Owning a car · 50 states and DC
Smog check cost and rules
"Smog check" is California’s name for its emissions test; other states call it an emissions or I/M inspection.
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Inspection fees · California
$20
Due at purchase $4,249 · out the door $39,249
Then about $478 a year to renew.
| Sales/use tax (10.25%) | $3,596.21 |
| Reflectorized plate fee | $1.00 |
| Registration fee (includes $3 alternative fuel/technology fee) | $76.00 |
| California Highway Patrol fee | $34.00 |
| County and district fees (Los Angeles County) | $11.00 |
| Vehicle license fee (0.65% of $35,100)Based on the price you pay, even for a used car: the schedule restarts at each change of owner. | $228.00 |
| Transportation improvement fee | $198.00 |
| Smog abatement fee (no smog check for the first eight model years) | $20.00 |
| Dealer documentation fee (capped at $85) | $85.00 |
DMV and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) schedules read on 2026-10-11. Some lines have no single official amount and are listed apart. How this is calculated.
In California, a gasoline or hybrid car skips the smog check for its first 8 model years and pays a $20 smog abatement fee with each renewal instead; after that it needs a smog check every two years, and at a change of ownership if it is more than 4 model years old (newer cars pay an $8 smog transfer fee). The state does not set the price of the test: the Bureau of Automotive Repair says stations price it freely, but every certificate carries an $8.25 state fee. Electric cars are exempt. Outside California, 28 jurisdictions in this site's data run an emissions program in all or part of their territory (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin), usually around their largest metro areas, with their own exemptions for new cars. The calculator shows which lines apply to your car and county.
California's three smog charges
A California owner meets three different charges over the life of a gasoline car. The smog abatement fee is paid to the DMV with the renewal during the first eight model years, when no test is required. The smog transfer fee is paid by a buyer of a car four model years old or newer, in place of a certificate. The smog check itself is paid to a station every two years after the eighth model year and at most sales of older cars, and it includes the state's certificate fee. The California page shows all three in the calculator.
Emissions tests elsewhere
Most other programs test every year rather than every two years, cover only some counties, and exempt the newest model years. In Georgia, for example, 13 counties around Atlanta test cars yearly, and the three newest model years are exempt. Texas tests in 17 counties and collects a $2.75 state share at registration. The inspection cost page lists every state, safety inspections included.
What a failed test costs
A failed test means repairs and a retest; states often cap the retest price or offer a repair waiver above a spending limit. These amounts depend on the program and are not added by the calculator. The renewal cannot be completed until the car passes or obtains a waiver, so a failed test can also bring a late penalty.
Keeping the yearly bill in view
An emissions test adds to the registration renewal. The renewal page shows the total yearly DMV bill, and the ownership cost calculator spreads a biennial test over the years.