Quicklinks
- User Guide CARBTest Service Appointment Scheduling - User Guide.pdf
- Preparation How to prepare for CARBTest Appointments
- Clean Truck Check: Clean Truck Check | California Air Resources Board
- Engine Label or Emission Control Label (ECL): ECL Label | TruckStop (ca.gov)
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Labels: GVWR Labels | TruckStop (ca.gov)
| Component Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Exhaust Gas Recirculation | EGR |
| Cooled EGR | EGR-C |
| Charge Air Cooler | CAC |
| Diesel Oxidation Catalyst | DOC |
| Engine/Powertrain Control Module | ECM/PCM |
| Throttle body fuel injection | TBI |
| Indirect/Direct Diesel Injection | IDI/DDI |
| Sequential/multi port injection | SFI/MFI |
| Diesel Particulate Filter | DPF |
| Periodic Trap Oxidizer | PTOX |
| Turbocharger/Supercharger | TC/SC |
| Heated/Oxygen Sensor | HO2S/02S |
| Three-way/Oxidizing Catalyst | TWC/OC |
| Pulsed/Secondary Air Injection | PAIR/AIR |
| Smoke Puff Injector | SPL |
| Ammonia Oxidation Catalyst | AMOX |
| Selective Catalyst Reduction-Urea | SCR-U |
| SCR-Ammonia | SCR-N |
| Engine Modification | EM |
FAQs
CARBTest service appointments will only be available in specific vehicle circumstances. The following are some reasons why you would make a CARBTest service appointment:
- You received a CARB notification requiring your vehicle to have CARBTest inspection.
- Credentialed testers are not available for testing your vehicle.
- The vehicle engine has been changed.
- Your vehicle has been retrofitted with an alternative fuel system (natural gas, propane, ethanol, methanol, or other non-diesel or non-gasoline fuel, and includes any of these fuels used in combination with each other).
- You would like to apply for a part unavailability compliance time extension due to the unavailability of the necessary part(s) to repair your vehicle to demonstrate Clean Truck Check compliance,
- You have recently converted your vehicle to motorhome.
- You would like to dispute an inspection result and request an independent evaluation of a vehicle’s compliance status.
- You believe your vehicle was improperly tested.
- You believe your vehicle was inappropriately failed.
- You believe your vehicle failed a Clean Truck Check inspection for missing emission control equipment that is not required.
- You have a dispute over the type of inspection performed (smoke opacity, visual, OBD).
- Your vehicle’s condition makes it incompatible with CARB Clean Truck Check test procedures due to unusual vehicle configurations, design, or other inspection incompatibility.
No. This CARBTest (California Air Resources Board Truck Emission Systems Testing) program is specifically for the California Clean Truck Check that is applicable to all heavy-duty non-gasoline vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) greater than 14,000 pounds operating in California.
If you have a specific question(s) that you need to discuss directly with a CARBTest representative, please fill out an online form here. Our CARBTest representative will respond to your question via email or phone call.
The CARBTest can ONLY inspect the vehicle to determine if the vehicle passes the required inspection. Once the vehicle has passed the CARBTest, you will need to complete the process of clearing the citation with the issuing agency or court system. Please refer to your citation for this information.
Yes. Anyone you choose can bring the vehicle to the appointment as long as they bring the vehicle and the required paperwork.
Upon completion of the inspection, the CARBTest tester will review the results with you.
You will be provided with a list of what to bring when you schedule your appointment. Generally, you will be required to bring with you all the documents that were submitted during your CARBTest appointment request process. These may include CARB notification, related citations, DMV documents, vehicle repair invoice/paperwork, etc. Read more about preparing for your appointment.
Your vehicle must be in a safe and fully functional operating condition in order for the CARBTest to inspect the vehicle. Be sure that the oil is full, the vehicle is not overheating, etc. Some of the reasons the CARBTest may not be able to inspect the vehicle include:
- Low oil level
- Fuel leak
- Coolant leak
- Excessive oil leak
Appointments are scheduled for 50 minutes. Some service may require a longer time. The CARBTest tester will inform you beforehand if your CARBTest appointment is anticipated to be more than 50 minutes.
If your vehicle does not pass a CARBTest inspection, the CARBTest tester will provide you with a CARBTest Vehicle Inspection Report containing guidance on how to resolve the issue. Please remember that the tester cannot perform diagnostics or repairs.
News
The California Air Resources Board is Beginning to Roll out the Clean Truck Check
What is Clean Truck Check?
Passenger vehicles and lighter trucks have been required to undergo periodic emissions testing and reporting for decades through the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s Smog Check Program. Now under the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Clean Truck Check, big trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles traveling on California’s roadways will be subject to similar requirements to ensure polluting, poorly maintained heavy-duty vehicles operating in California are quickly identified and repaired. The Clean Truck Check will provide significant reductions in smog-forming and carcinogenic toxic air pollution necessary to achieve federal air quality mandates and healthy air in California’s communities.
What Type of Vehicles are Subject to the Clean Truck Check?
Nearly all diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty trucks and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 14,000 pounds that operate in California are subject to the Clean Truck Check. This includes hybrid trucks and buses, commercial vehicles, privately-owned vehicles, motorhomes, government vehicles, and vehicles registered outside of California.
When Does the Clean Truck Check Start?
The first phase of the Clean Truck Check implementation began in January 2023 with the use of roadside emissions monitoring devices (REMD) to screen for vehicles that may have high emissions. Vehicles flagged as potential high emitters may be required to undergo follow-up vehicle compliance testing to ensure they are operating with properly functioning emissions control systems. When fully implemented in the 2024 timeframe, the Clean Truck Check will require most heavy-duty vehicles operating in California (including out-of-state vehicles) to undergo twice per year periodic compliance testing.
Who Can Perform Clean Truck Check Compliance Testing?
Clean Truck Check compliance testing must be performed by a credentialed tester who has completed the CARB’s free, online Tester Training Course available at Tester Training Course and Exam | California Air Resources Board and passed the accompanying examination.
Where Do I Get Additional Clean Truck Check Information?
For more information on CARB’s Clean Truck Check, go to: Clean Truck Check | California Air Resources Board