Price
Call for price
Hours
Open 7 days a week
Station type
Test & Repair
Appointments
Walk-ins welcome
Hours
- Monday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Tuesday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Wednesday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Thursday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Friday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Saturday
- 9 AM – 9 PM
- Sunday
- 11 AM – 7 PM
Good to know
Languages
English
Payment
Cash, Credit Card
What to expect at Carmax
Carmax is licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair as a Test & Repair smog station in Irvine, so it can run the inspection and, if your car fails, diagnose and fix it in the same shop. It is not STAR certified, so if your DMV renewal notice says "STAR Station Required" you will need a different station.
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?
- Carmax can diagnose and repair the problem in the same shop, then retest the car.
- 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.
9501 Research Drive, Irvine, CA 92618
Get directions →Hours
- Monday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Tuesday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Wednesday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Thursday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Friday
- 10 AM – 9 PM
- Saturday
- 9 AM – 9 PM
- Sunday
- 11 AM – 7 PM
Also listed on
Other stations near Carmax
Porsche Irvine
14500 Scientific Way
Autonation Toyota Irvine
9101 Research Drive
Irvine BMW Mini
9881 Research Dr
Tuttle Click
38/40 Auto Center Dr
Kia Of Irvine
45 Old Field
Nearby cities in Orange County
Questions about Carmax
Carmax is open Monday 10 AM to 9 PM; Tuesday 10 AM to 9 PM; Wednesday 10 AM to 9 PM; Thursday 10 AM to 9 PM; Friday 10 AM to 9 PM; Saturday 9 AM to 9 PM; Sunday 11 AM to 7 PM. Hours can change on holidays, so call ahead if you are cutting it close.
Carmax accepts Cash, Credit Card.
Carmax has held a BAR smog license since 2022. You can verify the license status at bar.ca.gov.
Carmax 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 (949) 341-0801 for a quote.
Carmax does not take online bookings here, but walk-ins are welcome. Call (949) 341-0801 to check the wait.
Staff at Carmax speak English.
The closest alternatives in Irvine are Porsche Irvine (0.2 mi) and Autonation Toyota Irvine (0.4 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: Santa Ana • Licensed since 2022