Price
Call for price
Hours
Open Mon–Sat
Station type
Test Only
Appointments
Walk-ins welcome
Hours
- Monday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday
- 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Good to know
Languages
English
Payment
Credit Card, Debit Card, NFC/Contactless
What to expect at Pepper Drive Test Only
Pepper Drive Test Only is licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair as a Test Only smog station in El Cajon. 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?
- Pepper Drive Test Only 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.
7921 Winter Gdns Blvd, El Cajon, CA 92021
Get directions →Hours
- Monday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Friday
- 8:30 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday
- 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Also listed on
Other stations near Pepper Drive Test Only
Rose Auto Service
1286 Greenfield Dr
On The Mark Smog & Auto Repair
1243 Greenfield Dr Unit C
Grease Monkey Garage
1027 Greenfield Dr Suite G
In-N-Out Smog Check
1027 Greenfield Dr Ste I
Ideal Smog Station
1195 Broadway
Nearby cities in San Diego County
Questions about Pepper Drive Test Only
Pepper Drive Test Only is open Monday 8:30 AM to 5 PM; Tuesday 8:30 AM to 5 PM; Wednesday 8:30 AM to 5 PM; Thursday 8:30 AM to 5 PM; Friday 8:30 AM to 5 PM; Saturday 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Closed Sunday. Hours can change on holidays, so call ahead if you are cutting it close.
Pepper Drive Test Only accepts Credit Card, Debit Card, NFC/Contactless.
Google lists the following accessibility features at Pepper Drive Test Only: wheelchair accessible entrance, wheelchair accessible parking.
Pepper Drive Test Only has held a BAR smog license since 2003. You can verify the license status at bar.ca.gov.
Pepper Drive Test Only 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 (619) 812-2353 for a quote.
Pepper Drive Test Only does not take online bookings here, but walk-ins are welcome. Call (619) 812-2353 to check the wait.
Staff at Pepper Drive Test Only speak English.
The closest alternatives in El Cajon are Rose Auto Service (0.5 mi) and On The Mark Smog & Auto Repair (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.
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BAR field office: San Diego • Licensed since 2003