Price
Call for price
Hours
Open Mon–Sat
Station type
Test Only
Appointments
Walk-ins welcome
Hours
- Monday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Good to know
Languages
English
Payment
Cash, Credit Card
What to expect at Bear Safety Center
Bear Safety Center is licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair as a Test Only smog station in Oakland. It runs the inspection and issues the certificate but does no repairs. It is STAR certified, so it can test vehicles the DMV directs to a STAR station, including gross polluters.
Walk-ins are welcome. Most smog checks take 15 to 30 minutes, and most visits are closer to 20.
What to bring
Your registration or DMV renewal notice
It says whether the car needs a STAR station.
The car, with the check engine light off
On a 2000-or-newer car, a lit check engine light fails the test on its own.
A way to pay
The $8.25 state certificate is paid on top of the test when the car passes, unless the station's price or coupon includes it.
What if I fail?
- Bear Safety Center doesn't do repairs, so the car goes to a repair shop and comes back for the retest.
- Each station sets its own retest price, so ask before the first test.
- BAR's Consumer Assistance Program pays up to $1,450 toward emissions repairs for income-eligible owners.
3031 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94608-4531
Get directions →Hours
- Monday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 5 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Also listed on
Other stations near Bear Safety Center
Nearby cities in Alameda County
Questions about Bear Safety Center
Bear Safety Center is open Monday 8 AM to 5 PM; Tuesday 8 AM to 5 PM; Wednesday 8 AM to 5 PM; Thursday 8 AM to 5 PM; Friday 8 AM to 5 PM; Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM. Closed Sunday. Hours can change on holidays, so call ahead if you are cutting it close.
Bear Safety Center accepts Cash, Credit Card.
Bear Safety Center has held a BAR smog license since 2004. You can verify the license status at bar.ca.gov.
Bear Safety Center has not published a price on SmogCheckDeals. The Bureau of Automotive Repair puts the statewide average at $69.16 as of August 2026, about $65 for a 2000-or-newer vehicle and $73 for 1999-or-older, plus the $8.25 certificate fee. Call (510) 653-1451 for a quote.
Bear Safety Center does not take online bookings here, but walk-ins are welcome. Call (510) 653-1451 to check the wait.
Staff at Bear Safety Center speak English.
The closest alternatives in Oakland are EZ Star Smog Oakland (0.2 mi) and HK Auto Care (0.6 mi). Both are listed further up this page with their ratings and hours.
How we get this data: BAR licenses and STAR status, Google hours and ratings, coupons published by the station.
Verify this station’s license and STAR standing at bar.ca.gov.
Own this shop? Add photos
BAR field office: Hercules • Licensed since 2004