# CA emission laws
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 15, 2000, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709 "2000-03-15T11:42:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2000, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/1 "2000-03-15T11:42:00Z")
If I move to California and bring my car with me, how expensive will it be to retrofit the vehicle to meet the state’s emission standards?
A dry question, I know; I appreciate any info. Thanks.
DHR
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### Author:  [@EnigmaOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnigmaOne)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2000, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/2 "2000-03-15T12:09:00Z")
Not my field of expertise, but, unless they went and changed the law on me, you won’t have to retrofit your passenger vehicles.
Anyone else have more competent info on that?
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– **Kalél**
_Common ¢ for all ages…_
“Well, there was that thing with the Cheese-Wiz…but I’m feeling **much** better now!” – John Astin, Night Court
“If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.”
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2000, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/3 "2000-03-15T13:22:00Z")
Check out [http://www.dmv.ca.gov/faq/smogfaq.htm](http://www.dmv.ca.gov/faq/smogfaq.htm)
There’s a “contact us” link of course.
> [@](#):
>
> Smog inspections are required for all vehicles, except, diesel powered vehicles,
> motorcycles, or 1973 and older year models. Vehicles registered in areas subject to the
> biennial smog certification program are required to submit evidence of a smog certification every other renewal period.
> [@](#):
>
> Which counties require a smog inspection for the registration renewal?
>
> Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, King, Los Angeles,
> Madera, Marin, Merced, Montery, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Benito,
> San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara,
> Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, and
> Yuba.
>
> Partial Counties are: El Dorado, Placer, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and
> Sonoma.
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### Author:  [@mipsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipsman)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2000, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/4 "2000-03-15T14:34:00Z")
I have immigrated back to Calif several times and gone thru this. Even if your car was not originally manaufactured to Calif smog standards, the smog certification mechanics can make adjustments to bring your car into compliance. However, these adjustments will almost certainly result in decreased performance. Start saving up for the registration process, it is not cheap.
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### Author:  [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2000, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/5 "2000-03-15T22:24:00Z")
I have to second Mipsman on that. It’s not so much the smog as the registration that will drain your pocketbook. When my wife and I moved to San Diego from Texas, we sold off our 1990 Thunderbird because when you factored in that it needed a major service before that drive (in the blazing summer heat) and the costs of registering it in CA, versus what the car was worth, it was basically a wash, and it made more sense to sell it there and just come out in one car and a small U-Haul.
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/6 "2000-03-16T01:35:00Z")
What state are you coming from? Maybe your state already meets our requirements?
Like the guy said, registering a car in California ain’t no where cheap. I’ve seen lots of people sell their car in Calif cause they can’t afford registration.
If you can’t pay for the smog modification you can pay $250 of it & waiver the rest maybe.
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### Author:  [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/7 "2000-03-16T03:33:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Originally posted by handy:
> **What state are you coming from? Maybe your state already meets our requirements?**
handy, I will probably purchase a car in Texas (because I can get a discount through a relative) and then bring it to California.
So what’s this registration thing? You mean that regardless of emission requirements, I’ll have to pay this one way or another? How much is it?
Jeez, since I’ll only be in California for 2 years for school, maybe I ought to lease a car.
DHR
* * *
_Now I be the big-nose rappin’ man/Funkin’ 'em up with brother George 'cause I can . . ._
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/8 "2000-03-16T04:44:00Z")
I bought a '99 Jeep Cherokee last year. I just renewed the registration and it cost $300 (compared to a Chevy Sprint Metro I used to have that was registered in Oregon – $24 for two years). Insurance is high in CA too.
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### Author:  [@Lawmill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawmill)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/9 "2000-03-16T04:48:00Z")
I registered my $2000 Toyota MR 2 at a cost of about $230. The California DMV is also understaffed/slow, so expect to spend at least an hour in line.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/10 "2000-03-16T13:22:00Z")
You can cut your wait if you call the DMV and set up an appointment.
There was something about people from out-of-state being overcharged for registration (?) on the DMV web site. I didn’t read it, but since it may affect you, you might.
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### Author:  [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/11 "2000-03-16T15:20:00Z")
I can offer some insight into this registration cost thing, having been quite pleased when I registered my '92 Taurus in Ohio last year.
California charges a property tax at the time of registration, equal to some predetermined percentage of the presumed value of the vehicle. The presumed value is set by tables, based on depreciation over the years. The older the car, the less expensive it is to register. The tax is deductible as a personal property tax, though I can’t recall if that is only on the state form or also true on the 1040.
As for the smog certificate, let’s just say that it might be better to live outside the counties in question. 😉
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/12 "2000-03-16T15:40:00Z")
We have a state but we don’t know what type of car.
Anyway, registering a regular car from another state is 10% of the value of the car, or was when I asked someone but it’s probably not the same today. Assume a $20,000 car:
registration; $2,000 min.
new California prison made plates: ? $50
transfer charges: $50 ?
smog modifications if necessary:$250+
But hey, 1. You don’t know what car 2. You don’t know what year it is going to be 3. You don’t know the value 4. you know the state.
So looks like we are going to have to retype all this later…sigh
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### Author:  [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2000, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/13 "2000-03-16T16:35:00Z")
I’m in the same predicament as Doghouse, since I’m moving out to Escondido in June.
I have a '93 Ford Tempo (hey, it runs and it’s paid for) with about 90K on it. Insurance here runs about $100 a month, and registration is about $55. Except for the time I had an oil leak, I’ve always passed Texas inspection without any trouble.
Can anyone give me a clue as to what to expect? Is there _any_ way I can get out of registering immediately, since I have to pay this year’s Texas registration this week?
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2000, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/14 "2000-03-17T16:14:00Z")
’
Can anyone give me a clue as to what to expect? Is there _any_ way
I can get out of registering immediately, since I have to pay this
year’s Texas registration this week?’
If you are in the military, there are exceptions. Call you Dmv, ask them.
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### Author:  [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2000, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ca-emission-laws/8709/15 "2000-03-17T16:27:00Z")
Phouka,
I’d drive around with your Texas plates and registration for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. My wife registered her car in Texas right before we left to come to San Diego and she only recently bit the bullet and re-registered in California a year later. So you can at least wait it out. I believe technically you are supposed to re-register the car within 30 days of establishing residence in the state, but I say bullshit, since you would be giving up months of the registration you already pre-paid for. I’d either wait until your year runs out, or a cop pulls you over and gives you a ‘fix-it’ ticket for it, whichever comes first. Still, if the cop asks, you can either be “just visiting” or else, “just moved here” depending on what your driver’s license says.
Incidentally, we were able to go closer to a year and a HALF in reality on my wife’s car because cops in San Diego have no idea what the TX state inspection stickers on the front windshield means.