Price
Call for price
Hours
Open Mon–Sat
Station type
Test Only
Appointments
Walk-ins welcome
Hours
- Monday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday
- 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Good to know
Languages
English
Payment
Credit Card, Debit Card, NFC/Contactless
What to expect at Nelson Smog
Nelson Smog is licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair as a Test Only smog station in Garden Grove. 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?
- Nelson Smog 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.
10682 Stanford Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92840
Get directions →Hours
- Monday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday
- 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Also listed on
Other stations near Nelson Smog
GG Smog Check Station
10622 Garden Grove Boulevard
Star Smog Check Center
19240 Joy St
DH Smog Check & Auto Repair
10462 Stanford Ave #b
James Auto Center
10711 Garden Grove Blvd
California Test Only Center
13051 Westlake Street
Nearby cities in Orange County
Questions about Nelson Smog
Nelson Smog is open Monday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM; Tuesday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM; Wednesday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM; Thursday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM; Friday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM; Saturday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Closed Sunday. Hours can change on holidays, so call ahead if you are cutting it close.
Nelson Smog accepts Credit Card, Debit Card, NFC/Contactless.
Google lists the following accessibility features at Nelson Smog: wheelchair accessible entrance, wheelchair accessible parking.
Nelson Smog has held a BAR smog license since 2018. You can verify the license status at bar.ca.gov.
Nelson Smog 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 (714) 537-8474 for a quote.
Nelson Smog does not take online bookings here, but walk-ins are welcome. Call (714) 537-8474 to check the wait.
Staff at Nelson Smog speak English.
The closest alternatives in Garden Grove are GG Smog Check Station (0.2 mi) and Star Smog Check Center (0.2 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.
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BAR field office: Santa Ana • Licensed since 2018