Smog and registration questions

Your DMV renewal notice tells you. Lathrop is in San Joaquin County, where the DMV requires smog checks at renewal for most vehicles.

Usually exempt: gasoline vehicles 1975 and older, diesel vehicles 1997 and older or over 14,000 lbs, and electric vehicles. Gasoline vehicles less than eight model years old pay a smog abatement fee instead of testing.

Yes. Lathrop Quick Smog is STAR-certified. You can check our status on the Bureau of Automotive Repair station report.

90 days. The station sends it to the DMV electronically, so there’s no paper certificate to carry or mail.

Make sure the check engine light is off. If it’s on, get it repaired before the smog check. If you recently replaced the battery or had repairs, drive normally for a week or two first so the car’s onboard monitors are ready.

You get the inspection report showing what failed. We’re a test-only station, so repairs are done at a repair shop, then the vehicle is retested. The state’s Consumer Assistance Program may help with repair costs or vehicle retirement if you qualify.

Many renewals and transfers finish in one visit, including license plates, registration stickers, and registration cards for eligible transactions. Required documents, transaction eligibility, inventory, and processing availability apply. Ownership titles are issued by the DMV and arrive by mail.

Yes. Bring your renewal notice or plate number. The DMV adds late fees depending on how late it is. We show you the DMV amount separately from our service fee before you pay.

The seller. California requires the seller to give the buyer a valid smog certification. If the vehicle is less than four years old, no smog check is needed for the sale. The new owner pays a smog transfer fee instead.

The DMV must be told about a change of ownership within 10 days. Sellers should file the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability within 5 days.

20 days after becoming a resident or bringing the vehicle into the state. Most vehicles need a California smog certification and a vehicle verification (REG 31) first.

Usually, yes. The DMV requires a smog certification from a California station for most out-of-state vehicles: gasoline 1976 and newer, diesel 1998 and newer.

Yes, for most vehicles. Bring the vehicle and its title or registration from the other state, and we complete the Verification of Vehicle (REG 31) at our counter. Revived salvage, specially constructed, and a few other vehicles must be verified by the DMV or CHP instead.

We prepare the Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227) with you and submit it. The DMV issues the new title and mails it. If your registration lists a lienholder, section 5 of the REG 227 must be notarized.

File a police report, then bring it to us with any plate you still have. The DMV requires the remaining plate to be turned in when plates are replaced. We prepare the replacement application (REG 156) and collect the DMV fee.

We handle the paperwork. Before a revived salvage vehicle can be registered, it needs a vehicle verification by the DMV or CHP, a Vehicle Safety Systems Inspection certificate, and a smog certification unless it’s exempt. We can do the smog check here.

No. Walk-ins are welcome. Booking ahead holds a time for you.

Yes, that’s what we’re set up for. We test the vehicle, the result goes to the DMV electronically, and we process the eligible renewal or transfer at the same counter. If the car doesn’t pass, the registration waits until it passes a retest.

No. We’re a private business that handles smog checks and registration paperwork. DMV fees are set by the state and are separate from our service fee, and we tell you both before we start.

You pay two things: the DMV’s fees, which the state sets based on your vehicle and transaction, and our service fee. We tell you both before we start.