Right Column
Getting A Smog Check
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Step 4: What do I do if my vehicle fails a Smog Check.
If your vehicle fails a biennial smog check, you have several options to meet your smog check obligations.
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Have your vehicle diagnosed and repaired at a licensed Test and Repair station.
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Apply for Financial assistance for emissions-related repairs from the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP).
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Seek a Repair Cost Waiver or Economic Hardship Extension through the Referee System.
If you choose to have your vehicle diagnosed and repaired, keep in mind that all emission related repairs to correct a smog failure must be performed by a licensed smog technician at a licensed station.
If your vehicle is directed to a Test-Only or Gold Shield station, repairs cannot be performed at the Test-Only station, but the final, after repairs test may be done there, or at a Gold Shield station.
The Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) Repair Assistance Program consists of a Vehicle Retirement Program and a Repair Assistance Program. Eligibility for CAP requires:
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A failed biennial smog test (Note: vehicles with tampers are not eligible for Repair Assistance).
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Your household income must meet the CAP guidelines (See the CAP Application for details).
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Your vehicle is directed to a Test-Only or Gold Shield station.
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The Consumer Assistance Vehicle Retirement Program can purchase your vehicle for $1,000 if you do not wish to repair it. There are numerous recycler sites in the state to assist you in this process.
The Repair Assistance Program has partnered with over 480 Gold Shield stations to perform subsidized emission repairs up to $500. These repairs are reviewed by BAR technical staff and include an initial baseline smog test and a final test.
You must submit a CAP application and receive approval before attempting to repair or retire the vehicle. Please see the BAR webpage or contact CAP for further information regarding the Vehicle Retirement and Repair Assistance Programs.
The Repair Cost Waiver and Economic Hardship Extension processes are available if you have had some repairs performed to reduce emissions and cannot afford further repairs to pass the smog test. The Repair Cost Waiver and Economic Hardship Extension will allow you to register your vehicle for one biennial cycle, even if the vehicle still fails a smog test. To be eligible for a Repair Cost Waiver, the vehicle must not be tampered, and have at least $450 of emission related repairs performed by a licensed technician at a licensed station. The Economic Hardship Extension is available for low income consumers with vehicles needing repairs exceeding $250, in which case an estimate for repairs, following diagnosis by a licensed technician, will meet eligibility requirements. Both the Repair Cost Waiver and Economic Hardship Extentions are issued by the Referee.
