Your options and what each pays
| Option | Pays up to | Income limit | Smog check requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repair assistance, 1996 and newer | $1,450 | 225% of poverty level | Failed its biennial smog check |
| Repair assistance, 1976 to 1995 | $1,100 | 225% of poverty level | Failed its biennial smog check |
| Vehicle retirement | $2,000 | 225% of poverty level | Failed its most recent smog check |
| Vehicle retirement | $1,500 | 225% of poverty level | Any smog check, pass or fail, within 180 days before applying; none if the vehicle is not subject to Smog Check. Not for zero-emission vehicles |
| Vehicle retirement | $1,350 | None | Failed its most recent smog check |
Amounts from BAR’s repair and retirement pages. The repair caps rose from $1,200 and $900 on January 1, 2025, when BAR also raised the retirement payments and dropped the once-per-vehicle limit on repair help (OAL approval). Aborted, manual-mode and training-mode inspections don’t count as the required smog check, and for the $2,000 option a failure caused only by ignition timing, the gas cap test or a tampered emissions system doesn’t qualify.
Income limits
Gross household income must be at or below 225% of the federal poverty level (BAR):
| Household size | Maximum yearly gross income |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $35,910 |
| 2 people | $48,690 |
| 3 people | $61,470 |
| 4 people | $74,250 |
| 5 people | $87,030 |
| 6 people | $99,810 |
| 7 people | $112,590 |
| 8 people | $125,370 |
| Each additional person | add $12,780 |
What you pay with repair assistance
You pay a co-payment and the station’s $8.25 certificate fee. On small repair bills the co-payment is 20%; above the threshold, CAP pays its full cap and you pay the rest (BAR).
| Model year | Repair bill | Your co-payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 and newer | $1,812.50 or less | 20% of the bill |
| 1996 and newer | More than $1,812.50 | The bill minus $1,450 |
| 1976 to 1995 | $1,375 or less | 20% of the bill |
| 1976 to 1995 | More than $1,375 | The bill minus $1,100 |
A $1,000 repair on a 2010 car, for example, costs you $200 plus the certificate fee. A $2,500 repair costs you $1,050.
Who qualifies
For repair assistance, the vehicle must:
- be titled to you as the registered owner;
- have failed its biennial (every other year) smog check;
- not have a tampered emissions control system;
- have a current registration, or all DMV fees paid with the sticker expired no more than 365 days;
- not be mid-transfer, being registered in California for the first time or again, junked, a total-loss salvage vehicle being re-registered, or registered to a business, government agency or non-profit.
For vehicle retirement, the vehicle must:
- have a current registration, or all DMV fees paid with the sticker expired no more than 120 days;
- have no registration lapse over 120 days in the two years before the current sticker expires. For the $1,500 option only, two consecutive years of California insurance, or repair invoices from each of the two prior calendar years, can show this instead;
- have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less;
- drive to the dismantler under its own power, start without starting fluid or a boost, and still have its doors, hood, dashboard, windshield and at least one headlight, tail light and brake light;
- not be mid-transfer, junked, or registered to a business, agency or non-profit.
You can’t use retirement if, in the past 12 months, you retired another vehicle through CAP as a sole owner or more than two as a joint owner (BAR).
How to apply
- 1Get the smog check. Repair help needs a failed biennial inspection; keep the vehicle inspection report. The test usually takes about 30 minutes.
- 2Apply online at bar.ca.gov/cap or by mail, and save the confirmation notice.
- 3Upload your documents, including proof of household income for the income-based options.
- 4Wait for the letter of eligibility. Do not start repairs before it arrives.
- 5Repair the vehicle at a STAR test-and-repair station, or drive it to the BAR-contracted dismantler named for retirement, before the date on your letter. Miss it and you have to reapply.
Questions go to the CAP line at (866) 272-9642, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except state holidays.
If you don't qualify
The Smog Check Referee can grant a one-time repair cost waiver that gives you more time to finish repairs, and can help find obsolete emissions parts. Call (800) 622-7733. Before paying for a big repair, compare what to do after a failed smog check and the most common reasons cars fail.
Frequently asked questions
Not $1,200 any more. Since January 1, 2025, BAR's Consumer Assistance Program pays up to $1,450 toward emissions repairs on a 1996-or-newer vehicle that failed its smog check (up to $1,100 for 1976 to 1995 model years), if your household income is at or below 225% of the federal poverty level. If you'd rather give up the car, the vehicle retirement option pays $1,350 to $2,000.
$2,000 if your household income qualifies and the vehicle failed its most recent smog check; $1,500 if your income qualifies and the vehicle had a smog check, pass or fail, within 180 days before you apply; $1,350 with no income requirement if the vehicle failed its most recent smog check. The vehicle has to be driven to a BAR-contracted dismantler under its own power.
Gross household income at or below 225% of the federal poverty level: $35,910 for one person, $48,690 for two, $74,250 for a household of four. The full table is on BAR's income page.
No. Wait for the letter of approval. BAR says not to take the vehicle for repairs before you receive it, and repairs paid through CAP are done at STAR test-and-repair stations.
Yes. Since January 1, 2025, BAR no longer limits repair assistance to once per vehicle. Each application is still subject to the eligibility rules and to the money available that fiscal year.
The Smog Check Referee can grant a one-time repair cost waiver, which gives you more time to finish repairs. Call (800) 622-7733 to check eligibility and book an appointment.