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    Clean Truck Check Background

    In December 2021, the California Air Resources Board approved the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (HD I/M) Regulation, now known as Clean Truck Check, in an ongoing effort to meet air quality standards by ensuring heavy-duty vehicle emissions control systems operate properly throughout the life of the vehicle.

    Guidance on motorhomes, agriculture vehicles, and other vehicle types can be found at Fact Sheets, Guides & Videos.

    How Clean Truck Check May Apply to You

    Clean Truck Check applies to almost all diesel and alternative fuel trucks and buses with a GVWR over 14,000 pounds operating on-road in California including out-of-state and out-of-country vehicles, California registered motorhomes and agricultural vehicles.

    Owners are required to:

    Freight Contractor, Broker, and Applicable Freight Facility Requirements

    • Freight contractor, applicable freight facilities, and brokers requirements are in effect, and vehicle/fleet compliance certificates may be requested by freight facilities. Owners must ensure that reported fleet, vehicle, and testing information is accurately reported in the Clean Truck Check - Vehicle Inspection System (CTC-VIS) and that their annual compliance fees have been paid. Compliant VINs will be provided to seaport and intermodal railyard representatives. More information can be found at Freight Contractor, Broker, and Applicable Freight Facility Requirements.
    • Additional information on Ports and Railyards can be found at the Requirements for Operations in Ports and Railyards page.

    Tampering Advisory

    • Removed or disabled emission control systems can be difficult or impossible to repair and may result in violations and fines.
    • Disabling, removing or tampering with emissions control systems may result in violations and fines.
    • Repairing disabled emission control systems can be difficult or impossible.

    How to comply with Clean Truck Check Requirements

    1. Report affected vehicles and pay the annual compliance fee.
    2. Prepare for emissions compliance testing. Emissions compliance testing requirements start January of 2025. Tests can be submitted up to 90 days prior to the testing deadline.
    3. Subscribe to email notifications and select Clean Truck Check (Heavy Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance) to receive emails about program updates.

    Reporting Requirements 

    Vehicle owners are required to use the Clean Truck Check (CTC-VIS) database system to report vehicle and owner information and submit an annual per vehicle compliance fee. Payment methods include: major credit cards, debit cards, and electronic fund transfers. Payments made through any other CARB portals or paper check mailing will NOT be accepted. 

    Owners need to provide essential company and fleet information, including 

    • Entity name
    • Company contact information
    • U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) number.
    • Vehicle information, such as Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

    Webinars and Training

    Webinars and in-person training opportunities are available. For upcoming dates and times, as well as past Reporting Webinars visit Clean Truck Check: Meetings & Workshops.

    Know your Emissions Compliance Testing Requirements and Deadlines

    Annual Testing: California Motorhomes and Agricultural Vehicles

    California registered motor homes (including recreational and emergency use motor homes), and vehicles that meet the requirements to be designated as agricultural vehicles, are only required to submit to emissions compliance testing once annually. You can find when your emissions compliance testing deadlines are here Agricultural Vehicles & California Motorhomes Annual Compliance Requirements. Emissions compliance testing deadlines will align with the vehicle's DMV registration expiration date.

    Semi-Annual Testing: California registered vehicles, SE plated vehicles, Non-California registered vehicles and DVM exempt vehicles

    Most vehicles will fall into the semi-annual testing schedule. You can find when your emissions compliance testing deadlines are here Clean Truck Check Requirements for Vehicles Subject to Semi-Annual Compliance. Refer to Table I for CA registered, SE plated vehicles and Table II for non-CA registered and DMV exempt vehicles (e.g. government vehicles).

    • California registered vehicles, including SE plated vehicles, will have their compliance deadlines on their DMV registration expiration date and the additional deadline within six months of the registration expiration date.
    • Non-CA registered and DMV exempt plated vehicles will have their compliance deadlines based on the last digit of their VIN.

    Implementation Guidance

    • Implementation Guidance on annual and semi-annual testing requirements, including how to determine each vehicle’s deadline(s), can be found at Fact Sheets, Guides & Videos.

    Training Requirements for Testers

    Clean Truck Check requires that all emissions testing and submission of results be performed by credentialed testers. Vehicle owners can obtain the testing credential to perform their own tests through the online credentialed tester training course at no cost once they pass the exam. Credentials must be renewed every 2 years. Upon successfully completing the exam, you may add your name to the Available for Hire Credentialed Tester List or use the list to find a credentialed tester to hire in your area.

    View may view the tester training modules on our Diesel Regulation Training Course Video Archive page. 

    Emissions Compliance Testing Methods

    The testing method is dependent on whether the vehicle has OBD or not. Below are the methods for OBD and non-OBD vehicles:

    Infographic of Emissions Compliance Testing Methods: for OBD-equipped vehicles of 2013 model year or newer diesel engines and 2018 model year or newer alternative fuel engines there must be an OBD test done via a CARB-certified testing device. For non-obd equipped pre-2013 model year diesel engines it is needed to get a SAE J1667 opacity test visual/functional inspection. For Non-obd equipped vehicles of pre-2018 model year alternative fuel engines it is required to get a visual/functional inspection only.

    Determine Emissions Compliance Testing Type and Frequency

    On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) equipped vehicles

    • OBD test submission: twice per year starting in 2025, increases to four times per year October 1, 2027.
    • CA registered Motorhomes and Agricultural Vehicles: once per year
    • OBD tests are only automatically uploaded for the Telematics devices of credentialed testers who submit OBD data through the other OBD devices to CARB. 

    Non-OBD equipped vehicles

    Testing Devices

    CARB maintains a list of certified OBD devices and SAE J-1667 Smoke Meter Manufacturers for applicable smoke meters.

    Additional Information

    More detailed information can be found at Clean Truck Check.

    Fact Sheets & FAQs provide further details on program requirements discussed on this page in addition to other requirements for brokers, freight contractors, and applicable freight facilities.

    If you have questions regarding Clean Truck Check, contact Clean Truck Check at hdim@arb.ca.gov.

    Clean Truck Check DMV Registration Holds for Noncompliance

    CA DMV registration holds are actively being placed on vehicles that do not comply with the Clean Truck Check requirements. Avoid a California DMV registration hold by reporting vehicles and paying the annual compliance fee in CTC-VIS. Clean Truck Check Reporting: To access the reporting database to complete reporting requirements, visit Clean Truck Check.

    DMV Registration Notice with CARB Non-Compliant Vehicle Warning

    If accessing this webpage due to a Department of Motor Vehicle Registration Hold - Notice of Incomplete Renewal as shown below or a similar DMV notice of non-compliance please visit the Clean Truck Check DMV Compliance or Truck and Bus DMV Compliance.

    If you have a 2009-2011 vehicle and received a registration renewal notice that includes a CARB Non-Compliant Vehicle Warning, contact CARB before renewing. Vehicles not compliant with the Truck and Bus regulation cannot be operated in California regardless of their registration status with DMV.

    Learn more about Diesel Vehicle Enforcement:

     

    Sample DMV noticeClean Truck Check DMV Notice of Incomplete Renewal Example Image