Hear from Our Customers
Your trucks need to pass Clean Truck Check emissions testing twice a year starting October 2024. Miss it, and the DMV puts a registration hold on your vehicle. That means no plates, no renewals, no operations.
The state doesn’t care where your truck is registered. If it operates in California and has a 2013 or newer engine with a GVWR over 14,000 pounds, it needs testing. Period.
Non-compliance isn’t just an administrative headache. You’re looking at fines up to $1,000 per vehicle per day. Drivers can face penalties up to $75,000 daily. Shippers who hire non-compliant carriers? They get hit with $10,000 fines per year, per carrier.
We handle CARB emissions testing for heavy-duty trucks in South Gate so you stay compliant, keep your registration active, and avoid the financial hit that comes with being out of service. You get your CARB certificate, your CTC-VIS reporting gets handled, and your fleet keeps moving.
All SMOG Motors is a STAR-Certified facility in South Gate, which means we meet the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s highest standards for technician qualifications, equipment maintenance, and testing accuracy. STAR certification isn’t automatic—it’s earned.
We’re located right in the heart of South Gate’s commercial corridor, serving fleet operators and owner-operators across the greater Los Angeles area. That includes businesses running routes through Commerce, Downey, and the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Here’s what we don’t do: we don’t test older trucks or lighter vehicles. Our service is specific to trucks model year 2013 or newer with a GVWR over 14,000 pounds. That’s it. We focus on what we know, and we know heavy-duty CARB compliance inside and out.
You bring your truck to our South Gate location. We run an OBD scan using CARB-certified testing equipment—this applies to 2013 and newer diesel engines and 2018 and newer alternative fuel engines. The scan pulls data directly from your truck’s onboard diagnostics system.
If your truck passes, we issue your CARB compliance certificate and submit the required data to CTC-VIS, California’s Clean Truck Check Vehicle Information System. That’s the state database that tracks compliance for every heavy-duty vehicle operating in California.
If something flags during testing, we’ll tell you exactly what the issue is. You’ll need to get it repaired, then come back for a retest. Once you pass, your compliance status updates with the DMV and you’re clear to operate.
The whole process takes far less time than a manual inspection, which can run one to three hours per vehicle. You’re in, you’re tested, you’re compliant. That’s the point.
Ready to get started?
You get a full OBD emissions scan performed with CARB-certified equipment. We check your truck’s engine data against California’s emissions standards, which are some of the strictest in the country.
After testing, you receive your official CARB compliance certificate. We also handle the CTC-VIS reporting on your behalf—meaning your compliance status gets logged with the state and the DMV automatically. No registration holds, no delays.
South Gate sits in the middle of one of the busiest freight corridors in the U.S. Trucks moving through here are hauling goods to and from the ports, through downtown LA, across state lines. California knows this, which is why enforcement is tight and penalties are steep.
Starting in 2027, testing frequency increases from twice a year to four times a year for OBD-equipped vehicles. The state is tightening the screws on emissions, and if you’re running a fleet in California, this is your new normal. We’re here to make sure you stay ahead of it without losing days to downtime or thousands to fines.
We only test trucks that are model year 2013 or newer and have a gross vehicle weight rating over 14,000 pounds. This includes diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles that fall into that weight class.
If your truck is older than 2013 or weighs less than 14,000 pounds GVWR, this service doesn’t apply. The Clean Truck Check program specifically targets newer, heavier vehicles because they’re required to have onboard diagnostics systems that can be scanned electronically.
This isn’t about turning away business. It’s about doing what we’re certified and equipped to do correctly. CARB compliance testing for heavy-duty vehicles requires specific tools, training, and reporting access—and that’s exactly what we’re set up for here in South Gate.
Right now, you need Clean Truck Check emissions testing twice a year—every six months. That requirement went into effect in October 2024, and it applies to nearly all diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty trucks operating in California.
Starting in October 2027, the frequency increases to four times per year for OBD-equipped vehicles. So if your truck has a 2013 or newer diesel engine or a 2018 or newer alternative fuel engine, you’ll eventually need testing every three months.
Compliance deadlines are tied to your vehicle’s reporting schedule in the CTC-VIS system. Miss a deadline, and the DMV can place a registration hold. That means your truck is grounded until you get tested and pass. It’s not optional, and the state enforces it at the DMV level, so there’s no workaround.
If your truck fails, we’ll give you a detailed report showing exactly what triggered the failure. Most failures come from issues flagged in the OBD system—things like sensor malfunctions, emission control system problems, or engine performance issues.
You’ll need to get the problem repaired by a qualified mechanic. Once the repairs are done, bring your truck back for a retest. When it passes, we issue your compliance certificate and update your status in CTC-VIS.
A failed test doesn’t mean you’re immediately hit with fines, but you can’t operate legally in California until you’re compliant. And if you keep running a non-compliant truck, that’s when penalties kick in—up to $1,000 per day per vehicle. The smarter move is to address the issue fast and get back on the road legally.
Yes. If your truck operates in California—even if it’s registered in another state—it’s subject to California’s Clean Truck Check requirements. The regulation applies to any heavy-duty vehicle with a GVWR over 14,000 pounds and a 2013 or newer engine that uses California roads.
This catches a lot of interstate carriers off guard, but CARB is clear: compliance isn’t based on where you’re registered. It’s based on where you operate. If you’re hauling freight into or through California, you need to be tested and compliant.
Out-of-state carriers who ignore this get hit hard. The DMV can place a registration hold even on vehicles registered elsewhere, and enforcement happens at weigh stations, inspections, and during routine stops. If you’re running California routes regularly, it’s worth getting tested at a certified facility like ours in South Gate to avoid the hassle and the fines.
The actual OBD scan and testing process typically takes 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your truck’s system and whether any issues come up during the scan. That’s significantly faster than the one to three hours that manual inspections used to take.
We’re set up specifically for heavy-duty vehicle testing, so we’re not juggling passenger cars and light trucks in the same queue. You’re coming to a facility that focuses on what you need—CARB emissions testing for trucks over 14,000 pounds GVWR.
Once testing is complete and your truck passes, we handle the CTC-VIS reporting right away. Your compliance certificate is issued, your status updates with the state, and you’re clear to operate. No waiting around for paperwork or wondering if your registration is going to get flagged at the DMV.
Non-compliance penalties are steep. You’re looking at fines up to $1,000 per vehicle per day. If you’re a driver operating a non-compliant truck, penalties can reach $75,000 per day. Shippers who hire non-compliant carriers face fines of $10,000 per year for each non-compliant carrier they use.
Beyond fines, the DMV will place a registration hold on your vehicle. That means no registration renewal, no plates, no legal operation. Your truck is effectively grounded until you get compliant.
For fleet operators, the financial and logistical impact adds up fast. One non-compliant truck can cost you thousands in fines and lost revenue from downtime. Multiply that across a fleet, and it becomes a serious operational risk. The cost of compliance testing is a fraction of what you’ll pay if you skip it and get caught—or worse, if your trucks get pulled off the road during peak season.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in South Gate
