California Air Resources Board

Introduction

This user guide is intended to help vehicle owners report online to meet the Clean Truck Check reporting requirements. The Clean Truck Check-Vehicle Inspection System (CTC-VIS) allows you to create an account and report owner and vehicle information. You may also pay your compliance fees and see the annual deadlines in CTC-VIS. In addition, vehicle owners can see their emissions compliance testing deadlines and test results. Lastly, credentialed testers can create an account and submit and review passing emissions test results.

Emissions compliance testing requirements are effective October 1, 2024. All compliance deadlines on or after January 1, 2025, will require the submission of a passing emissions compliance test as part of the vehicle’s compliance demonstration. Vehicle owners may test 90 days prior to the vehicle’s compliance deadline, so they have time to make any repairs if the vehicle fails the test and submit a passing emissions compliance test by the due date. 

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA DMV) will use the vehicle identification number (VIN) reported in CTC-VIS to verify a vehicle’s compliance status with Clean Truck Check. To avoid potential CA DMV registration holds or delays registering your vehicle, it is crucial that the VIN reported matches the one registered with CA DMV. Information reported to CARB must be complete and accurate.

For more information regarding the Clean Truck Check program, please visit Clean Truck Check (HD I/M) | California Air Resources Board. If you need assistance with reporting, please send an email to hdim@arb.ca.gov that includes a detailed description of the issue you are encountering as well as any screenshots that you can provide.

Who Needs to Report?

Clean Truck Check applies to nearly all diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 14,000 pounds that operate on California public roads and highways even if they are not registered in California. This includes public vehicles (federal, state, and local government); motorcoaches; transit, shuttle and school buses; hybrid vehicles; commercial vehicles; personal vehicles; California registered motorhomes; single vehicle fleets; and vehicles registered outside of California (not including motorhomes).

Vehicles that are not subject to Clean Truck Check include:

• Zero-emission vehicles

• Military tactical vehicles as defined by Title 13, California Code of Regulations, section 1905

• Emergency vehicles as defined by California Vehicle Code section 165

• New vehicles with engines certified to the most stringent optional, NOx standard

• (only for the first four years of program implementation, currently none available)

• Motorhomes registered outside of California

• Vehicles operating under an experimental permit

• Historical vehicles as defined by California Vehicle Code section 5004

Although a vehicle may not be subject to Clean Truck Check, it may still need to be reported to avoid potential CA DMV registration holds. For more information, please see Vehicles Not Subject to Clean Truck Check | California Air Resources Board.

Please note that vehicles should only be marked as not subject to Clean Truck Check if they meet the guidelines as outlined on the fact sheet at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/vehicles-not-subject-clean-truck-check.  Supporting documentation and/or additional attestations may be required in CTC-VIS or emailed to HDIM@arb.ca.gov.

Creating an Account

Reporting Company Information & Creating a CTC-VIS Login

If you are creating a CTC-VIS account for the first time, click on the “Register” button. If you are a returning user, please click “Log In” and enter your username and password.

Form Information

Enter a valid email address, that you have access to, as your username. You will use your full email address as your username when logging in later. Click “Continue” when you are done.

Entity Information

When entering entity information, please ensure that all information is accurate and that you select the appropriate entity type for your account.

After you fill out all the entity information, scroll down and click “Next”. Then, click the small checkbox to certify that all information you entered is accurate. It will automatically populate your email address as the “Submitter”. Now click “Submit” at the bottom.

This screen will appear after clicking “Submit”. You will now receive an email from “CARB Admin”, which will allow you to activate your CTC-VIS account and create a password. If you do not receive this email, please reach out to hdim@arb.ca.gov and provide your email address so that it may be sent to you.

Entering Vehicle Information

To begin entering vehicle information, click “My Info/My Entity” to proceed with the vehicle/entity information process.

If adding a vehicle, please click the “Add Vehicle” button. This will allow you to begin adding vehicles to your fleet, either via individual upload or a bulk upload feature, which will be explained in more detail below. The “Export-Excel” button can be used to create a downloaded Excel spreadsheet that will contain all the vehicle information you have uploaded.

The “Description” box can be used to make notes for your own record about actions you will take within CTC-VIS. These descriptions can be searched in the future to help you review your previous actions. Please note that once a description is saved, you will not be able to edit the description in the future.

Your entity information should pre-populate from your account information.

If registered as an individual user, you will not need to enter location information regarding your vehicle(s). If you are a Company or Government account type, please ensure your locations are correct. You may also add more from your “My Entity” page.

If registered as an individual user, you will not need to enter any information in the bulk upload section.

If you are reporting on behalf of a company or government agency that operates a large fleet, you will have the option of using the Bulk Upload Template. This will allow you to upload your fleet in a bulk format, allowing for a simpler upload experience as opposed to uploading a large fleet one by one. 

This page will allow you to input vehicle information individually. Individuals will only have the option to input vehicles one at a time. Companies and government agencies have the option of reporting using the Bulk Upload Template, but they may also report vehicles on an individual basis. Click “Actions” and “Add Vehicle”.

This is the template used to upload individual vehicle information. If the system does not accept your VIN initially, you may want to check your DMV registration document and/or the VIN on the physical vehicle to ensure the one reported in CTC-VIS is correct. If all VIN information with DMV is confirmed as being correct, or if you already know your VIN is in an irregular format, you may check the “Irregular VIN” box. Only * fields are required information. If one or more of these does not apply to your vehicle, you may simply enter “N/A” in the appropriate fields. If any errors are made when entering vehicle information or if vehicle information changes at any point, you may go back and make any necessary corrections.

In step 5 you will see a Current Vehicles list and a New and Modified Vehicles list. Your current vehicles will show in Current Vehicles, and any vehicles you have added or edited will show in the New and Modified list. Any changes you make in that form will be reflected in the New and Modified Vehicles list.

After adding or editing vehicles, you will be taken to the “Form Submit” page to certify the information you have entered is accurate. Before clicking “Submit”, you should preview your submission summary to check for any potential errors. If you notice any errors were made, click the small white “Back” button in the bottom right corner and make any necessary changes. Once you are ready to submit the form, click the small checkbox to certify the information you entered or changes you made are correct. It will sign your name as the “Submitter”, and you will be able to click “Submit”.

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Once you have completed your review of the information forms and clicked the “Submit” button, this page will confirm that you have uploaded your vehicle information forms.

Return to your “Main Menu” and “My Entity/My Info” page to see your vehicle(s) have been added to your account.

Paying the Compliance Fee

Once you have completed the vehicle information reporting process, you may begin the annual compliance fee payment process. The compliance fee can be paid by either debit/credit card or e-check. Please note a fee from the payment vendor will be charged when paying via a debit or credit card, whereas the e-check method has no associated fee.

This page will show you when compliance fees are due for certain vehicles if you have not yet paid them. You may begin the fee payment process for your vehicle(s) by selecting the “Add to Cart” option shown. 

Once you have added your vehicle(s) to your cart, they will appear as this one does above. If all the desired vehicles have been added to the cart, you may click the “Proceed to Checkout” button to advance to the payment screen.

After clicking the “Proceed to Checkout” button, you will be brought to this screen. You will notice the vehicle(s) in your cart on the left-hand side of the screen. On the right-hand side of the screen, your total payment (before convenience fees) will be shown. You may also select your payment method on the right-hand side of the screen.

The image below reflects the screen you will see if paying by electronic check. After entering your information, please review before clicking submit. After reviewing your payment information, click Captcha (I am human) to verify that you are the one making the payment. Once that is completed, you may click the “Submit” button that should show on the bottom of the screen. Please note it may take up to seven business days for Echecks to clear.

The image shown below reflects the screen you will see when paying with a debit or credit card. Once you enter your card information, please review it to avoid payment failure. After ensuring that your card information is correct, please click Captcha to verify that it is you making the payment. After that, you will be able to click the “Submit” button to submit your payment. Please note the 2.99% convenience fee associated with card payments as shown at the top of this image.

To view your transactions and receipts please navigate to “Entity Details” from your “My Entity/My Info” home page and click “Fees & Payments”.

Then scroll down to “Transaction History.” The image below shows an example of your transaction history, this is where you can download a receipt for each transaction as well as check the status of a payment. Certificates will be generated one business day after the payment has fully processed and will be visible in your “Vehicles” table next to your VIN.

Returning Users – Managing Passwords and Log-In Information

Retrieving Password

If you forget your password, you may begin the password reset process by clicking the “Forgot password?” button indicated by the red arrow in the image below. You will then be taken through a series of steps that will allow you to change your password. Please be sure to keep a record of your new password. If you receive an error please email HDIM@arb.ca.gov for a password reset, and include the email address used to create the account.

Updating Login and Contact Information Online

From your Home Account Information screen, click “Main Menu” at the top right of your screen and a large drop-down menu will appear. Proceed to click on the “My Details” button and it will bring you to “Person Details.”

The “Person Details” page will display all editable phone numbers. Please click the solid blue “Actions” button and click the drop-down button displaying “Edit Phone Numbers.”***NOTE*** You cannot edit email addresses in CTC-VIS.Please email hdim@arb.ca.gov if you need to change your email address.

You can then edit your mobile or landline phone numbers from this window that appears. Once the edit is made, click the solid blue “Save” button.

From the “Person Details” screen, click the solid blue “Actions” button and a drop-down menu will appear with two options. Click the “Edit General (Okta).”

Click the solid green “Edit Profile” button. It will bring you to a blue screen prompting you to verify your information.

You will need to verify your information through email or password. Select a verification method that best suits your preference.

Once successful, click the solid grey ”Edit” button. The ”First Name” ”Last Name” and ”Primary Email” fields will be available to edit.

Once you complete your intended edits, click the solid white ”Save” button to change your information.

If you changed your ”Primary Email,” you will be sent a confirmation email to your newly added email. Once confirmed, the changes will be made.  ***NOTE*** Changing your ”Primary Email” will NOT change the username.

Updating Company Name & Information

If you choose to update your company information, navigate to the “My Entity” page and click the solid blue “Actions” button. A drop-down menu will appear, then proceed to click “Edit Details.”

You will then be required to fill and complete the “Description” field of Step 1 (Form Information). Once provided, click the solid blue “Next” button to proceed to the next page where you will be able to update your company information. Beginning October 2024, you will be able to change entity types.

The Entity Information page allows you to edit the necessary entity information as shown below. Ensure all fields have the intended changes. Once finished editing the entity information, please click the “Next” button on the bottom right of the window. (You may also save any progress with the blue font “Save” button at the bottom right of the screen).

The Location Information page will appear on the screen. Please proceed by clicking the solid blue “Next” button at the bottom of the screen.

The Bulk Vehicle Upload page will be your next screen. Again, you will click the solid blue “Next” button at the bottom right of the screen.

The Vehicle Information page will be your next screen. Please click the solid blue “Next” button at the bottom right of the screen.

Form Submit is the page where users will verify their changes. If the information is correct, “check” the empty box below the “Submitter” header and it will immediately turn blue with a white checkmark. You will then click the solid blue “Submit” button at the bottom right of the screen.

Confirmation displays that you successfully submitted your Company Information updates. Please click “Close” in the bottom right corner of the screen. Refresh your page 15 seconds after the home page loads. You should now see the changes reflected in your “Vehicles” section.

Fleet Management

Managing Fleet Information

To deactivate a vehicle, please go to “My Entity/My Info”, scroll down to your “Vehicles” table and click “Actions”.

This will open a new form for you, click to Step 5, then in "Current Vehicles" click “Actions” and “Deactivate”.

After clicking “Deactivate” please click “Yes”.

Select the reason for deactivation and hit “Save”.

Note that in your New and Modified list you’ll now see the VIN you deactivated, and it will state “Deactivated” as the record status.

Be sure to save and submit the form fully.

Adding More Vehicles

To add another vehicle, click the “New and Modified Vehicles” dropdown menu located below the “Current Vehicles” dropdown menu as shown below.

Once you are in the Vehicle Information form, to add a new vehicle, you will need to click “Actions” and “Add Vehicle” as shown below.

When reporting a new vehicle, you will have to fill out the information fields shown below. If you do not fill out all of these fields, you may receive a notice that tells you your vehicle information is incomplete. If you are entering a recently purchased vehicle that has not yet been assigned a license plate, please enter the following in the license plate field: “pending as of mm-dd-yyyy” (this date should be the date the purchase agreement was made).

Once you have added the vehicle information, you will see the NEW vehicle in the “New and Modified Vehicles” list, click “Save” and “Next”, to sign and submit the form. Be sure to click the “Check box” to fill in your name, then click “Submit”.

Editing Vehicle Information

To edit a vehicle, go to “My Entity/My Info”, scroll down to your “Vehicles” table and click “Actions”and “Edit Vehicle”

In the new form, go to step 5, click “Actions” and “Edit”.

Please note that some information will not be able to be edited, such as the VIN. To edit a current vehicle, you will want to click the “Current Vehicles” dropdown as shown above. This will show a list of all your currently reported vehicles. After you are done, click “Next” and click the checkbox and click “Submit” to make changes to the account.

Checking status of payment (6-7 business days)  

Please note that if you elect to pay your compliance fee via electronic check or bank account, it may take up to 7 business days for your payment to be processed. If paying by credit or debit card, your payment should be processed within 1-2 business days. You can check your payment status by clicking the “Actions” dropdown menu, then navigating to Transaction History.

Once your payment is received by CARB, you will be provided a receipt of payment like the one shown below. Your vehicle information, payment information and payment amount will be shown in your receipt.

After making a successful payment, you will be able to see a page similar to this one in the Transaction History section of your account. You should be able to see all of your payment history from this screen. From here, you can click the “Receipt” button to receive a copy of your payment receipt.

Finish Reporting and Determine Compliance Status (Certificate)

Once you have received confirmation of payment, a screen similar to this one will appear in your vehicle list. Your VIN(s), vehicle location(s) if applicable, fuel type(s) and compliance certificate status will be shown. If you have completed all the steps to show as compliant, you will be able to click on the “Download” button and download the compliance certificate(s) for your vehicle(s).

This is an example of a certificate of compliance with the Clean Truck Check Program. You should print this certificate from your account in CTC-VIS and/or store it digitally for your own internal records.

CERTIFICATES CANNOT BE EDITED OR ALTERED ONCE GENERATED. PLEASE ENSURE VEHICLE INFORMATION IS CORRECT BEFORE PAYING THE FEE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USER TO ENSURE ALL VEHICLE INFORMATION IS CORRECT. IF A USER DOES NOT ENTER THE CORRECT VEHICLE INFORMATION AND RECEIVES A CERTIFICATE WITH INCORRECT INFORMATION, THEY WILL NEED TO DEACTIVATE THE VEHICLE AND REPORT IT AGAIN WITH THE CORRECT INFORMATION. REFUNDS WILL NOT BE ISSUED IF A USER PAYS FOR A VEHICLE THEY REPORTED USING INCORRECT INFORMATION.