-per-day fine hanging over it.
All SMOG Motors is a CARB-credentialed Clean Truck Check testing provider based in Perris, CA directly south of Highgrove on the I-215 corridor. That’s not a coincidence. We built this operation to serve the same stretch of Riverside County that Highgrove truck operators travel every day.
Our CARB credential isn’t a marketing claim. It’s a state-issued certification listed in CARB’s public tester database, earned by completing the official Heavy-Duty I/M Tester Training Course and passing a proctored exam. Every test we perform uses CARB-certified OBD equipment not a generic scanner and results are submitted directly and electronically to CTC-VIS the same day. You don’t touch the portal. We handle that part.
We work exclusively with model year 2013 or newer heavy-duty vehicles over 14,000 pounds GVWR. That focus matters. When a provider does one thing, we do it right.
First, confirm your truck qualifies: model year 2013 or newer, GVWR over 14,000 pounds, and operating on California public roads including I-215 through Highgrove. If that’s your truck, you’re in the program regardless of where it’s registered. Out-of-state plates don’t exempt you from California’s Clean Truck Check requirements.
Once you schedule with us, the test itself is an OBD-based emissions scan using CARB-certified equipment. We read your truck’s onboard diagnostic system directly no guesswork, no visual inspection substitutes. The test is designed specifically for the 2013-and-newer vehicle population because that’s the generation of trucks equipped with the OBD systems CARB’s program requires. Older trucks and lighter vehicles aren’t part of this program, which is exactly why we don’t test them.
After the test, we submit results electronically to CARB’s CTC-VIS system on the same day. You get confirmation, your compliance record is updated in the state database, and your truck is clear to run. If you’ve received a Notice to Submit to Testing, you have 30 calendar days from the date on that letter so the sooner you schedule with us, the more runway you have if anything unexpected comes up.
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Every Clean Truck Check through All SMOG Motors includes the OBD emissions test performed with CARB-certified equipment, direct electronic submission to CTC-VIS, and confirmation that your compliance record has been updated in the state system. You don’t need to log into any portal, upload any documents, or follow up to verify the submission went through. We handle that.
For Highgrove-area operators, this matters more than it might somewhere else. The I-215 corridor runs directly through this community, and CARB’s roadside monitoring presence along Riverside County freeways is real and active. Trucks flagged here face a 30-day window to submit a passing test from a credentialed tester not just any mechanic, not a generic smog shop, and not a tester using non-approved equipment. A test that doesn’t meet CARB’s requirements doesn’t count, and that failure falls entirely on the truck owner.
The annual CARB compliance fee is $31.18 per vehicle in 2025, paid separately to the state. Semi-annual testing two tests per year is already in effect. By October 2027, most trucks in the program will move to quarterly testing, meaning four times per year. If you operate a small fleet out of Highgrove or Riverside County, establishing a testing schedule with us now makes sense. We show up consistently, not just once.
If your truck is model year 2013 or newer and has a GVWR over 14,000 pounds, yes it needs to be tested under California’s Clean Truck Check program. This applies to any qualifying vehicle operating on California public roads, including I-215 through Highgrove. It doesn’t matter where the truck is registered. An owner-operator running a Texas-plated semi through Riverside County on a regular basis is subject to the same requirements as a locally registered truck.
The program is enforced through CARB’s roadside emissions monitoring devices deployed along California freeways, including the I-215 corridor that runs directly through Highgrove. If your truck is flagged, you’ll receive a Notice to Submit to Testing with a 30-day deadline. The safest move is to stay current before that letter arrives not after.
A failed test doesn’t automatically mean your truck is grounded, but it does start a clock. You’ll need to address whatever caused the failure typically an emissions-related fault code stored in the truck’s OBD system and then retest with a credentialed tester before your compliance deadline. The key is not waiting until the last minute, because repair shops in the Inland Empire can get backed up, especially during peak freight seasons when trucks are running hard on routes like I-215.
We submit test results directly to CTC-VIS, so if your truck passes on a retest, your compliance record is updated the same day. If you’re working against a 30-day NST deadline in Highgrove or the surrounding area, that turnaround matters. Getting tested early within the 90-day window before your compliance due date gives you time to repair and retest without the pressure of an expiring deadline.
As of 2025, semi-annual testing is in effect that means two tests per year, roughly every six months. By October 2027, the program moves to quarterly testing for most vehicles, which is four times per year. This isn’t a temporary requirement that’s going away. It’s a permanent part of operating a qualifying diesel truck in California, and the frequency is only increasing.
For Highgrove-area operators running freight along the I-215 corridor or hauling into the Riverside County distribution network, building a testing schedule now makes more sense than scrambling every time a deadline approaches. The 90-day window before each compliance due date is your buffer use it. Waiting until the last week of that window leaves no room if the truck needs a repair before it can pass.
CTC-VIS stands for Clean Truck Check Vehicle Inspection System it’s the CARB-managed database where all Heavy-Duty I/M test results are recorded and where your truck’s compliance status lives. Every qualifying vehicle needs to be registered in the system, and every test result needs to be submitted there by a credentialed tester after the test is complete.
The good news is that you don’t have to manage the submission side of this yourself when you test with us. We submit results electronically to CTC-VIS on the same day as your test. If your truck isn’t yet registered in the system, that’s something to address before your first test and it’s worth doing sooner rather than later, especially if you’ve already received any communication from CARB about your vehicle’s compliance status. Many Highgrove owner-operators who are new to the program find the portal confusing, which is exactly why having a tester who handles the submission end is worth it.
Yes. California’s Clean Truck Check program applies to any qualifying heavy-duty diesel vehicle operating on California public roads the registration state doesn’t factor in. If your truck is model year 2013 or newer, has a GVWR over 14,000 pounds, and you’re driving it through Riverside County, through Highgrove on I-215, or anywhere else in California, you’re subject to the program.
This catches a lot of out-of-state owner-operators off guard, particularly those hauling into the Inland Empire’s distribution network from Nevada, Arizona, or other western states. CARB’s roadside monitoring devices don’t check registration they screen emissions. If your truck gets flagged on I-215 and you haven’t been tested, the 30-day Notice to Submit to Testing applies to you the same as anyone else. We can test and submit for out-of-state registered vehicles the process is the same.
CARB enforcement for Clean Truck Check non-compliance can reach up to $10,000 per vehicle per day. Beyond the fines, non-compliance triggers an automatic DMV registration hold which means your truck can’t legally operate in California until the hold is cleared. For freight operators in Highgrove and Riverside County, that’s not just a legal problem. It’s a revenue problem. A truck sitting in a yard because of a registration hold is a truck not earning.
There’s also the port access angle. Drayage operators and carriers working with freight brokers or port facilities are increasingly required to show proof of CARB compliance before loads are assigned. In a logistics-heavy community like Highgrove where the transportation and distribution sector is one of the largest employers in Riverside County losing freight access over a missed compliance deadline is a real and avoidable business risk. The cost of testing is a small fraction of what non-compliance can cost you in a single week.
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